Page 27 of Cursed by Death (Ruby Jane #1)

F ox wasted far too much of my time arguing with me about who would be driving. Why did it seem like only Hunter didn’t seem to take issue with me being the one behind the wheel?

Eventually I’d simply had enough of his bullshit and just got in the driver’s seat of the Bentley. He got in the passenger seat because I believed he had finally got the message. Either he quit arguing and got in or I’d leave him behind and he could walk. Since his job was to guard me I didn’t think It’d suit him to be left behind.

He’d have to be the one who explained the situation to Rally. Rally seemed very good natured but he was a bit intense where I was concerned, so who knew how he’d react to Fox failing to do the job he’d been given.

That made me think. Just what exactly were Fox’s orders where I was concerned.

“So, Foxy,” I said in a pleasant voice that would compel him to answer me. The stoic and silent guard thing he could do would only serve to piss me off at the moment. “What exactly did Rally tell you before he left? Just to watch over me until he comes back, or what? I told him I didn’t need a babysitter and I meant it. It’s no offense to you but having you follow me around all the time would totally go against my vibe. I’m a loner at heart and I’m always going to be.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, Ruby, but being Rally’s mate means you’ll more than likely always have a guard or two with you from here on out. You’ll probably get assigned your very own guards, whoever Rally thinks will be a good fit for you. You would have had one sooner if he’d have thought you wouldn’t have fought him on it or made a big deal. Please, though, I ask of you not to shoot the messenger.”

I gripped the steering wheel almost to the point of causing me pain. His words made me want to shoot someone but I wasn’t about to take it out on him. He wasn’t the one responsible for this news, as he’d said, he was simply the messenger.

Rally and I would be having yet another conversation because this was unacceptable to me.

I hadn’t lied when I said I was a loner. The thought of always having a person in my shadow made me so uncomfortable it wasn’t even funny. I needed my alone time, I was used to it. I was used to my peace and quiet.

Did having people in my life now mean that peace and quiet were now a thing of the past to me? I thought back on it and realized I hadn’t gone a day being all by myself since Thomas died. And I had not been miserable or once wished for alone time by myself.

Maybe I wouldn’t absolutely hate the lack of freedom after all. Then again, maybe I’d snap tomorrow, kick them all out of my life, and change the locks on the doors so they couldn’t get back in. I could hide out in my basement for months and they’d all have probably gone away by the time I reemerged back into the world again.

That thought wasn’t as appealing to me as it would have been just last week.

I mean, where would Ginger and the baby go? I wanted to be able to watch her as she lived her life, find happiness and maybe even love again, and I wanted to watch her son grow up. I could be his rich aunt Ruby and not so secret fairy godmother.

It was crazy how much my life had changed in such a short period of time. And it was frightening how much I preferred this new life to what my old, lonely existence had been.

I wasn’t going back to the way things used to be, even if Rally and I didn’t work out. I mean, for fuck’s sake, Ginger was moving into my guest house, I wasn’t going to lose her if I decided not to be with the Prince. And Detective Rowans had absolutely zero ties to the wolves, I knew that no matter what he wasn’t going anywhere.

That last thought made me relax just a little bit. When had I become that comfortable with the man that the thought of his friendship alone was enough to stop me from spiraling out? I ought to be afraid of that, perhaps even afraid of the man himself due to my reactions to him, but I was not.

“I’m under the impression that you knew these hunters from a previous lifetime. How?”

I wished Fox had just kept his stupid mouth shut because this subject was actually worse than the previous one.

“A previous lifetime,” I muttered sarcastically. “Yeah, it was definitely that.” At least it felt like that’s what it had been. I had no intention of talking about anything that had happened to me and I had experienced in foster care with Fox. I didn’t think we’d ever be good enough friends for that.

For the rest of the drive I ignored Fox and he thankfully took the hint, remaining silent while staring out the window.

I realized I didn’t really know anything about the man and if my nerves weren’t shot I might grill him on the way home. If I was going to be expected to spend a bunch of time alone with the man then I wanted to know more about him than his name, the fact that he was a wolf and one of Rally’s personal guards. Then again, if he was good at his job then I didn’t really need to know anything else about him. I’d yet to actually see any proof of him being any good though and I wouldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. You just couldn’t take someone’s word on that kind of thing.

The house we pulled up in front of looked like it was abandoned. The windows were busted out. The overgrown grass was littered with garbage. And there appeared to be a homeless person sleeping on the floor of the porch. He was either asleep or he was dead. He had two tied off plastic grocery bags clutched to his chest and he appeared to be wearing fingerless gloves.

In fact, he looked like he was dressed in winter gear from head to foot with a thick winter hat complete with a dirty fuzzy gall on top, a raggedy looking scarf, a puffy jacket with large holes in it, and big clunky winter boots.

It had to be close to seventy degrees outside. Winter was over, we were approaching the end of spring, and the summer heat would be upon us before we knew it. He had no business being dressed like that.

I really hoped he was just sleeping it off and wasn’t actually dead. If he was alive then there was still a chance to get him off the streets and find help for whatever problems it was that he had that had landed him here in the first place.

Knuckles rapped on my window and Fox cursed under his breath. He’d been caught off guard and I didn’t think that boded well for his future with me.

I got out of the car and the Detective was there, his badge was clipped to his belt and in full sight. He was on duty and he clearly wanted everyone he came across to know it. The only time before that I had ever seen him with his badge out had been when the police were called and was the first time he’d been to my house.

“Have you gone inside yet?” I asked him and he shook his head. “Have you seen the hunters yet?”

“No. I just got here when you did.”

Perfect timing then. “Should we wait or do we just go inside?” If he wasn’t here and flashing that shiny badge of his I probably would have just let myself inside the house.

He opened his mouth but closed it when he looked over my shoulder. His face went hard as all the warmth bled out of it. He wasn’t even attempting to give the blank but fake friendly cop face that I was sure he had perfected years ago. A face he’d used on me the first time we’d met. Someone was approaching and he didn’t like whoever they were and he also didn’t mind them knowing he didn’t like them.

I could guess and when I turned around to find Roan and Bane I figured I had guessed right.

Bane stood there and he was wearing the same kind of outfit that he and his brother had shown up at the funeral in. Black t-shirt that clung to his muscular upper body. Black cargo pants. And black combat boots.

His choice of clothing matched his black hair. His eyes were like chips of ice shards that immediately started to thaw out the moment they locked onto me.

I absolutely hated that and a very small part of me that I was attempting to ignore, and failing, actually thought I enjoyed it at the same time.

I was fucked in the head and the heart. I hadn’t quite learned yet how to turn either off. Perhaps with time, and a whole lot more heartache, I'd finally get there.

“Ruby Jane,” Bane practically purred as a grim took over his face. “You came. I’m glad to see you. Though, I don’t understand why you felt the need to show up with your entourage. You seem to never be able to do anything on your own anymore. What’s that about? You were always such a loner and happy to be by yourself.

It felt like he was baiting me.

“Things change,” I gritted out between clenched teeth. I didn’t like how well he knew me or that he was choosing to point it out in front of our audience. In truth, I thought the only two people that really knew me, the real me, were Bane and his brother, Roan.

And that was just ridiculously sad for me.

“This involves an ongoing police investigation of a murder,” Detective Rowans informed Bane in a serious voice. “A case that’s mine. You called me about this little meeting and you didn’t think I’d not want to tag along with her? Come on now, hunter, you’re not that stupid. Don’t pretend to start to be now.”

Bane completely ignored the Detective, he only had eyes for me. “And the wolf, Ruby Jane, why’s he here?”

I didn’t feel like answering this question so I kept my mouth shut instead. I could be smart sometimes.

Fox didn’t seem to have the same problem as me. “I do what my Prince tells me to. I don’t answer to you, hunter.”

Bane finally looked away from me to glare at Fox and I knew if I didn’t get this situation in hand, and quickly, they’d end up fighting. In fact, I kind of thought Bane was hoping and trying for it.

“Can we go in and check out the body now?” I asked. And then, when they all just stared at me I said, “Please?”

It was the please that got us walking towards the house and the body inside of it. Nothing kills the mood better than a dead body.

I think they all knew it wasn’t a word I used very often.