Through Fire (Portland, ME #3)

by Freya Barker

  “Hold up. Lots of those stickers around. Doesn’t mean anything.” He tries to reassure me.

  “Is that why it stopped you in your tracks?” I shoot back, not slowing down for a second.

  First place my eyes go when I push open the door is the bar, where I’d expect Ruby to be. Instead Gunnar is standing there, tension radiating off his body. It’s not until he calls out for Ruby that I notice her standing beside a lanky, tall guy. Her head down and her shoulders slumped. It takes a moment for me to register all is not well, when I feel Mark already moving to rush past me. Next thing I know, Ruby comes flying toward us, her arms windmilling. I try to grab for her when she bounces off Mark and crashes into a table before smacking hard into the floor. I helplessly watch as she lands on her side, her arm appearing to collapse underneath her with a sickening loud snap. Her pained cry has me shove Mark out of the way, and not paying any attention to anything or anyone else, I drop on my knees beside her.

  Tears of pain swim in her eyes, but still she manages to force a smile. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, and I cover her mouth with my fingers.

  “Shit, sweets. Nothing to be sorry for. Lie still,” I comfort her when she tries to move.

  “Ambulance is on the way,” Matt says as he crouches down beside us. “Cops too.”

  “No!” Ruby’s violent reaction startles me, and before I can hold her back, she scrambles to her feet, her useless arm flopping at her side. White as a ghost, she backs away straight into Dino’s massive chest.

  Ruby

  “No running, little one.” I hear Dino’s deep rumble behind me, as one of his arms bands around my waist, leaving me with nowhere to go.

  “You don’t understand,” I whisper urgently, desperate to get away. “I have to go.” My plea goes unheard as I watch Tim scramble to his feet and approach me with his hand out, but instead of grabbing onto me, he carefully brushes the hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear.

  “The office, Dino,” is all he says. Before I know it, I’m being frog-marched in that direction. Dino’s arm still firmly around my waist. A deep throbbing pain crowds out my panic as every movement jostles my useless right arm, and I have to push down a wave of nausea. Once inside Gunnar’s office, I’m gently, but firmly set on the couch, where Tim instantly takes a seat to my right, brushing his fingers lightly over the limp arm I’m now cradling in my lap. “Let me have a look, Ruby.”

  “It’s fine,” I bluster through teeth that have started to chatter. “I’ll be fine. I heal fast.”

  “Honey...this won’t heal on its own.”

  When I look down, the sight of my arm bending at an unnatural angle has bile rising so fast, I’m not able to stop from spewing all over myself. Tears I saved up for decades start rolling down my face as I slowly close my eyes.

  I vaguely hear people moving in and out, talking, but don’t really hear what they’re saying. My mind is swirling with thoughts of hospital bills, police involvement, exposure, and defeat. It isn’t until I feel something wet wipe at my face that I open my eyes to find Tim on his knees in front of me, cleaning vomit off my face and clothes.

  “Hey,” he smiles gently. “I’m taking you to the hospital. Don’t panic,” he says when I shake my head. “There’s nothing to worry about. Mark and Gunnar are out there dealing with the cops, Dino and I will take you.” He grabs my coat that Dino hands over and drapes it over my shoulders.

  “I don’t have insurance,” I whisper.

  “I figured as much,” Tim says, his eyes steady on mine. “It’s not going to be a problem.” With that he stands up, and with an ease that belies my size, picks me up and carries me out into the hallway, ignoring my feeble protests. Dino is right behind him, talking on his phone.

  I barely remember the car ride to the hospital, my mind is blissfully blank, but I’m constantly aware of the warm comforting body holding me, cradled in the backseat of the car, all the way there. My eyes stay firmly closed as I feel myself lifted and moved. I know I can’t hide behind my eyelids much longer when I hear the whoosh of automatic doors opening and closing.

  -

  “His name is Terry Milano.”

  I look up to find Mark’s face in the group gathered in Tim’s living room.

  After a few stress-filled, painful hours at Maine Medical Center, Dino was there to drive us home. To Tim’s house that is. Neither of them seemed to listen to my assurances I’d be fine in my apartment. All I got was pointed looks at my arm, which is sporting a cast and sling that keeps it strapped against my body. Thank God for the clean shirt one of the nurses found for me.

  Despite the shot they gave me beforehand, the setting of the broken bones had not been fun. That was after the doctor came in and showed two prior, improperly healed breaks on the X-ray. Tim didn’t say anything, but I could see his nostrils flare and eyes get dark. When the young intern asked me, with half an eye on Tim, who’d refused to leave my side, if I wanted to talk to someone alone, I hurried to explain those were old injuries.

  To my surprise, no one approached me about cost or insurance, but when I mentioned it in the car, Dino just said Pam was looking after things. Pam was one of the people waiting outside Tim’s house when we got there, along with Gunnar and Tim’s brother, Mark. The sight of all them made me nervous.

  Once inside, Tim made sure I was comfortable on the couch, while Gunnar disappeared into the kitchen to put on a pot.

  “At the pub, the guy who had a hold on you, his name is Terry Milano and he’s a cop.” Mark’s eyes on me look almost sad. “I recognized him when he shoved past me and took off. I was at a conference in New Jersey last year and met him. Boston PD. The guy is the captain of the precinct you were questioned at.”

  “Son of a bitch.” I hear Gunnar mutter from the kitchen as I stare in disbelief at Mark.

  “Ruby.” Pam’s gentle voice draws my eyes to her. “I know you’ve been protecting yourself the best you know how, but I think it’s time you let us in.” At the words, which sounded much like those Dino used not that long ago, my eyes went around the room to finally come to rest on Tim. Aside from Mark, there is no one here who hasn’t already proven to be trustworthy. I owe them the truth. Just as panic at the thought of exposing myself threatens to choke me, Tim’s kind eyes and slight nod of approval convince me.

  “I grew up in a small rural community, just outside of Tenancingo, Mexico, where my father was a farmer. When I was fourteen, my parents were murdered, and I was taken by force by a man I’d imagined myself to be in love with. I was kept in a house on the outskirts of Tenancingo, where for two years I was, as they called it, broken in, by any means possible. Drugs, beatings, alcohol, anything to keep us compliant. Carlos Delgado was a regular visitor at the calcuilchil.”

  “What’s a calcuilchil?” Pam asks when I take a deep breath.

  “House of ass,” I explain, my voice sounding as flat as I’m forcing my feelings. “Tenancingo has many.” I keep my eyes lowered, not able to tell my story while seeing so much emotion etched on the faces around me. Pity is an ugly thing in my experience, and I don’t want to have to read it on the faces of people I’ve come to care about. So my eyes stay focused on the floor as I tell the rest of my story to the best of my ability. Lastly, I explain where I’ve seen Milano before and the significance of the person he was with.

  “He was with one of the shooters?” Dino is the one to voice that. “The police captain? What the hell.”

  “He was the shooter. The only one I saw firing shots. His name is Eduardo Lima and he was a regular in the club.”

  Silence settles heavily over the room when I’m done. I find myself holding my breath in anticipation of what is to come.

  “Why did you not run? In all those near thirty years, how come you never just walked away?” How ironic that Mark, the only cop in the room, would ask that question. It doesn’t surprise me. I know, even if not always voiced, it’s the first thing anyone would think.

  I lift my head and look him sq
uarely in the eye. “At first, fear of punishment held me captive. They were quite...clear in their expectations and brutal when we wouldn’t live up to them.” I shrug the memories of the merciless repercussions off. “Later, it was more a case of better the devil you know...Carlos Delgado was predictable in what he required, as well as his punishments. Knowing what to expect was the safer option. I still could’ve run, I guess, but I had nowhere to turn. La jura, his buddy cops, would hunt me down and send me back to the calcuilchil. He promised that’s what would happen and...” I wipe at the angry tears blurring my vision as I keep my focus on Mark. “And today they did.”

  Tim

  She’s killing me.

  Sitting there with her back ramrod straight and her eyes glued to the rug in front of her feet, her voice emotionless, as she recounts her horrific story...killing me. When my brother asks his question, I’m poised to jump up and finally lay him out flat, but Dino’s large hand descends on my shoulder and keeps me pinned in my seat. “Wait,” he warns, his voice so soft only I can hear. So I wait. Not that I would’ve gotten far, because I may be a big guy, but Dino’s got even me beat.

  When Ruby’s last words finally register, I can feel clarity settle like concrete in my gut. I don’t know how someone can survive what she has been through and still maintain such a sweet heart. You would expect someone to get hardened—bitter. Not Ruby, despite the injustices she’s suffered, somehow she’s retained an underlying innocence.

  She turns to me, her face wet and her eyes large, almost hollow in her face. “I’m tired,” she whispers. Without saying anything, I scoop her up and carry her upstairs, leaving the room to explode in voices behind me.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbles against the skin of my neck. “I wanted to tell you but I was afraid.”

  “Hush. You get some rest and I’ll bring you something to eat in a bit.”

  Sitting on the side of the bed, she lets me pull off her boots and socks, and doesn’t even complain when I undo her jeans and help scoot her up on the bed, so I can remove them. The look in her eyes is vacant when I pull the covers up around her shoulders. When I move to leave, her hand darts from under the covers and grabs my wrist. “Don’t be mad.”

  “Not mad, honey. Never mad. This is me, sad: for you missing out on the life of love and laughter you should have had.” I lean over to kiss her lightly on her lips, and then again on her forehead. When I get to the door, I turn around to see tears rolling down her face again. Fuck this. Instead of walking out the door, I retrace my steps to the bed, kick off my boots and climb in beside her. Carefully shifting her, I wrap her in my arms and wait for her breathing to even out with sleep.

  -

  “I’ll stay with her.”

  Pam’s voice penetrates the half-doze I’ve fallen into, and I turn my head to the door. “I think you may want to get in on the conversation,” she says in a cautious tone, but I can already hear the raised voices coming from downstairs. Once I’ve eased my arm from under Ruby’s sleeping body, I get up and hurry out the door.

  “Over my dead body!” Dino’s booming voice greets me, as I walk into what looks to be a standoff between him and my brother, with Gunnar stepping between.

  “What the fuck is going on? She just fell asleep. Idiots!”

  Both men turn my way, matching sheepish looks on their faces and Gunnar seems to be fighting a smirk. I pick my brother to pin with a glare. “Wanna fill me in?” Dino harrumphs and disappears into the kitchen, while Mark runs a hand through his mop of already unruly hair.

  “I was just suggesting calling an FBI buddy of mine. Someone I’ve been talking to about the Delgado case, about that young girl. See if they already have a bead on Milano, because it sure as hell looks like whatever the hell is going on, he’s involved,” Mark says, throwing a glare in the direction of the kitchen. “Bullneck over there, didn’t take to kindly to the idea...”

  “Fuckin’ A, I didn’t. Might as well put a target on her back.” Dino walks back in with a bottle of water in his hands. “Did you not hear her? She’s illegal here. They’ll ship her back to Mexico and then what? She fucking has no one looking out for her there. Whatever sick business these bastards have going on, it’s obvious they won’t take kindly to her talking to anyone.” I can tell he’s getting worked up again, but he makes a good point.

  “She’s not going anywhere.” I look at each of the men to make sure I get my point across.

  Mark is the first one to speak up. “No. She’s not,” he agrees. “But unless you have a better suggestion, I trust Mike. He’s a local guy, who went through the academy with me. After his first year with the Portland PD, he managed to get into the program at Quantico. We’ve stayed in touch, get together sometimes for drinks when he’s in town visiting his folks.”

  “I remember him, Italian last name? His folks live on the south side?” I vaguely remember the lanky, quiet but very funny guy, who came with Mark to a family barbecue on the Fourth of July years ago. Cracked me up with his very dry humor. “Carmello or something? No shit, huh? FBI.”

  “You know him?” Dino wants to know.

  “Saw him with my brother a few times. Can’t say I know him, but if we have to trust someone, it doesn’t hurt to know where the guy’s family lives.” I shrug my shoulders.

  “Can’t have her spend her life hiding, Dino,” Gunnar finally speaks up. “The woman clearly has been through enough in her life. Be nice if she got to experience what real freedom feels like one day.”

  “Yeah, but what if she ends up being sent back across the border?” he repeats his earlier concern, when suddenly it dawns on me the answer to that might be the easiest of all.

  “I’ll just have to marry her.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Ruby

  What?

  I can’t quite believe what I’m hearing.

  I’m awake when Tim leaves the bed. He doesn’t notice, but Pam does. “You can open your eyes now,” she says. “He’s gone.” I blink them open to find her standing by the bed, wearing a smile. “I wanted a chance to talk with you, find out where your head is at, but things down there are getting a little heated. Did you sleep at all?” She reaches out when I struggle to sit up. Not easy with one arm unusable.

  “Dozed a little,” I confess.

  “You looked comfortable enough,” she says with a wink. “You know you’ll have to deal with your situation, right? At this moment, there are four, big, chest-pounding males in that room downstairs, trying to decide by way of who can be loudest, what should be done with you. As much as I can understand wanting to roll up in a ball and hope it’ll all go away, you realize that is impossible. Once that cat got out of the bag, there is no way in hell it’s gonna go back in.” She sits down beside me on the edge of the mattress. “No hiding. No running. This is time for Ruby to stand up for herself. Look,” she says twisting her body toward me. “I understand that you’ve spent most of your life forced to submit to men, whose last concern was your welfare. I also get that when a good man, one who cares, comes along and offers to take on the world for you, it seems easiest to just let him. But Ruby, you didn’t come this far just so you can let someone else make the decisions for you again. This is your future they are discussing. Don’t you think you should have a vote?”

  I hate it when she’s right. I was lying with Tim’s warm body shielding me, thinking how nice it was to just let someone else decide what comes next. It would be easier, but I owe myself more. I owe myself a voice.

  I don’t even bother answering her. I just get up from the bed and try to wrestle my jeans on with one hand. Pam is quickly there to give me a hand and follows me down the hall where the voices are getting louder.

  That’s when I hear Tim. “I’ll just have to marry her,” he says, forcing the air from my lungs as Pam bumps into my back.

  “Oh, hell,” she mumbles behind me.

  Damn right, oh, hell. I feel a rush of anger burn up my face. He’ll have to marry me? Like some kind of s
acrifice? I don’t even realize I’m moving until I’m halfway down the stairs. Holding on to the railing with my good hand, I almost run the rest of the way.

  “Like hell you will!” Granted, my entrance may have been a little dramatic, but they were talking about me like I’m an inanimate object. I barely hear Pam’s hearty laugh behind me through the blood roaring in my ears. Facing off with four oversized egos on legs, I propped my hand on my hip, watching their shocked faces take me in. It gave me a sense of power I’d never felt before. Gunnar was the first one to react, throwing his head back and busting out laughing. Dino was a little more subtle, but I could see the corner of his mouth tilt into a grin. It was the two brothers, who didn’t seem to be able to wipe the shock off their faces. Tim just stood there, his mouth working but no sound coming out. My focus stayed on him. “No need to sacrifice your well-guarded bachelor status. As you well know by now, I’m not exactly known as the marrying kind. Besides, in the unlikely event I would ever consider that, I’d prefer to have a say in the matter.”

  “Ruby...” It seems Tim has found his voice, but by now, I’m so angry, I wave him off and stalk to the kitchen, hoping to find some coffee left in the pot. I’m not surprised to find him right behind me. “Boop, stop.” When I ignore him and start opening and closing cupboards in search of a cup, he braces me against the edge of the counter, his head dipping down in my neck. He shifts my hair out of the way with his chin, before pressing his lips underneath my jaw. “Don’t,” he warns me, as I try to twist free of his hold. “Just listen to me for a sec, okay?”

  It’s not like I can move anyway, so I just give in with a slight shrug of my shoulders.

  “I admit, that sounded bad. I’m sorry for that. I’m thinking you didn’t hear what came before. We were talking about options. Not only how to keep you safe, but also how to keep you in this country, should it come to that. It was said out of practical consideration. But one thing it could never be is a sacrifice.”