Page 35 of A Tempting Seduction (Protectors of Jasper Creek #5)

Chapter Twenty

The drive to my house passed in thick silence.

Ruby stared out the passenger window, her hands folded in her lap like she was trying to hold herself together through sheer force of will.

Lance was dead. Beaten and shot. The bastard had threatened her, threatened me, threatened her family, and now someone had put a bullet in the back of his head.

I should feel something about that. Relief, maybe. Justice. But all I felt was a cold knot of dread in my gut. If someone had killed Lance, what did that mean for Ruby? Was she next on the list? Pretty damn likely, and that was fucking unacceptable.

My truck turned into the driveway, and I hit the garage door opener. Before I could close the door, Roan appeared beside my truck.

“Hold up,” he said. “I need to clear the house before you close that garage door.”

I nodded and left the door open. “What's the problem?”

“Standard precaution.” Roan's hand moved to his jacket, and I caught the telltale outline of his gun.

Ruby's sharp intake of breath told me she'd seen it too. Her face had gone pale.

“It's okay,” I told her quietly, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “He's just being careful.”

But seeing Roan draw his weapon reminded me of my own responsibilities. I had a Glock 19 in my gun safe, and it had been sitting there unused for too long. Time to change that.

Roan moved toward the house smoothly and professionally. He checked the windows, tested the back door, and disappeared around the side yard. Ruby watched every move through the windshield.

“Ford.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “This is really happening, isn't it? Someone wants to hurt me.”

“I won't let that happen.”

She turned to look at me, something fragile and broken in her eyes. “How can you promise that? You can't control what other people do.”

“Maybe not. But I can control what I do.” I shifted the truck into park but left it running. “Are you hungry? I could make us some spaghetti when we get inside.”

She shook her head. “I'm not hungry. We ate enough at Miss Gladiola’s and Little Grandma's.”

She was right. Neither of us needed food right now. What Ruby needed was safety, comfort, and time to process everything that had happened.

Roan emerged from the back of the house and jogged toward the garage, holstering his weapon. “All clear. No signs of forced entry, no surprises waiting inside.”

“Thank you.” I pulled the truck the rest of the way into the garage and hit the button to close the door. The mechanical whir of the motor seemed unnaturally loud in the enclosed space.

Ruby climbed out of the passenger seat on unsteady legs. I came around to her side of the truck and put my arm around her waist, giving her my strength.

“Come on. Let's get you inside.”

My house felt different with Ruby in it. Warmer somehow, like the very walls felt her presence and became more welcoming. She stood in my living room looking lost, her gaze unfocused and distant.

“Lance is dead.” The words came out flat, matter-of-fact. “Someone beat him and shot him.”

“Yes, baby. They did.”

“How could Horace do that? How could he have someone killed?” She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “What am I saying? Of course he could. He killed my dad. What wouldn’t he do for his career? Hell, Lance threatened a baby! Why hadn’t I seen that in him before?”

I watched her start to spiral, saw the way her breathing was starting to speed up. This was shock, plain and simple. She'd been holding it together through sheer force of will, but now that we were safe, the walls were coming down.

I guided her to the couch and pulled her down beside me, wrapping my arms around her. She melted against my chest like she'd been waiting for permission to fall apart.

“You're too good of a person to understand people like Horace,” I said, stroking her hair. “That's not a weakness, Ruby. That's what makes you who you are.”

She looked up at me, horror written across her face. “Ford, do you think Carla could have known about Dad? About what Horace was doing?”

The question made my stomach clench. I thought about her sister, about the affair with Lance, about the vile shit that she had thrown at Ruby.

Carla had seemed drunk on the web of corruption and political money that floated around the Waters family.

I wasn't sure what Carla knew or didn't know.

But Ruby didn't need uncertainty right now. She needed reassurance.

“I don’t think she would be part of something that would threaten her own niece.” There. Surely that wasn’t a lie. Was it?

Ruby nodded against my chest, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. We sat there in the quiet of my living room, her breathing gradually slowing to match mine. Outside, I could hear the distant sound of traffic on Oak Street, the normal rhythms of a Saturday evening in Jasper Creek.

Eventually, her breathing deepened and her body went slack against mine. She'd fallen asleep.

I sat there for another ten minutes, not wanting to wake her. But she'd be more comfortable in bed, and I had things to do. Carefully, I shifted her weight and stood up, scooping her into my arms.

Her head fell naturally against my shoulder. I carried her down the hallway to my bedroom. I pulled back the comforter and laid her gently on the bed. She stirred slightly but didn't wake.

I pulled the comforter over her, making sure she was comfortable. In sleep, the stress lines around her eyes had smoothed out, and she looked younger.

Exposed.

Fragile.

Vulnerable.

Time to get my gun.

The safe was in my bedroom closet, behind a stack of winter coats I never wore. I punched in the combination and pulled out the Glock, checking the magazine and chambering a round. The familiar weight of it in my hand was both comforting and sobering.

I set the gun on my nightstand and headed for the kitchen.

Coffee sounded good. Hell, coffee sounded necessary. It was going to be a long night.

I was pulling a mug from the cabinet when I remembered Roan outside. The man was standing guard at my house, probably planning to be there for hours. The least I could do was offer him some caffeine.

I filled two mugs and headed for the front door.

Roan was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't surprise me. Good security meant staying invisible. I walked down my driveway and looked up and down Oak Street.

“Over here.”

I turned toward the voice and spotted Jase Drakos about four houses down, partially hidden behind my neighbor’s oak tree. Renzo's brother looked every inch the Navy SEAL, alert and ready for trouble.

I walked over and offered him one of the mugs. “Thought you might want some coffee.”

Jase shook his head with a slight smile. “Thanks, but no. Coffee's great when you want to stay awake. Not so great when you're trying to stay invisible.”

“Right. Sorry.” Shit, I should have known better. I needed to get back into military mode.

“Don't apologize. Just don't bring us anything else while we're on duty. Kills the cover.”

“Us?”

“Roan and I are alternating shifts. Nolan O'Roarke will take over around midnight.” Jase's expression was serious. “You're covered, Ford. Ruby's covered.”

The knot in my chest loosened slightly. I knew Jase was a Navy SEAL and having that kind of training watching over us was like having a guardian angel with advanced weapons training.

“Thank you,” I said. “For all of this.”

“Family looks out for family. Renzo vouched for you, which makes you family.”

I walked back to the house feeling more confident than I had since Nash's phone call. Whatever was coming, we wouldn't face it alone.

Inside, I checked on Ruby. Still sleeping, curled on her side with one hand tucked under her cheek. I grabbed a book from the living room and settled into the chair by the bedroom window.

Stephen King's latest novel. Probably not the best choice for a night like this, but it was what I had. I opened to chapter one and tried to focus on the words.

Tried and failed.

My mind kept wandering to Ruby, to the investigation, to whoever had killed Lance. Simon and Roan would dig into the corruption network, follow the money trail, figure out who else might be involved. But until they had answers, Ruby was still in danger.

After an hour of reading the same paragraph over and over, I gave up. I wanted to hold her. Needed to feel her breathing, warm and alive against me.

I stripped down to my briefs and slipped under the covers.

Ruby stirred when I pulled her against me, murmuring something unintelligible before settling back into sleep.

Her hair smelled like vanilla and sunshine, and for a moment, I let myself imagine this was just a normal night.

Just the two of us in my bed, safe and together.

I was almost asleep when the gunshot shattered the quiet.

Ruby jerked awake beside me, eyes wide with panic. “What was that?”

“Gunshot.” I was already moving, grabbing the Glock from the nightstand. “Get in the bathroom. Lock the door.”

“Ford—”

“Now, Ruby. Go.”

She scrambled toward the bathroom as I ran toward the bedroom door, gun in hand. I made it three steps into the hallway before something slammed into my jaw.

The impact sent stars exploding across my vision, but I stayed on my feet. It took a hell of a lot more than a shot to the jaw to put me down. I swung back blindly and connected with something solid, heard a grunt of pain. I continued taking swings, hitting my target again and again.

A knife sliced across my upper arm, the blade catching the edge of my tricep. Deep. Hot blood ran down to my elbow. But it wasn’t the arm that was holding my gun.

“Fuck this shit!” I yelled.

I brought the Glock up and squeezed the trigger twice. The man in front of me dropped like a stone.

The front door exploded inward, and I saw Jase moving through the doorway low and fast, weapon drawn. But my attention was already focused on the master bedroom, where I could hear Ruby's voice raised in anger.

I ran toward the sound and found another man dressed in black holding Ruby by her braid, gun pressed to her temple. Her left cheek was already swelling where he'd hit her. Rage flooded through me, but I forced myself to stay calm.

This asshole was desperate. I could see it in his eyes, the way his hand shook slightly on the gun. He had a comm earpiece, which meant he knew his buddies were dead.

“Let her go,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

“Put your guns down!” The man's voice cracked slightly. “Both of you, put them down, or I kill her right here.”

“You're not walking out of here,” Jase said from behind me. “You know that, right?”

“I'm taking her with me. You're going to let me go, or she dies.”

I set my gun on the floor, blood from my arm dripping onto the hardwood. My blood and the other guy’s blood was already all over my body. “There. Gun's down,” I said as I groaned loudly. Let him think I was hurt and out of commission.

“You too,” the asshole said to Jase. “I know you're carrying.”

“I don't have one,” Jase said calmly.

“Bullshit! I heard the shooting. You killed my partner.”

“That was Ford. I'm unarmed.”

Ruby started to struggle against the man's grip, and he jerked her braid harder. “Stop moving!”

“Why should I stop?” Ruby's voice was defiant, stronger than I'd expected. “You're just going to kill me anyway.”

The gunman was getting more agitated, arguing with Jase about weapons while Ruby continued to fight. I pressed my hand to my stomach and leaned against the wall.

“Fuck! I'm going to pass out,” I said, letting my voice go weak. I watched as Ruby struggled more from under my lashes. I didn’t slump to the floor, nope, I face planted forward. In front of the gunman ad Ruby. Loud. Spread-eagle.

I heard a shot. The gunshot was impossibly loud in the confined space. I prayed it was Jase as I looked up.

I saw Ruby covered in blood. I felt my world crash and burn.

Then I realized she was standing, and the gunman was on the floor.

Ruby ran the three steps toward me and dropped to her knees. “Ford! Wake up, honey. Please, baby. Wake up.”

Before I could say anything, I heard Jase laughing. “He’s fine, Ruby. He’s probably got the wind knocked out of him.”

“What are you talking about?” she snarled. “Call an ambulance!” she demanded.

I sat up slowly. “Sweetheart, I’m fine.” I pulled her into my arms. We were both bloody messes. I wiped the blood and other bits from her face.

“Ewww,” she cried. She used the hem of her shirt to start wiping her face, but it was bloody too, and it just made it worse. What’s more, she was almost exposing her tits.

“Jase, get a towel.” I commanded.

“On it.”

“There’s nobody else?” Ruby asked, her voice shaking.

“Simon and Nolan are outside. It’s quiet,” Jase assured her as he handed her two bath towels from my bathroom.

Ruby looked at me for reassurance. “It’s really over?”

“Yeah,” I said, looking at Jase over her head. “It's over.”

But even as I said the words, I knew it wasn't true. Tonight was over. This attack was over.

But somewhere out there, Horace Waters was still breathing. Still planning. Still coming for the woman in my arms.

This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.