Ruby and the Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Novel

by Ditter Kellen

  “Thank you,” Ruby numbly responded. “I appreciate all your help.”

  Karla reached up and touched her on the hand. “Is there anyone I can call for you? Any family or friends?”

  Ruby shook her head. “Cameron is the only family I have left.” Her mind drifted to the morgue in the basement, where her father’s body still lay in refrigeration.

  “Are you all right?”

  It took a moment for Ruby to realize Karla had spoken to her. She pasted on a small smile and met the nurse’s gaze. “I’m fine.”

  Trailing off toward the elevator, Ruby pressed the Up button, waited for the door to open, and stepped inside. She fished out her cell and dialed the number on the card.

  A feminine voice came over the line. “This is Lisa Davis.”

  “Hi, Miss Davis. My name is Ruby Atwood. My brother was in an accident and he’s in ICU at Southside Medical Center. Our insurance has lapsed, and I was told to call you.”

  There was a brief hesitation. “I’m in the hospital now, Ruby. Where are you?”

  “On the third floor at the waiting area,” Ruby answered as the door dinged and she stepped off in front of the ICU waiting room.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  Ruby thanked her and ended the call.

  The waiting room was thankfully empty as Ruby solemnly entered. She gazed around at the empty chairs before deciding on standing.

  Cameron had no insurance. Ruby couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that her father had allowed it to lapse. How was she going to pay for her brother’s care? Between his surgery and the ICU stay, the bills would be astronomical.

  Another thought struck her as she stood there in a daze. She had no money for her father’s funeral either.

  “Miss Atwood?”

  Ruby looked up in time to see a pretty blonde woman step into the room, wearing a gray pantsuit and holding a briefcase. “Ruby. Please call me Ruby.”

  “Very well, Ruby. My name is Lisa Davis.” She extended her hand.

  Accepting Lisa’s outstretched palm, Ruby attempted to smile through the tears that threatened. “Thank you for seeing me.”

  “Let’s have a seat,” Lisa suggested, nodding toward a set of chairs across the room, “and see what we can do to help you.”

  Ruby sat, her body angled toward the social worker’s chair. She blurted the first thing that entered her mind. “We no longer have insurance.”

  Lisa listened with rapt attention as Ruby explained her situation. “I’m sorry about your brother. What about your parents?”

  “Our father died a few days ago, and Cameron’s mother gave up her parental rights when Cam was a baby. She hasn’t been seen since.”

  “I see,” Lisa remarked, opening her briefcase and pulling some papers free. “So, the child has no legal guardian?”

  Ruby blinked. “Me. He has me.”

  “I understand that you are Cameron’s sister, Ruby. But do you have legal guardianship of him?”

  “Legal, as in…?”

  Lisa didn’t hesitate. “As in signed by a judge.”

  “Well, no,” Ruby murmured, anxiety evident in her voice. “Our father just recently passed away. We haven’t even buried him yet.”

  Compassion shone from the social worker’s eyes. “I’m truly sorry for your loss, Ruby. But Cameron’s needs must be my immediate focus. And without legal custody of him, your signature won’t get him the help he so desperately needs.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Lisa laid her palm over Ruby’s trembling hand. “The Department of Children and Families will need to be notified.”

  “No!” Ruby rushed out, snatching her hand away from the social worker’s hold and jumping to her feet. “You can’t do that. I’ll go to the courts and get whatever legal documents you require. Please don’t call DCF.”

  Lisa stood as well. “Your brother needs medical care, Ruby. And without insurance, he’ll require help from the state.”

  The tears Ruby fought so hard to hold back spilled forth to slip down her cheeks. “Will they take him from me?”

  “I doubt it,” Lisa assured her, reaching up to lightly squeeze Ruby’s arm. “Hopefully, they can help you do what needs to be done to acquire parental custody. But you’ll need to do something quick. He’ll continue to accrue medical bills with every passing hour.”

  Taking a deep breath, the social worker gave Ruby one last pitying look. “You have my card. Call me if you have any more questions.”

  Ruby watched her go through a haze of salty tears. She dropped heavily back into her chair, unable to stop the choking sound from bursting from her throat. How much more was she expected to endure before she broke?

  So much had happened to her over the last few days. She’d lost her father, her brother lay in ICU, barely hanging onto life. Her family home would no longer belong to her if she didn’t come up with six-hundred-fifty-thousand dollars in the next twenty-eight days, and now she ran the risk of losing Cameron to the system.

  “Miss Atwood?” a soft voice called from the doorway.

  Ruby jerked her head up, furiously swiping at her tearstained cheeks. “Yes?”

  “You may go in and see your brother now. He’s stable but still in critical condition, so you’ll need to make it brief.”

  Ruby pushed to her feet and followed the nurse down the hall to the left. “Can you tell me about his injuries?”

  The nurse sent her a reassuring smile. “The doctor will be in shortly to fill you in on his condition.”

  Stopping in front of a set of open double doors, the nurse sanitized her hands, and then strode through. “Please, sanitize your hands before entering his room.”

  Ruby moved to a bottle hanging from the wall. She rested her palm underneath and caught the alcohol-scented gel that quickly dispensed.

  After assuring herself that her hands were germ free, Ruby followed the nurse into an ice-cold room full of equipment, cords, and beeping sounds.

  Cameron lay in the center of it all, his face pale as a ghost’s, a bandage on his head, his leg in a cast, and a blue tube coming from his mouth.

  “It’s a breathing tube,” the nurse informed her. “We’ll need to be sure he can breathe on his own before it can be removed.”

  A short, thin man stepped into the room, wearing a white coat and holding a clipboard in his hand. The nametag on his right breast coat pocket, read DR. CHEN.

  “Are you the sister?” the doctor asked, glancing up over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses.

  “I am. Is he going to be all right?”

  Doctor Chen moved to the side of the bed and began scribbling something in Cameron’s chart. “Your brother suffered extensive injuries, including a severe concussion that resulted in a brain bleed. We managed to get the bleeding stopped, but we’re keeping an eye on it to be sure. We had to remove a small piece of his skull to release the pressure from his brain.”

  Laying the chart on the foot of Cameron’s bed, the doctor met Ruby’s gaze. “He’s lost a lot of blood. His femoral artery was severed due to the break in his femur. We were able to repair it in time before he bled out. It’s going to be touch and go for a few days, but he’s young and strong. I believe he’ll pull through.”

  “Thank you,” Ruby whispered around the lump in her throat. “Thank you so much.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Beast stared out the window of his second-story bedroom, gazing at the lights across the river. It had been two days since Ruby’s midnight visit to his home. Two days since he’d slept…

  “Templeton is here to see you,” Mrs. Tuff announced from the open doorway.

  Keeping his back to her, the Beast answered in a monotone voice. “Send him in.”

  The rustling of clothes along with the sound of footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. They stopped just inside Lincoln’s bedroom.

  “Any news?” the Beast rasped, his gaze still locked on the lights of the city in the distance.

>   Templeton made a sound in the back of his throat. “Ruby has been in ICU at Southside Medical Center since yesterday morning.”

  That got Lincoln’s attention. Making sure his hood remained in place, he spun to face the lawyer. His voice came out louder than expected. “Is she injured?”

  “No,” Templeton quickly amended. “It’s her brother. He was in an accident.”

  Lincoln studied the lawyer’s face for long moments. “Will he live?”

  The lawyer shrugged. “That, I can’t answer. What I do know, however, is that the boy has no insurance, and that DCF has been called in.”

  A strange feeling overcame Lincoln, but he quickly shook it off. “Department of Children and Families? Why are they involved?”

  “Ruby doesn’t have legal guardianship of the boy. Technically, that makes him a ward of the state.”

  Lincoln should have gained more satisfaction from the news than he was currently feeling. He blamed it on the lack of sleep he’d gotten since Ruby’s visit. “Keep me posted on everything that has to do with her or the boy.”

  “Understood. Is there anything else I can do, such as speed up the process with DCF?”

  Lincoln wasn’t sure what made him shake his head. “No. DCF doesn’t interest me.”

  “If I may, sir?”

  The Beast watched him closely from beneath his hood. “I’m listening.”

  Templeton shifted his weight and pushed his glasses up on his nose. “If the child is removed from the home, I believe the sister would do anything in her power to get him back. Anything.”

  Understanding suddenly dawned. If Ruby lost her brother to the system, she would have to go through the proper legal channels to get him back. And without money, the process could take months, maybe even years. Which would leave her no choice but to accept Lincoln’s earlier offer.

  But something about removing the injured child from his sister’s care left a bad taste in Lincoln’s mouth. Though it shouldn’t. Were it not for the Atwoods, Lincoln would never had become the beast he was today.

  “Leave the boy be. Ruby will come around. Of that, I have no doubt.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  The Beast stalked forward, stopping mere inches from a startled Templeton. He hovered above him, forcing the lawyer to tilt his head back to see him. “Do not ever question me again. You work for me, Templeton. Do not forget that.”

  Templeton’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down his thin neck. “I-I apologize for overstepping my bounds. It won’t happen again.”

  Lincoln stood there for several more heartbeats before spinning back toward the window. “I will have Ruby Atwood, one way or another. Her humiliation is just the beginning, Templeton. If I am to be a monster for the rest of my life, then she will spend the rest of her days experiencing my misery.”

  “Very good, sir. Whatever you require of me, you need only ask. I will serve you as I served your father before you.”

  Lincoln’s eyes slid shut at the mention of his father. He blamed Stanford Barone for his curse as much as he blamed Agatha Atwood. But neither of them still lived. There was no one left to pay the price of his torment but Ruby Atwood. And pay, she would…

  * * * *

  Another day came and went without any word from Ruby.

  The Beast continued to prowl the halls of his dark mansion, agitated and restless.

  He couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the young, infuriating hazel-eyed beauty.

  No matter how much he wanted to wrap his hands around her throat and squeeze the life from her, he knew he couldn’t. Not without tasting her first.

  Ruby Atwood’s scent was stuck in his brain. He couldn’t seem to shake the tantalizing essence of her, the soft, clean fragrance he’d encountered in her room the night he’d slipped in unannounced.

  His shaft pulsed behind his zipper, hardening to the point of pain. He’d had the damn erection since the moment he’d laid eyes on Ruby several days before.

  Angry that she affected him in such a way, Lincoln stormed from the house and headed straight for the river.

  He didn’t care who saw him. Nothing else mattered but ridding his mind of the dark-haired beauty with the luminous eyes.

  With a snarl of disgust, the Beast practically ripped the cloak from his shoulders, yanked off his shirt, and toed off his boots. His jeans took a bit longer to maneuver around his raging erection.

  The cool water of the river felt amazing on his overheated skin. He dove beneath the surface, popping up somewhere in the center.

  Pushing his hair back away from his face, Lincoln opened his eyes only to find the lights of the French Quarter mocking him from the distance. Ruby was amidst those lights.

  “Damn you,” he growled, fighting the howl rising in his throat. “Damn you to hell!”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Ruby?” Mrs. Fleming’s voice penetrated Ruby’s sleep-fogged brain. “Wake up, love.”

  Stretching her cramped up legs out in front of her, Ruby opened her eyes and blinked up at her elderly neighbor. “Hi, Mrs. Fleming. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to sit with Cameron so that you could go home and get some sleep.”

  Ruby shook her head. “I can’t leave him. He might—”

  “You’re going to be lying right beside him if you don’t get something to eat and some sleep. Not to mention, you need a shower. I can smell you from here.”

  Ruby checked her watch. She’d been asleep for almost an hour. “I can’t go home yet, Mrs. Fleming. I have to meet with the funeral director about Daddy’s funeral arrangements. But I would appreciate you sitting with Cameron for a bit while I get that done.”

  “Of course, dear. I’ll stay for as long as you need me.”

  Pushing to her feet, Ruby stretched her aching muscles, grabbed her wallet, and took one last look at her brother before striding from the room.

  She took the elevator to the first floor, grabbed a cup of coffee, and left the hospital.

  Gaskin’s Funeral Home was thankfully on Canal Street, about three blocks up from the hospital.

  The closer Ruby got to the funeral home, the more nauseated she became.

  She took a fortifying breath and stopped in front of the massive oak doors.

  You can do this, she told herself, pulling the handle and stepping inside. Her father had been dead for four days now. She was running out of time.

  “May I help you?” An older man dressed impeccably in a black suit stepped forward.

  Ruby swallowed hard and met the man’s patient-looking gaze. “My name is Ruby Atwood. We spoke yesterday about my father’s funeral arrangements.”

  “Ah yes, Miss. Atwood. Right this way.”

  Ruby followed him to a small office off to the right and took a seat behind an immaculate desk with a black nameplate that read LANCE TRUMAN.

  “I am truly sorry for your loss, Miss Atwood. Losing a loved one is difficult enough without the worries of burial arrangements. That’s what I’m here for. Let’s start off by getting a feel of what you’re looking for.”

  “The cheapest thing you have,” Ruby whispered, unable to hold his gaze. “My father didn’t have any burial insurance.”

  Mr. Truman shifted in his seat and opened a thick catalog that sat in front of him on his desk. “I see. These are the least expensive coffins we carry.” He gently pushed the catalog across the desk in front of Ruby.

  “Two thousand dollars?” Ruby gasped, finally meeting the funeral director’s gaze. “That’s the cheapest you have?”

  “I’m afraid so, Miss Atwood. Your only other option would be cremation.”

  Ruby’s stomach lurched. “I can’t have him cremated, Mr. Truman. We’re Catholic. Cremation isn’t an option.”

  “I meant no offense,” the funeral director assured her, nodding toward the catalog, “but the cheapest service we can do will cost around six thousand dollars. And that’s foregoing a viewing.”

  “Six thousand dollars
?” Ruby choked out in disbelief. “But you just said two thousand.”

  “The coffin itself is two thousand,” Mr. Truman corrected. “The entire funeral will run around six thousand. And that’s without tax.”

  Tears threatened, but Ruby forced them back. She was out of options, and frankly…out of steam.

  She stood on unsteady legs. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Rushing from the office, Ruby burst through the wooden doors, staggered off down the sidewalk, and ducked into an alley.

  The tears began to fall in earnest. Panic welled up inside her chest, choking her in its intensity.

  Ruby couldn’t breathe. Great racking sobs consumed her, forcing her to lean against the wall for support.

  A wail wrenched from her, and her legs collapsed beneath her. She slid to the ground in a mindless heap of grief and agony.

  Unsure of how long she lay there, falling apart in that alley, Ruby pushed to her feet and numbly walked back to the hospital.

  She took the elevator back to the third floor.

  “Ruby?” Mrs. Fleming began as Ruby stepped into Cameron’s room, only to be interrupted by a steely-eyed demon in a floral print skirt.

  “Are you the boy’s sister?” the newcomer in the room questioned without blinking.

  Ruby could only nod, anxiety over the woman’s presence seizing her voice.

  “My name is Mrs. Goodson. I’m here on behalf of the Department of Children and Families. Custody of your brother has been given over to the state of Louisiana.”

  The room began to spin, leaving Ruby no choice but to grip the back of a chair to remain on her feet. “You can’t take him from me.”

  “Anytime something of this magnitude, involving a child presents itself, we must investigate. After speaking with his teachers, several of your neighbors, and the hospital staff, it’s been determined that the child’s safety is at risk.”

  “But it was an accident,” Ruby breathed, moving closer to her brother’s side. “It could have happened with anyone. Please, give me another chance!”