by Haven Rose
Even as the situation, the danger, my dad and I are in becomes clear, I’m giving a little inward snort, my brain taking three certain pieces of information and merging them. Ryan was right, Mr. Smith is an alias. His real last name is Jones. Unaware if my dad notices the same thing I just did, I start humming the theme to an old TV show I watched with him when I was younger, Alias Smith and Jones.
Letting me know he understands my clue, my dad squeezes my hand. Something must’ve gave us away though, because both men turn toward us, the disguise on “Mr. Smith” gone, and we can now see his true face, and it’s identical to the man standing beside him.
**Ryan**
“New Haven Sheriff’s Department. How can I help you?”
“Mrs. Wilson, it’s Daniels. I need you to send someone to Ruby’s. I’ll explain later, just trust me.”
“Ryan, I…”
“Please, she’s in danger.”
“But I…”
“Her mom’s killer is after her.”
“Ryan, stop, for just one minute. Ruby called about fifteen minutes ago. She said someone was trying to break in. I sent the sheriff as he was close to her dad’s and stayed with her until help arrived. But…”
“What? But what?” I’m trying to be patient, while driving as fast as possible.
“I was still talking to Ruby, staying on the phone with her until the Sheriff arrived, when she thanked me, and said help arrived, that Dan was there. But…”
“You didn’t send him.”
“Nope. So why was he there? Coincidence?”
I highly doubt it, I think to myself, but out loud I ask, “Mrs. Wilson, how well do you know Dan?”
“Well, uh, we uh,” she starts, and I can hear the hesitation in her voice, and know she’s trying to buy time while she thinks of something to say, and it won’t be the truth.
“Mrs. Wilson, if you don’t tell me now, I will get you for obstruction. Ruby’s in danger. Someone killed her mom, and now they’re after her. It wasn’t Dustin, not for any of it. Fucking tell me now or I will bring down a wrath on you so hard your grandkids will still feel it.
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that, young man.”
“Either tell me right now or shut the hell up. I would normally never speak to an elder this way, let alone a woman, but right now all you are is the person stopping me from keeping my woman safe, and I will go through anyone and anything that stands in my way.”
Silence, and yeah, sometimes that’s louder, and says so much more, than words ever could. Finally, she tells me what I need to know.
“I’ve known Dan for years. He’s not from here originally, but he and his brother would spend one weekend every year on their way home after spending the summer with their grandparents. Their dad wasn’t much of one, but you could tell their mom loved them. I’d like to say it’s a shame what happened to their dad, but like I said, he wasn’t a good man.”
“What happened to their dad? Dan has a brother? Older or younger?”
“They’re twins, identical, though Ron hasn’t been around in years, and as for their dad, he was murdered. The killer was never found, but there were some that believed his sons did it.” I can tell she’s now in full gossip mode, and I’ll get everything out of her I could possibly need, and more. Her voice drops to a whisper as she continues, “Things happened those three days, women and girls saying they were harassed, reports of rape and other injuries. It got to where as their visits neared, all females would either stay home, or go out of town until those boys left.”
I’m only fifteen minutes away, and while processing all the information I just learned, I ask her to call the Sheriff and find out where he is, and to get to Ruby’s dad’s if he isn’t there already. Then I thank her, apologize for my earlier words, and hang up.
I try Deacon again but get no answer. I call Ruby, hoping she picks up, yet knowing she won’t. I try her dad with the same expectation, and unfortunately receive it.
I haven’t figured everything out yet, but I do know Dan and his brother, “Mr. Smith,” are working together, and have been for years, starting even before Joy’s murder.
**Ruby**
Dan stares at me, the evil he usually hides so well easy to see now.
“What’s going on? Why did this man, obviously your twin, pretend to be a client? Was any of it real? Were you really talking to your bosses when I left the room, or Dan?”
“You always were too smart for your own good, Ruby. If you’d just left everything alone, accepted the lies we’d created, this wouldn’t be happening. So, really, it’s your fault.” This came from Dan, apparently the spokesman for the dumbass duo.
“You assholes! You killed my mother and yet it’s my fault? How does that even work? If you’d just left her alone, this wouldn’t be happening. You’re at fault, both of you, for killing my mom, for lying on the report, for the disaster in my bedroom, for threatening me, for all the pain, the grief, the years I’ve had to live without my mom. You took her away from us. Why? What could possibly be more important than her life?”
Dan looks at his brother, and I realize I still don’t know his actual name. Not that it matters.
“I came through here twelve years ago to visit my brother, and stopped into your dad’s rinky dink store, and saw the display for your mom’s business. I knew I could easily get some country bumpkin to do my accounting, giving me a way to hide what I was stealing from my clients by overcharging them.”
Dan then takes over, continuing the story by saying, “And it would’ve worked, except fuckface gave your mom the wrong flash drive. The one that could’ve ruined everything.”
My dad chimed in then, the anger, the pain, in his voice clear. “It did ruin everything. You killed my wife. You ended her life as if it meant nothing to you.”
“That’s because it didn’t.” Dan again, with a smirk from his brother, letting us know he agrees.
I can’t stop myself, my hand smacking Dan’s face before I’ve even fully processed what I’m doing. “Don’t talk about her like that. She was beautiful, inside and out, and you killed her. For what, money? So, you wouldn’t go to jail? How about you just not steal from people, jackass, then none of this would’ve happened.”
Dan is obviously too stunned to react right away, but his brother doesn’t have the same issue. I feel his fist hit my cheek without any warning it was coming. I’m falling to the ground from the strength of it as I hear my dad shout my name. I don’t even have a chance to assure him I’m okay before pain grips me, centered in my ribs, and I know one, or both, of the Jones brothers just kicked me.
Again, my dad is calling my name, yelling at them in between, then his voice is instantly silenced, and I know why a second later as a fist grips my hair, pulling me to my feet, then I feel something cold against my temple. I may have never held one in my life, never touched one, but I still somehow know it’s a gun.
“You stupid little bitch, you’re going to find that flash drive and give it to me. I know your mom discovered my secret, she kept calling me, saying we needed to talk, and that’s why we had to kill her. My secrets were supposed to die with her.”
I hear my dad then, crying, as he says, “You killed her for nothing. She didn’t discover anything. She never even opened the flash drive. She couldn’t. It was damaged. Joy was calling to let you know, so you could send her a new one, and she’d return the defective one, if you wanted it.”
My dad’s words are followed by a lot of swearing, all of it coming from the brothers. My heart is broken all over again, knowing their reason for murdering my mom didn’t even exist. She never saw the file, she never learned his secret, she was completely innocent of any wrongdoing, real or imagined. She didn’t have to die. I didn’t have to spend the last twelve years without her. She could’ve met Ryan. Met her future grandchildren. Grown old with my dad. Lived.
A growl is rising in my throat, a rage I’ve never experienced, never thought I was capable of, growing stronge
r, ready to destroy it’s enemy. To make its own justice. To avenge my mom. To get revenge. The primal scream that comes out of my mouth scares me, yet it feels good. It’s not me, but it is. They turned me in to this, and I can only hope once they’re taken care of that I become me again.
I move, using some defensive moves Ryan has taught me since we’ve been together. I feel some of my hair being ripped out, but I don’t care. Before Dan, the man holding me, has a chance to react, I’ve kneed him right in the nuts, and he crumbles as all men do. I’ve taken out his brain, and I know that’s the one he thinks with because he was turned on, the sick fuck.
My dad reacts, lunging for the gun before jackass two can get to it, and takes aim, daring the guy to make a move. He tells me to call the sheriff, and even though I’ve already talked to Mrs. Wilson, I dial the Sheriff directly, his cell number in my contacts because of my friendship with Billy.
“Sheriff Parker.”
“It’s Ruby, Sheriff. There’s two men at my dad’s, and they’ve confessed to killing my mom.”
“Say that again, Ruby. Did you just say what I think you did?”
“Yes, sir. My dad currently has a gun on one, and I took out the other with a knee to the groin.”
“Do you know who they are?”
“Yes and no.”
“Okay, that doesn’t make sense. I need more information. Keep talking to me. I’m almost there.”
“It’s Dan, Sheriff. And his twin,” I stop and glare at the guy, big and bad when he’s on the winning side, but terrified now that the odds have changed. “What’s your name, dickhead? Or should I just call you that? Considering what I did to your brother, maybe that should be his nickname.”
“Ron.”
“Did you catch that, Sheriff? It’s Dan and his twin, Ron.”
“Dan? My deputy?” The confusion is plain to hear in his voice, but that’s all there is. There’s no doubt, and for that I’m grateful.
My response is cut off when I’m suddenly pulled down to the ground, Dan straddling me as he starts punching me, blows landing all over, anywhere he can reach.
I can hear the sheriff shouting my name, my dad yelling, threatening to shoot Ron if Dan doesn’t stop, then a crashing sound and a struggle, followed by three gunshots.
And then there’s nothing, just silence and a darkness that seems to be calling my name, and I answer it.
**Ryan**
I pull in, seeing Deacon’s car already there. He must’ve heard me because I receive a text, letting me know he’s around back. I silence my phone as I head toward Deacon, then put it away and replace it with my gun.
I watch where I walk, not wanting to step on anything that could give away my approach or Deacon’s position. I hear a low whistle, and know it’s Deacon, so I join him. He quickly tells me what’s going on, grabbing my arm a second before I try to storm the house. My Ruby is in there, and I can’t get to her. It’s killing me, my inability to save her.
“We have to think this through before we do anything, Ryan. I know you want to get to her, but we need to plan the best way to do it, the safest for Ruby and her dad,” Deacon whispers.
Deacon is right, and he knows he’s gotten through to me when I take a deep breath and nod, letting him know I’m ready.
I slowly make my way to the back door, knowing everyone’s position inside as Deacon and I were able to look through the dining room windows. My precious jewel is on the phone, Deputy Dan Jones at her feet, hands cupping his dick, and her dad is holding a gun at another Dan. That must be his twin. Damn, if it wasn’t for Dan wearing his uniform I would’ve never known the difference. They truly are identical.
Deacon is going around to the front, and though we thought we were just killing time when we were bored one day, we’re both now thankful we learned how to pick locks. We’ve carried the tools every day since then, remaining unspoken between us that if we didn’t, that’s when we’d need them, and it’d be life or death.
My phone vibrates in my pocket once, then stops, our signal that he’s gotten in. That’s my cue, so I do the same on the back door and slip inside. We take our designated positions, waiting for our chance to end this.
It comes sooner than we expected, and in a way we were trying to avoid. Dan pulls Ruby down, and begins hitting her, and his twin goes after Hal, using his sudden lack of concentration to go after the gun. He gains control and fires, of which Deacon and I quickly do the same.
Ron goes down, my shot hitting him in the chest. I’m rushing to Ruby within seconds of Deacon’s shot finding its target and knocking Dan backward and off Ruby.
There’s blood everywhere, and I don’t know if it’s hers or Dan’s. I’m frantic, searching for a wound on her, finding several I know have to hurt in the process, but she doesn’t even stir, or make any noise. That scares me. I realize it is hers, and its coming from her left side. I quickly take off my uniform shirt, pressing it against the wound.
“We need to get her to the hospital.”
“Ryan, the ambulance is on the way. We need to wait for them, let them move her. We don’t want to risk hurting her any more than she already is.”
“They’re coming?”
“Yes, I called before we came inside. They should be here any minute.”
Hal is beside me now, gripping Ruby’s hand, begging her to be okay. I’m terrified, I can’t lose her, but I know one of us needs to be strong, and right now that’s me. I’m sure Hal will return the favor at some point before this is over.
“Sirs, you need to let us take over. We can’t help her if you don’t.”
I see a man and a woman, obviously the EMTs, though I haven’t met them yet since I moved here. Hal and I move away, though not too far. Just enough to give them room to fix Ruby, to make her okay, to keep her with us.
They work quickly, replacing my makeshift pressure bandage with a real one. As they prepare her for transport, transferring her onto a gurney, and raising it, my shirt falls to the ground, covered in Ruby’s blood.
The sheriff arrives, and I hear Deacon talking to him, letting him know what happened. I’m thankful for his interference at this moment, both of us knowing my mind isn’t on anything else but Ruby.
“We can only take one of you, the other will have to meet us at the hospital. Sir, are you injured?” It takes me a second to realize the question is aimed at Hal. He assures them he’s okay, and tells me to go with Ruby, that he’ll be right behind us.
I want them to hurry up and load her inside the ambulance, where I can sit beside her, holding her hand as we rush to the hospital, but I take a moment, wanting to be sure he’s okay with me going. He assures me it is, that I need to be with her and her me, and he’ll see us there. I ask him to grab her purse, knowing they’ll need her insurance card. He hands me her phone, having found it beside her on the floor, and says he’ll bring the purse with him.
Within moments we’re heading toward the hospital, and I’m sitting beside the love of my life, praying I don’t lose her, begging her not to leave me.
Two hours have passed and I’m pacing the surgery waiting room we were directed to. Ruby’s dad arrived shortly after we did, followed by Bobby, and then Deacon once he finished giving his statement. My parents are due within the next hour. I called them after Ruby was whisked into the operating room, knowing they’d want to be here for us. My dad said they’d quickly pack a bag and be on the road within fifteen minutes.
Bobby asks if anyone would like coffee, and I know it’s his way of avoiding the worry, wondering if Ruby will be okay. In my heart, I know she will be, but I’m still scared. I can’t imagine a world without her in it. We accept the offer, giving him the excuse he needs to get some space and work out his emotions. Yeah, I’m Ruby’s fiancé, the father of her future children, but I don’t begrudge the bond Bobby and Ruby share. There is no jealousy on my part. They’ve been best friends for years, anyone can see their relationship is more like siblings. I would never want to take that away fr
om either of them. I only hope when Bobby finds his other half that she feels the same.
I sit down, the first time I’ve done so since we got here, and prop my elbows on my knees, arms hanging between my legs, as my head drops down. I’m trying to think positive, but all I can picture is her lying there, so still, covered in blood.
The nurse, before they took Ruby back, gave me her engagement ring. It’s so tiny and barely even fits my left pinkie, but I’m leaving it there, until I can place it on her ring finger once more, where it belongs. I don’t even realize I’ve been running my left thumb over the back of the band until I feel a hand come down on mine, just a couple taps followed by a squeeze, and then it’s gone. I turn to my left and realize at some point, Ruby’s dad joined me.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Monroe.”
“Son, what did I tell you about that? Call me Hal, Dad, or whatever you’re most comfortable with, but knock off the Mister business.”
“Yes, sir.” Hal turns and glares at me, and I know he too is using his own tactics to think of something else, anything else, besides the fact that his daughter, and the last piece he has of his wife, was shot.
Why are you sorry? Did you kill my wife? Did you terrorize my daughter? Did you shoot her? Did you do anything apart from loving Ruby with your whole heart and trying to solve my wife’s murder?”
“No, Hal,” I say, knowing where he’s going with this.
“Okay, then, let’s move on. When are your parents due? They’re more than welcome to stay at my house while they’re here. You already have Deacon in yours, and my Ruby is going to need help getting around once she’s able to go home, which means your hands are full. Plus, I want to get to know my new family and this will be a good time to do so. The three of us can work on the wedding details so everything will be ready when you and Ruby are.”