Dillon trudged up to Tommy, who was standing outside the taped ring, messing with his phone. The room had cleared of people, including Mel. She’d darted out of the place like lightning.
The blond girl was on her knees, still tapping on Ruby’s face. “Wake up.” Then she peered up at Tommy. “Do something or I’ll have your ass on a cutting board.” She bared her teeth at the man.
“She’ll wake up, Norma,” he said. Then his eyes went wide as he noticed Dillon.
“Why does the guy shit his pants every time he sees you?” I couldn’t figure out the relationship. Sure, Tommy owed Dillon money, but I got the feeling the tension went deeper.
“Later,” Dillon said to me. He shook hands with Tommy as though they were meeting for the first time.
Tommy acknowledged me with a flick of his head. I’d met him once before when Dillon had tried to collect his money, only to find that Tommy couldn’t pay him. Dillon had seemed too patient about the matter in my book, but his business was none of mine.
“I got your money,” Tommy said to Dillon.
I squatted down opposite Norma, who had tears in her eyes. I pressed my fingers against Ruby’s neck as I examined her face. Blood painted the area around her nostrils. Her eyes were beginning to swell, one more than the other. A cut on her eyebrow was bloody but didn’t appear to need stitches. Aside from that, she was definitely the girl who’d rocked my world back in the tenth grade—the very same one with a dark birthmark high on her left cheek, buried in the sea of freckles smattered around her nose. Fuck, it gutted me to see her in this condition.
Her pulse beat against my fingers. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. But to be safe, she should go to the hospital. She might have a concussion.”
Norma was fixated on me as though she was seeing a ghost.
I waved my hand in front of her face. “Hello?”
“She’ll be fine?” Norma’s voice cracked.
Tommy chuckled. “They don’t hit each other hard enough to kill.”
Dillon glared at him and so did I. Underground fights could be lethal. It didn’t matter how soft or hard a person punched. The right blow in the right spot could kill a fighter, as could one fall.
He returned a dirty look to Dillon. “What? You’ve been here enough to know they don’t.”
“Where did you find her?” I asked Tommy. There was no sense debating the safety of underground fights.
Tommy raised his hands shoulder height. “She found me. I don’t pick girls off the street, anyway. They always find their way down here.”
Dillon pointed to Ruby. “Is her name Ruby Lewis?”
“No,” Norma blurted out. “She just used the name Ruby for the fight.”
Tommy knitted his eyebrows.
I knew she was lying, but I would play along. The last thing I wanted to do was scare Norma or Ruby when she woke up. “Look,” I said to Norma, who reminded me of a cute little pixie. “I’m searching for someone who looks just like Ruby.” I pushed to my feet. “Tommy, you got some ice and a first-aid kit?”
“I’ll be back.” He headed into a room on the far side of the basement.
“Bring my money when you come back.” Dillon raised his voice then turned to me. “Well, man? Is that Ruby?”
I swung my attention to Norma. “We’re not here to hurt anyone. I want to help. I know your friend is Ruby Lewis.”
She puffed out her cheeks as she grabbed Ruby’s hand. “Then why did you ask?”
Tommy came back with a first-aid kit and a bowl of ice. I made quick work of getting the necessary bandages and antibiotic cream out. I took a gauze pad and dipped it in the small amount of water in the ice bowl. I was about to clean the blood off Ruby’s face when her eyelids flew open. She zeroed in on me, horror flashing in her blue-green eyes. She scrambled away as though I had just come back from the dead. Maybe I had. Maybe I was dead to her. Or maybe she was disoriented.
Norma ran to Ruby, who tried to stand but wobbled. Ruby said something in the blonde’s ear.
“Man, I thought you Maxwell brothers got all the girls, not scared them away,” Dillon said low.
“Not the time, dude,” I said as I went over to Ruby. “I’m sorry I startled you. I wasn’t planning on everything going like this. I just want to clean up your cuts.” If I started with “where is my kid,” she would take off for sure.
She jumped to her feet. “Let’s go, Norma.”
“He wants to help,” she said softly. “At least let him fix you up.”
Ruby grabbed Norma’s hand and tugged her to the stairs. Norma gave me a sorry look as she went willingly. Ruby was acting as if I was the devil on fire and had come to take her to Hell.
A pain stabbed my gut. I probably deserved whatever she wanted to throw my way, but she wasn’t leaving until I got answers. Sure, I couldn’t keep her there against her will, and I wouldn’t. But I had to find a way to make sure she didn’t leave.
She wants nothing to do with you, my subconscious niggled. Even if she wouldn’t talk to me, Dillon had a way with women. Maybe she would at least let someone who she wasn’t frightened of or pissed at tend to her wounds.
“Dillon, can you help?” I asked in an uneven tone. I was trying to be calm, but questions were on the tip of my tongue, aching to get out, aching to get answers. I was also desperately trying to keep my body from convulsing like a fish out of water.
Ruby waited for Norma at the base of the stairs.
Norma ran back and snagged the first-aid kit from me. “I’m sorry.” Then she scurried to catch up with Ruby.
Dillon ran up to them. “Ruby, please. Let us clean your cuts, or let us take you to the hospital. You might have a concussion.”
Tommy observed us as though he was watching an intriguing movie.
“I’m fine,” Ruby said, but her face twisted as she glared at me.
I wasn’t one for panic attacks, but all the signs were washing over me—racing heart, chest pains, sweat coating my body, and the room was swirling like a F2 tornado. If you let her walk out, you might never find her again. Don’t lose your chance.
I stalked closer to Ruby, careful not to crowd her space. Apologizing to her might help. After all, that was my plan when I’d gone up to the Berkshires. “I’m sorry for not returning your calls.” I stood three feet from her, itching to get closer and touch her.
“It’s too late for apologies,” Ruby said as she began her ascent up the stairs.
Fuck. I took in a deep breath, closed my eyes, and shook my head. “Star.” I swallowed then tried again. If she wouldn’t listen to my apology, she might listen to this. “S-Star light. Star bright.” My deep tone carried throughout the deserted basement. “You’re the first star I see tonight.” I pictured us on the lawn at Greenridge Academy on a dark night, in the wet grass, music playing from my phone, the two of us dancing under the stars, or me watching her dance. “I wish I may. I wish I might. You’re the wish I wish tonight.”
I opened my eyes and found Dillon with his eyes as wide as basketballs, his jaw touching the floor. Tommy’s expression matched Dillon’s.
Yeah, I was fucked up. But the nursery rhyme, or my variation of it, had always made her jump into my arms and plant kisses all over my face. Not that I was ready for her to do that. Hell, I didn’t deserve her in my arms. But I hoped the sentiment still worked enough to at least keep her from leaving.
Norma hadn’t moved from the bottom step, except she now had her hand over her mouth. Ruby stood beside her, tears streaming down her face.
I shuffled over to her. My fucking heart was beating out of my chest. I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets so she wouldn’t see them shaking even though I was relieved she hadn’t left.
She held up her trembling hand. “Please don’t come any closer.”
I honored her request. “Ruby, can we go somewhere and talk?” My subconscious was telling me to break the ice. Or better yet, maybe if we got to know one another again, she might open up to me. I quickly erase
d that thought. We needed time to get to know one another, and at the moment, my heart and soul didn’t have time to wait.
She ran her gaze over me, her one eye swollen shut. “I can’t.” Pain laced her tone, but whether it was emotional or physical, I couldn’t tell.
Norma nudged her in the arm.
“At least let us clean your cuts,” I said.
Even with her drawn features and bruised face, Ruby was still pretty. Beneath the dirt and blood was skin of silk. I remembered how I would drag my fingertips over her nose, her cheeks, and down her neck, feeling her softness. I reached for her, dying to touch her, help her, and protect her.
She shuffled backward.
“I’m not going to hurt you.” I had no idea what had prompted her to fight in this dive, but I wanted to help her, especially if fighting was her gig. I knew sanctioned places that were far better, with laws and rules governing fighters to keep them safe.
She coughed. Then she took off up the stairs, holding her stomach.
“Ruby, please. I just want to talk,” I said loudly. “I know about the baby.”
Norma gasped.
Ruby zeroed in on me from above. “You don’t know shit.” Then in a flash, she was gone.
I clenched my teeth. “Norma, tell me the truth.”
Sadness swam in her brown eyes. “It’s not my story to tell.”
I growled, wanting so fucking desperately to get Norma to at least tell me something. “Please. I can help.” I couldn’t force Norma to tell me, and deep down, I wanted to hear whatever the story was from Ruby. “I train and work at Crandall’s Gym on Newbury Street. Tell Ruby I’m there most days. If not, ask for Jay. He’ll know how to get a hold of me.”
“I’ll relay the message,” Norma said. Then she bolted out the door.
I fisted my hands, looking for something to hit.
Dillon came up beside me. “She’ll come to you.”
“Yeah? How do you know that for sure?”
“Your declaration of love slammed her in the heart. Otherwise, she would’ve been long gone. You got to her. I promise you.”
“He’s right,” Tommy said. “That star shit was something else. I think I even had tears in my eyes.”
“Fuck you,” I said. “It’s not love.” I didn’t care how mushy or less manly I appeared. I would do anything to get answers. Sure, I might have gotten to her some. After all, tears had been flowing down her face. But she’d also gotten to me. I wanted to know her story. I wanted to help. Maybe it was out of guilt, or maybe it was because my heart beat a little faster at the sight of her.
“You keep telling yourself that,” Dillon ribbed.
“I have a feeling she’ll be back,” Tommy said. “She’s hungry for money.”
“Do you know where she lives?” I asked.
“My guess?” Tommy rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw. “Her and her friend sleep on the streets.”
It was Dillon’s turn to growl. I muttered a curse. Her physical appearance, and that of Norma’s, screamed homeless or at least unhealthy. That made the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. If we had a child, then that meant my child was living on the streets. I shouldn’t have let her leave.
“When is your next fight?” The word “fuck” was on repeat in my head.
“Two weeks,” Tommy said. “But that fight doesn’t include Ruby.”
I took the stairs two at a time. Maybe I could still plead with her, grovel, anything to get her to talk. Get a grip, man. Get a fucking grip. Fuck no. I wasn’t about to let our child live on the streets.
I tore through the dingy hallway, up another set of stairs, then out into the crisp, cold night. I scanned the narrow expanse of the dark alley. Nothing. I ran until I reached the street. Again, I came up empty.
“Motherfucker,” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Kross,” Dillon called before he jogged up to me.
I turned with my hands on my head. Tommy was at Dillon’s side. I stalked up to Tommy and grabbed his collared shirt. “If she shows up here again, I want you to call me.”
He pushed me. “Chill.”
“I’m serious. I’ll kick your ass from here to California if I find out she’s hanging around here and you haven’t called.” Then again, she would probably stay as far away from this place as possible now that she’d seen me.
He snarled. “Both of you are fucked up.”
Dillon stepped in between us as I was about to lunge. “I know you don’t want me on your ass. But you also don’t want Kross either. Now get me my money.”
Tommy marched back down the alley without another word.
“We’ll find her,” Dillon said, turning back to me. “She couldn’t have gone far. Let’s check the area. If we come up empty, then I know some places the homeless hang out.”
The word “homeless” sent a knife-like pain to my heart.
Chapter Six
Ruby
The streets of Boston were bustling with businessmen and women who hurried in all directions, probably late for a lunch meeting. They were vastly different from the types of people who roamed the streets at night. I sat cross-legged on a busy sidewalk corner in front of a coffee shop. My cup was at my side as it normally was during the day when I wasn’t dumpster diving for food. A sharply dressed lady dropped a few coins into my till, and they dinged against the other coins.
“Thank you.” I glanced up at the woman, who was already hoofing it down the street.
A siren wailed in the distance. More people hurried by me. I touched my eye, which was healing. Four days had passed since I had gotten my face pummeled by a timid girl who’d turned into a demon. It had also been four days since Kross Maxwell shocked me, angered me, and made me cry.
Argh! Those damn blue eyes of his had always caused me to say and do things without thinking. I had almost thrown myself at him. I couldn’t breathe when I saw how good he looked—tall, toned, and muscular. He smelled wonderful too, like sugar and spice. When he recited his lyrics to Star Light, Star Bright, the tears blasted out before I could stop them. He’d said our nursery rhyme with such conviction that I almost believed he had feelings for me. But my tears quickly dried when he asked about the baby. All the anger I harbored for him rushed back quicker than a runaway train. I’d almost jumped off the stairs and cold-cocked him. Particularly, since he had been responsible for my nine-hundred-dollar loss.
I whipped out an old photo of Raven before she’d gone into foster care. Seeing her always helped to calm me. I smoothed my finger over her picture. Her black hair was pulled up in a ponytail, her blues eyes were framed by the longest lashes, and she had her hands on her hips, posing as if she was modeling a new outfit. A tear spilled down my cheek. I was a terrible mother. I shouldn’t have been stealing with her at my side. Maybe Norma was right. Maybe I should talk to Kross and tell him everything, dump my problems on him so he could take care of Raven and me. Maybe he was my ticket to getting Raven back.
The jangle of change caused me to look up. A young girl, who looked to be about ten years old, smiled at me. Then she removed her yellow scarf and handed it to me. “This will keep you warm.”
More tears streamed down my face. “You keep it, sweetie. It’s cold out here.”
Her mom ran up, bundled in her own winter gear. “Jenny?”
“She looks cold, Mommy.”
The lady nodded at me with sad green eyes. “Please, take the scarf. She doesn’t like seeing homeless people.” Then she pulled out her wallet and gave me two ten-dollar bills. “This is for a warm meal.”
Tears continued to spill as I took the money. The change in my cup added up to maybe three dollars, and Norma and I needed to eat. Since the night of the fight, we’d only found stale bread as our sustenance. “Thank you.”
Jenny wrapped the scarf around me. Then her mom grabbed her hand. The little girl waved as they merged into pedestrian traffic.
I tightened the soft fabric around me. It smelled of baby powde
r, reminding me of Raven. More tears dropped. I stuffed away her photo before I became a blubbering frozen mess on the street.
Out of nowhere, Norma bounded up. She’d ducked into a diner a block away to apply for a waitressing position. She sat down then felt my scarf. “That was nice of the little girl to give this to you. So, any luck?” She peeked into the cup. “Mmm. Not much. Hey, why are you crying? Have you been staring at Raven’s picture again? Or thinking about her hot daddy?” She buttoned her oversized men’s coat that we’d found while raiding a donation bin.
I ignored her questions. “Did they let you fill out an application?”
“Yeah. But they don’t have any openings.” Norma wiped her nose with the back of her gloved hand. “Have you thought anymore about going to see Kross?”
“No.” It would have been so easy to depend on Kross, and so wonderful to have him in my life again. The thought of being a family with him and Raven was fantastic. But I couldn’t depend on him or anyone else. I had to show my daughter I could be a good mother. Most of all, I was in no physical condition to see Kross. No way. No how. Not ever.
“Ruby.” Norma’s tone dropped like it normally did when she didn’t agree with me. “He can help you. You didn’t see the despair written all over his face the other night. The man was begging me to tell him something.”
I didn’t need to see his face. Norma and I had heard Kross swear at the top of his lungs as we’d run from Firefly. While his pain tugged at my heartstrings, two things waged a war inside me. His apology was weak at best. I got the feeling he’d said he was sorry for not returning my calls because he wanted to know about the baby. Second, I couldn’t figure out how he knew about Raven, and I was worried that he might try to get custody of her.
“Again, I’m not ready. Please tell me you won’t go over to that gym you said he worked at and rat me out.” Or maybe Norma was the one who had found Kross and told him about Raven and where I would be. As quickly as that thought entered my head, I let it go. We were like sisters, and we trusted one another.
The Maxwell Series Boxed Set - Books 4-6 Page 6