by Hamel, B. B.
Another risk, but an important risk. All of this is just mitigating risk, deciding what’s good risk and what’s bad risk.
That’s all of life.
But the week passes without incident. I spend Monday and Wednesday in the city and the rest of the time I’m with Ruby, showing her around the lake.
“I used to skip rocks down here,” I say, bending over to pick up a nice, flat one. I toss it out onto the water, flicking my wrist, and I get a few decent jumps.
“Yeah? You skip a lot of rocks as a kid?”
Ruby moves up against me. The Israeli guys are back at the cabin, probably watching porn and drinking all my fucking beer. I can’t wait to be rid of them.
“I guess so. Believe it or not, I had a lonely childhood.”
“Why?” She cocks her head slightly, blinking up at me with those pretty eyes.
I walk along the bank of the lake and she follows. It’s a beautiful Saturday evening and the sun is just starting to sink down through the sky, casting long, gorgeous light over the otherwise still water.
“My parents didn’t have a good concept of how to raise a young boy,” I say slowly. “They weren’t interested in finding me playdates. They were more interested in finding me books to read.”
“That doesn’t sound so unusual. I mean, you could’ve found friends, right?”
“Not up here,” I say, shaking my head. “And back home, well, I had friends. I just wasn’t allowed to see them.”
“Really?”
“I had to do my reading first.” I can remember my mother standing over me when I was young, maybe six years old. She was glaring at me, her eyes stern. If you want to play, Knox, you’d better finish that book report soon. Otherwise, you’re inside all day.
“At least they cared about what you did.” She jumps gingerly over a fallen log and I help her regain her balance when she lands. “My parents mostly just ignored me. At least, my mom did.”
“What was your father like?”
“Nice, actually,” she says softly. “He was kind and gentle with me. Played a lot, told me stories.”
“Strange to imagine a killer with his own children.”
She looks out at the water. “I didn’t see him like that. To me, he was just… dad.”
“What did they say he did for a living?”
“Sanitation.” She grins at me.
I laugh and step on a stick with a loud crack. “Seriously? That’s the most cliché gangster thing ever.”
“He really did work sanitation, though. He worked on a garbage truck. Looking back on it, I think the early hours and being able to move around… I think that helped him get away with killing for so long.”
“Hm,” I grunt, watching wind blow through the grass. “Killer garbage man.”
“Sounds hilarious when you say it that way.”
“But it wasn’t so funny, was it?”
“No,” she says flatly.
“Must’ve been hard when he got caught?”
“Mom just about lost her mind.” She goes quiet for a moment, remembering. “But I’ve always wondered about that. When the cops first came and told us Dad got arrested, she didn’t look surprised.”
“You think she knew?”
“Maybe. Suspected at least. Maybe she knew he was in the mob but not what he actually did for them.” She just shakes her head. “I’ll never know now.”
“You could ask him.”
She looks at me quickly, eyes wide. “No fucking way. I haven’t talked to him… well, not since he went away.”
“Why not?” I ask softly.
“Probably because he’s a murdering fucking psychopath that ruined our family.”
“Good point. Still, he’s your father. Did he ever call?”
“He called back when he knew my number, but that was a long time ago.” She doesn’t look at me as she talks and I can tell this isn’t her favorite subject. “I’ve thought about visiting him, but I know that if I go, they’ll just find me.”
“That’s probably smart.”
“So he’s dead to me, as far as I’m concerned.”
I hesitate before putting an arm over her shoulders. “Then we’re both orphans.”
She snorts. “Can you be an orphan at your age?”
“Sure, why not? I sweep chimneys now and beg on the street.”
“Doubtful. I bet those shoes are worth more than most real orphans make in a year.”
“Nah. But the whole outfit, maybe.”
She rolls her eyes and I laugh, squeezing her against me.
We’re an odd pair, the two of us. Both of us damaged for our own reasons, although hers are much more obvious than mine.
We end up back down at the dock, sitting with our feet in the water. She’s leaning against my shoulder, looking out over the water.
“It couldn’t have been so bad,” she says softly. “Coming out here every summer when you were a kid.”
“Maybe,” I say. “But you didn’t know my parents. They weren’t killers… but they weren’t kind, either.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t compare our situations, I know that isn’t fair.”
“It’s fine.” I tilt her chin up toward me. The sunlight catches on the diamond on her finger and I smile. “Do you like wearing that?”
“What, this?” She holds the ring up. “It’s okay. I mean, I’m used to it.”
“Just okay? We can get you something different.”
She shakes her head quickly. “No, no, not what I meant. I love my ring.”
I laugh softly. “Listen Ruby. You can have whatever you want, do you understand that? The ring, it’s just an object. If you want a different one, you can have a different one. But the meaning behind the object will remain the same whether it’s that ring or another one.”
She looks at the ring on her finger for a long moment. “You’re right,” she says. “It’s weird that different objects can mean the same thing… in the right context.”
I make her look up at me again. “Just like people.”
And I kiss her softly.
She returns the kiss, letting it linger for a long moment before shouts from the cabin force us to break it short.
I get to my feet quickly. Ruby’s climbing up to follow.
“Stay here,” I growl at her. “Don’t move. Stay here.”
“I should come. I shouldn’t be alone.”
“You need to be where you’re safe, and right now, this is safe. I’ll know where you are. Just stay.”
Without another word, I hurry off toward the cabin. There’s more shouting, all of it in Hebrew. I curse myself softly, wishing I had hired guys that spoke some fucking English since my Hebrew is shit.
I get up to the house and two of the three Israeli guards are standing with their weapons drawn, pointing them at an old man. His hands are thrust up in the air while an old black lab growls at his side.
“Okay, okay,” I say in Hebrew. “All good.”
They seem to get my meaning and slowly lower their weapons.
“Knox?” the man asks in a shaky voice. “I was just coming… to see Ruby. She was nice to me.”
“Shit,” I say and walk over to him. I barely recognize Gary from the old days. He’s changed a lot, but we all have. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry about them. I told them to be on high alert and not to let anyone near here. That’s my mistake, I didn’t realize you’d be coming.”
“I just… wanted to say hello.” He’s still trembling.
“Come on, come inside. I’ll make you some tea.”
He shakes his head. The Israeli guys are already walking away with disgusted looks on their faces.
Tiger’s still growling so I don’t get any closer. Gary sighs and pats his dog’s head. But old boy doesn’t back down.
“Just tell her I stopped by,” Gary says. “Okay? Just tell her.”
He turns and walks off, Tiger trailing close on his heels.
I sigh and turn back, walking slowly ba
ck to the dock. Ruby’s there, looking anxious.
“It was Gary,” I say to her. “Our Israelis nearly killed him.”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. Just shaken up. He wanted to come say hello.”
She groans. “He’s a nice man. I didn’t think…”
“I know.” I sigh and take her hand. “Come on. I think it’s time.”
“Time for what?”
I lead her back to the cabin. “Time we go back into the city.”
She stops walking. “Wait. Are you joking?”
I turn and face her, dropping her hand. “We can’t stay here forever.”
“Why the hell not? We have the bodyguards, we’re safe in the middle of nowhere, it’s nice out here, it’s—”
“It’s not safe,” I say softly. “Even if it is for now, it won’t be forever. The mafia, they don’t forget. They’ll wait another twelve years if they have to, but sooner or later, they’ll strike.”
“So what? You want to just go back to the city and let them have us?”
“Oh, no,” I say with a grin. “We’re going back and having our wedding.”
Her eyes go wide. “Wedding?”
“We’re getting married, little Ruby. So we’ll need a wedding.”
“But I can’t… it’s so fast.”
I stare at her, at her wide eyes, the nerves clearly raw. “I don’t want to have to keep saying this Ruby, but you need to trust me. You need to know that I have your best interests in mind.”
“I know, I just…”
“Trust me.” I reach back and take her hair in a fist, pulling back and tilting her chin up. “You do trust me?”
“Yes,” she groans.
“Good. Then we’re having a wedding on Monday.” I kiss her gently, letting our lips linger. “Get ready, little Ruby.”
“I will.” Her words are soft, nearly strangled, but I can feel the desire pulsing through her, sparking between us in the air.
She’ll get ready, all right, but I don’t think she knows what I mean.
On Monday, the wedding…
And on Monday night, the wedding night.
That means I’m making her mine… every inch.
9
Ruby
We leave the lake early Sunday morning. I hate watching it disappear behind us…
But what’s coming ahead is even more terrifying.
We get back to the city and end up checking into a little hotel around the corner from Rittenhouse Square. It looks like it was just old townhomes someone renovated to create a bunch of smaller rooms.
It’s surprisingly nice and centrally located—and clearly off the beaten path.
“Just to be safe,” Knox says as we step into our room. “I figured we’ll stay here for now.”
The room is decently sized with one large queen bed, a beautiful modern bathroom off a short hallway, and a little living space area. It’s not enormous, but it’s more than enough for the two of us.
“Who gets the bed?” I ask him and he just smirks at me before dropping his bag onto the floor.
He disappears again for a few hours. “Don’t leave,” he says. “Lock the door behind me and don’t open it for anyone else, not even someone from the hotel, not unless there’s smoke coming under the door and you’re about to burn up. Even then… use the window.”
I nod, biting my lip. “Do you have to go?”
He kisses me gently. “I’ll be back.”
So I’m left alone again. Another few hours in a hotel room. At least I have TV this time. I spend the day flipping through channels, bored out of my mind.
You’d think that my life would be more exciting. I’m engaged to a billionaire and I have the mafia on my tail.
But mostly, it’s just been sitting around and waiting. Sure, there have been some exciting moments… his mouth between my legs… the orgasm ripping through my skin…
Mostly it’s just sitting around and waiting. I almost want to fall asleep, but I’m too anxious to do it.
Any noise out in the hall makes me practically jump out of my skin. Once, I run into the bathroom, but it turns out it was just the maid coming to turn down the room. The locks keep her away.
It’s late when he finally comes back.
“It’s me, Ruby,” he says through the door. “Gary’s dog’s name is Tiger.”
I go and open the door. He smirks at me and slips into the room, a large black bag draped over his shoulder.
“What’s that?” I ask him as he takes it over to the bed.
He throws it down and steps away, gesturing toward it.
“Go ahead.”
I hesitate just a second before approaching. It’s clearly a dress bag although there’s no label or store information on it at all. I glance at him, my heart fluttering in my chest.
He watches impassively, just a hint of a smile on his lips.
Slowly I unzip the front. The white dress blossoms from the inside of that black bag like a flower and my heart really does skip a beat when it’s completely unzipped.
I pick up the dress, my mouth hanging open.
It weighs practically nothing. It has a high lacy neck and intricate subtle flowers woven all through the ivory white bodice. The skirt flows down in gossamer folds of thousands of layers, lace and tulle and silk. I hold it up to the light and it practically shimmers from very subtle gems… stones that give it just enough weight.
I look at him. “What is this?”
“It’s your wedding dress,” he says gently. “Do you like it?”
“I love it,” I whisper, choking back a sob.
I never thought I’d have something like this in my entire life. I always figured I’d afford whatever was on sale, if I ever did get married, which never seemed likely. I mean, I’ve been on the run for so long, always paranoid that the mob was about to get me, I never slowed down to actually date a guy.
Let alone get married to one. I thought this was beyond what would happen for me.
I always figured my life would end in misery…
But this? I never pictured this.
“Get undressed,” he says. “Try it on.”
I stare at him, surprised. “That’s bad luck.”
“Fuck luck,” he says, grinning like a jackal. “I make my own luck. Go on, undress.”
I hesitate just a second before taking off my clothes. I don’t even care that he’s watching me closely, staring at my curves, my skin.
I pull the dress on, stepping in and sliding it up over my hips.
It’s like it was made for me. The chest is just a tad snug, but it presses my breasts up and together beautifully. I turn to him and he easily zips it up, the dress draping all around me, clinging to my curves and my hips just perfectly.
He steers me over to a mirror and steps back.
“What do you think?” he asks.
I look like a princess.
I’ve never, ever wanted to be a freaking princess before. Seriously, I always thought that was dumb.
But staring at myself in this dress, I feel like I might melt.
“Is it real?” I manage to croak at him.
“What do you mean, real?”
“This dress… it can’t be real.”
He chuckles. “It’s real, all right. Called in a big favor to get it last minute. I estimated your measurements and I think I was pretty close, don’t you?”
I bite my lip. “You were dead on.”
“A bit on. Breasts are bigger than I thought.” He steps up behind me, hands on my body, cupping my chest. I feel a thrill run down my spine. “But the color, it’s perfect. Makes your skin look like cream.”
“Like a princess,” I whisper.
“Exactly.” He kisses my neck. “My princess.”
I feel a shudder along my neck. “Are you sure?” I ask, staring at him in the mirror. “I mean, about all of this. You can still…”
He stops me by taking my hair in his fist and gently turning my head o
ver toward him. He kisses my lips softly.
“I’m very sure,” he says. “You don’t worry about that.”
“But you can… you can go, if you want. I won’t hold it against you. You already saved me once.”
“And I’ll keep on saving you, my little Ruby.”
I look back at myself in the mirror… at the dress.
It’s such a small thing, a stupid thing. It’s just a dress you wear once, just one time during your life, but it’s meaningful.
It’s like the ring. It has significance. It’s an object but it’s the meaning of the object that matters more than the thing itself.
And staring at myself in this mirror, it means a lot… just having this dress on my body.
“The diamonds are real,” he whispers in my ear. “Thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds, just sewn into your dress. You’re going to be dazzling… I’m counting on that.”
“I’ll do my best.” I bite my lip gently.
“Oh, I know you will. Because this wedding is important.”
“Why?” I look at him and suddenly feel dread in my stomach.
“We’re meeting with your killers, my darling.”
I step away from him and nearly trip on the dress. “W-what?”
“We’re meeting with your mob boss.” He grins viciously at me. “Alfonso Grosso was invited to our wedding.”
I back away from him, nearly trip on the train again, and end up sitting on the bed. He grins at me huge, laughter in his eyes.
Fear spikes through me.
“No,” I say. “That’s insane. They’ll… they’ll kill me.”
“Not at a wedding, they won’t. Say what you will about the mafia, but they do have rules.”
“You’re insane.”
“Maybe.” He grins, cocks his head. “But I’m all you have. And this is my plan.”
“Invite them to our wedding and let them murder me in front of everyone?”
“No,” he says softly. “Invite them to our wedding and see if we can’t make a deal for your life.”
“But—”
“Otherwise, we’re running forever. And that’s no life at all. So we figure out what they want and we barter for you.”
“What if they don’t want anything?”
“Then…” He trails off and shrugs. “We’ll come to that if we have to.”