by Tessa Bailey
The possibility of leaving her to fend for herself made him crazed.
When the knock sounded on the door, Troy braced himself against the wall, ready to move. He didn’t know what would happen when Ruby walked in, but he needed to be prepared for anything.
Jim rose from the desk chair in which he’d been sitting, making notes on a horse racing form. Just before he pulled the door open, he turned and winked at Troy.
“Showtime.”
The restraints around his wrists became unbearable. “You’re a bastard.”
Jim shrugged. “I’ve been called much worse.”
He opened the door with a flourish to reveal Pamela. Troy strained to see past her, looking for Ruby, but he didn’t see her. His mind raced, coming up with two possibilities. Either Ruby and Pamela were merely pretending to go along with Jim’s wishes, or Pamela had ditched Ruby to sacrifice herself. Jesus, please let her be safe somewhere, a million miles from this.
“Pamela. It’s been an age.”
Ruby’s mother pushed past Jim and strode into the motel room, holding up a leather knapsack. Seeing the arrogant walk so identical to Ruby’s, Troy wondered how he’d missed their obvious relation for so long. It was right there in their demeanors, the way they stood as if ready to take on the world.
“Why don’t we skip the small talk, Jimbo?”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Don’t call me that.”
“Fine.” She tossed the knapsack onto the bed. “‘Asshole’ has a better ring to it anyway.”
Jim smiled tightly. “Let’s not forget who is holding the gun.”
“You always were a one-upper.” Her gaze connected with Troy, but he couldn’t interpret anything from her expression. “Now, is this any way to treat your future son-in-law?”
“He’s only a means to an end to me.” Jim glanced back at the still partially open door. “Where’s our daughter?”
“She’s not coming,” she said quickly. Too quickly. It told Troy she’d ditched Ruby in an attempt to do the right thing. A small part of him ached for her, knowing any sacrifice on her behalf would devastate Ruby, but his relief eclipsed the ache. “You were right. I’ve never done a damn thing for her. Figured this was the least I could do.” She pointed at the bag on the bed. “Half of your money is in there. Let Troy go home to Ruby and I’ll take you to the other half.”
One of Jim’s eyebrows rose. “You expect me to believe you’ve managed to hold on to all of it, without spending a dime?”
Pamela lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “I live thrifty. I even have a Costco membership.”
Even in the midst of this fucked-up situation, Troy had to acknowledge the fact that Ruby had clearly gotten the smart-ass gene from her mother.
Jim tapped the gun against his thigh, considering Pamela through narrowed eyes. “Now, I’m a gambling man. And that’s exactly what I’d be doing by walking out of this room on nothing but your word, giving you more time to run to the police and tell them what you saw.” He tilted his head. “Too bad your word doesn’t mean a rat’s ass to me. Not to mention, I’d have to be a world-class idiot to let a do-gooder cop walk out of here after I’ve given him a mild concussion and threatened his life, as well as his girlfriend’s.”
“I wouldn’t lie about this. I’ve had a good run, but I’m not going to make Ruby pay for my mistakes anymore. Our mistakes.”
“How noble of you to make that decision for us.”
She shifted on her feet, letting her nerves show for the first time. “Come on, Jim. Let Troy walk out of here and we’ll go get your fifty grand.”
Jim laughed. “You don’t get it. I never really expected to get this money back, Pamela. This is about way more than money.” He pointed the gun at her. “No, I’ll take my fifty grand and cut my losses. And you’re finally going to get what’s coming to you.”
…
Ruby threw a handful of money at the cab driver and sprinted from the vehicle the second it stopped moving. Not knowing which direction to go, she scanned the posted sign embedded in the motel’s stucco wall and ran left through the deserted parking lot for room 225. Her heart thudded in her ears, stomach hollow with the worry that she’d come too late.
When she saw the door sitting slightly ajar, she slowed to a walk, terrified over what she would find on the other side. Her father’s angry voice reached her then, telling her at least someone was still alive in there with him. She didn’t give herself time to feel relief or worry over which person remained alive, her boyfriend or her mother. Allowing the thoughts to fester would only debilitate her, and she was racing the clock.
She took a deep breath and pushed open the door, taking in the entire scene in one wide-eyed glance. Pamela facing away, arms raised as her father pointed the gun at her head. Troy, bound and bloody against the wall. For one brief, horrifying section, she thought the blood pouring down his face came from a bullet wound, but then he saw her and tensed.
Deducing quickly that her mother was in the most danger, Ruby shot forward and inserted herself between Pamela and the gun, ignoring Troy’s choked command to stop. Immediately, Jim lowered the gun, betraying himself. Despite everything he’d done to make her life hell, at least a tiny part of him cared about her. Enough that he didn’t want to shoot her, at the very least. She needed to use that.
“Please, put the gun down.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Troy struggle to his feet. “Ruby, turn around and walk out of here. Now.”
She gave a tiny shake of her head, not willing to lose sight of her father and the gun. “I can’t. You know I can’t.”
Jim jerked his chin in Troy’s direction. “Listen to him. I’ll give you ten seconds, then all bets are off.” His throat worked with rare emotion. “I’d rather not do this in front of you.”
“Don’t do it at all,” she pleaded. “Please. Don’t take them from me.”
“This was in motion long before you were born. She knew better than to come back to New York. I spared her once. I can’t do it again. Your boyfriend is just an unfortunate bystander.” His eyes closed briefly. “Move out of the way, Ruby.”
She swallowed hard. “No.”
Jim heaved out a sigh. Then he pointed the gun at Troy.
Ruby’s vision went black around the edges. “No. No.”
“There’s two of them, Ruby, and only one of you. You can’t do anything to stop it.”
Ruby’s panicked gaze connected with Troy. When she saw the resignation on his face, a sharp sound of grief escaped her lips. He nodded once, as if trying to reassure her. “It’s okay, baby. It’ll be okay.” She jerked back around to find her father’s finger tightening on the trigger. Ruby didn’t think. She just moved, throwing herself across the room in front of Troy, shielding him from the inevitable bullet. At the last second, she saw something spark in his eyes. He’d anticipated her move, known exactly what she was going to do before she’d even processed it. Using his body, he spun her around and pinned her hard against the wall, his muscular frame jerking with the impact of the gunfire.
Her screamed denial was drowned out by the blood rushing in her ears. Troy inhaled shakily near her forehead, then dropped to his knees. She wrapped her arms around his midsection to keep him upright, but couldn’t support his weight. When they both went down to the ground, Ruby could feel moisture rushing over her hands. Blood. “Oh, God. No. Troy, no.”
Blue eyes dull with pain, he spoke. “You didn’t do this, okay? Don’t waste time…blaming yourself.” He winced. “Fuck. I love you so much. You know that, right?”
“I love you, too.” Tears streaming down her cheeks, she ripped off her shirt and pressed it against his wound. Troy was wrong. She had done this. From the moment they met, he’d been doomed to this fate simply by associating himself with her. No, no, please don’t let him die because of me. She started praying under her breath, promising to whoever was listening that if Troy made it through this alive, she would leave him alone, exactly lik
e she should have done in the first place. Once he was free of her, he would be safe. Far away from her past where it couldn’t reach out and hurt him. “You’re going to be okay. You have to. Please, Troy.”
Over Troy’s shoulder, she watched in slow motion as her mother took advantage of Jim’s momentary distraction by hurtling herself into his body and knocking the gun free. It landed on the carpet inches from Ruby’s leg, firing a wild shot into the wall just behind her, sending plaster flying everywhere. Pamela struggled with Jim to keep him from reaching the weapon, spurring Ruby into action. She picked the gun up and pointed it at Jim from her position on the floor, keeping the pressure on Troy’s wound with her other hand. Her father froze, raising his hands toward the ceiling. Based on his cautious expression, Ruby knew her face betrayed the crazed anguish pummeling her insides.
“Call the police,” she half sobbed, half shouted at Pamela. “Tell them to send an ambulance. Right now. Tell them Troy’s a police officer.” Anything to get them there faster. Have to save him.
She kept the gun trained on Jim as Pamela rushed to make the call, pulse jumping in alarm when Troy slumped over, appearing on the verge of unconsciousness. Her throat was on fire, a piercing buzz taking up residence in her skull. This couldn’t be happening. When Pamela hung up, a tense silence hung in the room.
Jim took a step forward. “Ruby—”
“Why?” She cocked the gun with her thumb. “Why did you have to come back? Either of you.”
Both of them stared at her in silence.
“Did you not do enough damage before? You had to come back and finish me off?” Her voice had risen to a shrill scream, but she didn’t care. The love of her life was dying beside her on the floor. On some level, she knew she would die right along with him. “I was happy. We were happy. Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?”
“I’m sorry,” Pamela whispered. Jim looked away. For a split second, Ruby even saw regret coast over his features, but she hardened herself against it.
Sirens pierced the air. Ruby judged them to be about half a mile away. Come on. Hurry.
“Ruby, I’m not going to jail.” Her father turned slowly and picked up the leather knapsack. “I’m walking out that door. You can either shoot me or let me go.”
Her hand shook under the weight of the gun, so she added her other hand for support. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t pull the trigger.”
Jim started to talk, but his gaze was drawn by Troy’s hand on her arm. “Don’t do it,” he wheezed. “You’re better than him, Ruby.”
A sob ripped from her throat when she saw how gray his complexion had turned. “If I’m better, it’s only because of you.”
Troy shook his head, then slowly his eyelids drooped as he lost consciousness. Ruby shouted an intelligible curse at the ceiling, saved from complete insanity by the sirens drawing closer. She turned back to her father in time to see his shock, seemingly over witnessing her so distraught. As if he hadn’t realized how deeply her feelings ran for Troy.
You have no idea. You don’t know how to feel.
The rational part of her knew Troy was right, but she felt anything but rational at that moment. As her father backed toward the door, she wanted to pull the trigger. Desperately. Just to end it. Make sure he couldn’t cause any more pain. But something held her back. “If he dies,” she grated, “I will find you.”
Something unnamed but poignant passed between them.
Jim nodded once, hefting the knapsack onto his shoulder. Then he was gone.
Chapter Eleven
Ruby’s voice echoed in Troy’s head, fervent prayers being delivered in frantic, pleading whispers. His body felt like it was floating, his senses dull. Nothing seemed to be working apart from his memory, which wouldn’t leave him alone. Or was Ruby saying these words in the present and he simply couldn’t open his eyes to see her? With an iron will, he lifted his hand, reaching for her, but it only landed on a cold sheet. Then the beeping intruded. Muffled voices. Irritation filled his chest. He wanted to shout at everyone to be quiet so he could hear what Ruby was trying to tell him.
Please, please, don’t let him die. I’ll leave him alone. I swear I’ll stay away from him. Just please, let him live. I’ll do anything.
His eyes flew open, although they felt weighted down and rubbed raw. He searched for Ruby in the dim room, but he couldn’t see her anywhere. Leave me alone?
Panic seized him, carrying another memory in its wake. His mother standing at the foot of his bed, trying to console an emotional Ruby before she apologized with sickening finality and ran from the room. The sticky fog lifted from its position around his brain, just as the beeping accelerated into a blur.
She’d left him.
Troy couldn’t think past that single thought. It didn’t matter that she’d promised to stay away from him in the heat of the moment. Or that this was her misguided attempt to do the right thing. Troy couldn’t move past the thought of not having her.
Faces entered his line of vision. Some unfamiliar, some he recognized, but he didn’t want to listen or acknowledge their rushed commands for him to lie still. He needed to get to her. If she thought she could walk away, he would merely inform her of the opposite until she understood. As he struggled past the sea of arms and startled voices to get to his feet, sharp tugs in his arms and back hindered his progress. He gritted his teeth and yanked at the obstacles. The roaring pain that followed was secondary to the one in his heart.
“Officer Bennett, you’re in the hospital. You’ve been shot.” Irrelevant words he didn’t have the wherewithal to attach to a face. “You must lie down or you will open your stitches.”
“Where…is she?”
“Who?”
“Ruby.” His mother’s voice broke in impatiently. “He’s asking for his girlfriend.”
His girlfriend. His world. His breath. “Ruby.”
As though he’d conjured her with a single word, he heard a door slam and then everything came into focus. He saw her coming toward him, a single hand outstretched. Troy reached out and grabbed it like a lifeline, pulling her toward the bed. Toward him. Her clothes were covered in blood and his head swam with terrible fear before he remembered it was his own. Then she was in his arms and he could think of nothing else. Not the pain in his back or the buzzing in his head. Just her.
“Officer Bennett,” the doctor interrupted as three nurses rushed into the room. “You’ve opened your stitches. I’m going to administer a painkiller and sedative now so we can repair the damage. Here it comes.”
“Troy.” Ruby’s voice shook. “Let them take care of you. Please.”
His mouth felt dry as everything around him slowed. He no longer had the strength to keep his arms around Ruby, and he hated letting her go. “I need you here when I wake up.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
His world went black once more.
…
With a start, he woke again in the darkness, but felt immediate comfort when he registered the unmistakable weight of Ruby’s hand curled inside his own. She didn’t leave. She’s here. Thank God. She’d fallen asleep facing him, her hair fanned out on his hospital bed. A soft green glow had been cast by the machines, illuminating her just enough for Troy to see how exhausted she looked. He squeezed her hand and attempted a smile as her eyes slowly came open and focused on him.
“Hi.” She pushed her dark tangle of hair away from her exhausted face. “H-how do you feel?”
He tried to read her expression and failed. Her earlier promises assaulted him once more, only now they were twice as sharp and clear. I’ll leave him alone. “I’m not going to lie, I’ve felt better.” When guilt flashed across her features, he tilted her chin up with his hand. “Please talk to me.”
She cast a watery glance toward the ceiling. “I can’t stop feeling the bullet hit you. Seeing your eyes…watching you fall…”
He cradled her cheek in his hand. “We came through it alive and together. Let’s
focus on that.” A broken sound escaped her throat, and it sent a surge of fear straight to his gut. The possibility of a loss greater than his life stole his breath. “Ruby, you don’t get to leave me.”
For a painfully long moment, she simply stared at him. “Good. Because I couldn’t do it.” A tear tracked down her cheek. “I tried to do the right thing, but I’m too selfish.”
“Dammit,” Troy started, stark relief dulling his pulse as it beat in his ears. “I don’t like hearing that you tried to leave me.”
“I should leave.” Her breath shuddered out. “More than that, you should want me to.”
“No. Never.”
She reached out to trace her thumb over his bottom lip. “I didn’t make it one block, Troy. Not one block.”
Hearing the same words he’d spoken to her all those months ago, his heart slammed into his ribs, feeling as though it might burst. “Good,” he managed shakily. “That’s good.”
“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” she whispered. “And that’s saying something.”
Their gazes held for a long moment before he tugged her to her feet. “Crawl in here. I’ve spent way too many nights without you lately.”
“Troy, your parents are in the hallway,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “And you haven’t even met the nurse yet. I thought I didn’t take anyone’s shit.”
With a frown, he lifted the sheet on his good side. “In.”
Ruby sighed through her smile, then climbed onto the hospital bed so gingerly he had to laugh. When she laid her head on his shoulder, a sense of rightness flooded him. Scenes from the motel room rose unbidden in his mind. “What happened to Jim? After I…”
Her body tensed, so he rubbed circles into her back. “I…let him go. I just couldn’t do it.”
Troy felt thankful. “You did the right thing, baby.”
“Did I?” She traced a pattern on his chest. “When I look at you lying here attached to a bunch of machines, I’m not so sure.”