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He’ll delete every video he finds. We’ll end Halstead’s life and hopefully his reign of terror, bribing innocent people after recording their most private moments.
And soon, after Ruby, Vale, Nick, and Zar enact their plan, and the athletes come out? There will be less to bribe people about.
“Take her outside,” I order Grant.
Ruby’s fists land on her waist. “I told you I’m fine.”
“Yeah, but I’m not fine, Wildfire. Why’d you stab his dick? Did he touch you anywhere else?”
Okay, now I’m starting to see that whole red thing.
“No.”
“Don’t protect him or me,” I warn. “Tell me the truth.”
She raises her chin. “If any man touches me the way you worry about, I won’t just stab his dick. I’ll cut it off and feed it to him.”
Ruby stands there like a siren of death. Flaming hair. Piercing eyes. A bloody knife in her hand and a wicked smile.
“Fuck, no wonder you’re in love,” Wilder sighs.
“Alright, Killer.” Grant reaches for her arm. “Letourkiller finish up in here.”
She doesn’t resist. She hands me back my knife and pecks my cheek.
Okay, so Halstead didn’t touch her anywhere else.
Still…
Grant takes her outside while I turn to Halstead, pressing my blade to his throat. “When we meet in hell, I’ll kill you all over again. This is for her, my brother, our queens, and all the people you violated.”
“Fuck.” Jace surveys the mess when I’m done. “What do Ikeep telling you fuckers about plastic drop cloths? The damn things only cost five fucking dollars.”
Jace is our best cleaner. Thankfully, Wilder is here to help him.
I leave Nash with them, too, before I climb into the back seat of Grant’s Tahoe.
I pull Ruby into my arms, and now my heart starts beating. All the feelings no one else gets from me belong to her. I let every fear I have of losing her flood me, and she lets me kiss it away until she sighs, “I need to lie down.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She stretches across the back seat and rests her head in my lap. I smooth her hair as she gazes up at me. “I need to tell you something about Wilder.”
“That he’s batshit crazy?”
“Yes, and…”
But her hand goes slack along with her jaw, her eyelids drooping, her stare, blank.
“Okay, baby, I got you.” I reach for her handbag that Grant grabbed from the limo, sighing with relief when I feel her emergency meds in there. “I’m right here.”
And I count. Ten. Twenty. Fuck, thirty seconds.
“Come on, baby.” I stroke her cheek. “Wake up. Come back to me.”
“Is she okay?” Grant worries from the driver’s seat.
“She’s having a seizure. It’s the stress from today.”