Page 20 of Dirty Ruck (Ruck Boys #5)

Chapter Twenty

Chelsea

I pulled my car into the huge garage and closed the door behind me when my phone rang.

I'd like to say I have a cool ringtone, like a Taylor Swift song or something from Wolf Venom, but it was just one of the phone's built-in sounds.

One of these days, I'd get around to changing it to something better.

I glanced over to where it lay on the seat beside me as Sadie's name flashed up on the screen. I picked it up and put it to my ear while getting out of the car and closing the garage door behind me.

"Hey." I leaned against the car while I pulled off my shoes. “How are things?” I unlocked the internal door and stepped into the house. Dropping my shoes and bag beside the door, I walked to the kitchen to turn on the kettle for a cup of coffee.

Judging by the cars in the garage, and the sound from elsewhere in the house, most of the guys were home. The only car that seemed to be absent was Ramsey's. The other guys tended to travel back and forth from the stadium together, when their schedules aligned.

Ramsey often had other things he needed to do outside of football. Things I tried not to ask too much about.

"Not bad," she said. "I'm feeling a lot better. My gunshot wound doesn't hurt anymore."

I winced, but I knew she was saying that to sound badass. Not everyone could claim to have an injury, or scar inflicted by a bullet, and live to tell about it. Personally, it wasn't the kind of scar I coveted, but each to their own.

"That's good," I said. I held the phone in place carefully with one hand and pulled a mug out of the cabinet, along with coffee and sugar. "I'm sure you'll have an impressive scar."

"That's the hope." I could hear the smile in her voice. "What's the point of getting shot if you can't brag about it?"

"I'm sure I don't know," I said with an edge of sarcasm. "I would have preferred it not happen at all."

"Yeah, well, you've got to take the good with the bad. How's things there?"

"Pretty good," I said. "It's been…almost a week since anyone in my proximity was shot."

She laughed. "Things are looking up, then?"

"For now they are." I slid open a drawer in the massive island and pulled out a spoon before scooping coffee and sugar into my cup.

I had to step away from the kitchen while the kettle boiled. Even when they weren't loud, I always had a problem hearing past them. It was a sensory problem that fortunately didn't impact my life too much. Just when I was trying to make coffee and talk on the phone at the same time.

"Maybe everything that was going to happen has happened," she said. "That might be it. You know what things are like. Sometimes someone quietly takes care of a problem and we don't hear about it for a long time afterwards."

"That's true," I conceded.

I was a long way down the proverbial food chain.

If the Brantley family had Nyla Fox executed, it was unlikely anyone would bother to let me know.

It could be weeks before they deigned to tell Ramsey, if they did at all.

Although, if she was ultimately behind this, we would have seen some change in King and Skinner's behaviour. Wouldn’t we?

From what I'd seen, they were as calm and controlled as ever. And neither of them had pulled any of us aside to suggest we join them in any kind of retaliation.

No, I decided she was still alive. As much as I'd like to hope we were, we weren't out of the woods yet.

"You don't think it's safe to come back yet, do you?" she asked sadly.

"I wish I could say it was, but I don't think so," I said. "I'm not sure when it will be, if ever. Is life away from Dusk Bay so bad?"

I was teasing gently, but it was a serious question.

She might be better off not coming back at all.

Even if we survived this situation, there'd always be another, and another after that.

If it wasn't the Crimson Vipers, it might be the Brotherhood of Kings pulling some shit.

Or someone else who wanted to rival the Brantley family.

Or maybe the Brantley family themselves flexing their muscles. Or…

The list was endless. She might be safer where she was.

"I miss you and I miss working," she said.

"It's nice to spend time with my parents, but I'm starting to remember why I moved away.

They still think of me as their little girl.

If they knew exactly the kind of club I work in, they'd be horrified.

Which I still can't get my head around, because it's only nudity and sex.

But they're old-fashioned. If they had their way, I'd have nothing in my wardrobe but long skirts and turtlenecks. "

I pictured her rolling her eyes.

"I can't imagine you in a turtleneck," I said. The kettle clicked off and I stepped back into the kitchen to pour the hot water.

"Me either," she said with a laugh. "I'd feel like I was being choked, but not in a good way. Although, it would be handy to hide bruises from a hand necklace. Maybe I'll invest in one or two, just in case."

Trust her to think of an advantage to wearing something like that.

Maybe that was why they were invented in the first place.

They looked cute on a lot of women, but she wasn't one of them; neither was I.

Like her, the only things I wanted around my neck was a hand I could trust, or a nice, warm scarf.

"You might need enough for a week if you're covering bruises," I teased. "Does that mean you've met someone?"

"I might have," she said evasively. "It's early yet, but I like them a lot."

"I'm happy for you," I said sincerely. "Are you sure you want to come back here then? They might not want to come with you."

"I think they will," she said. "I know I said it's early, but they care about me a lot already. I think if I return to Dusk Bay, so will they. But I won't make any choices until it's safe. Putting myself at risk is one thing, I won't risk them too."

"It sounds like love to me," I said, again half-teasing.

"It might be. I've never met anyone like them."

I could picture her blushing as she responded. "Awww, that's adorable. I've never heard you talk about anyone like that. Do they have a name?"

"Darcy," she replied. "Don't start singing Sadie and Darcy sitting in a tree."

I laughed. "I wouldn't dare. I'm just happy you're happy. You deserve it." I placed the kettle down and picked up the end of the spoon to stir my coffee.

"You deserve it too," she said. "You sound settled."

"I am settled," I said. "Apart from the threat of violence hanging over us. I have the job of my dreams and six amazing boyfriends. What more could a girl want?"

"Judging by the sound of the spoon, coffee that isn't instant," she teased.

"Ha ha," I replied. "We haven't gotten around to getting a fancy coffee machine yet, okay? You know what I always say, instant coffee is better than murder."

"I've never heard you say that," she said.

"Now you have," I said with a laugh. "Although, most things are better than murder."

I didn't think my brother would agree with me. Frost might not either. Or Atlas. The others, they'd do what they had to.

Although, I wasn't sure if Dallas was capable of taking another life. Killing India was hanging around his neck like the proverbial albatross. Haunting him. Made worse by seeing Sierra killed.

"That depends on the instant coffee," Sadie joked. "Some of it is so bad, I'd have to refute your statement."

She didn't mean that literally. At least, I didn't think she did. We knew most of each other’s secrets, but not all of them. For all I knew, she might secretly be an assassin. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if she was.

Except, would she have left Dusk Bay if that was the case? She might have if she was ordered to go. If that was the case, she wouldn't be able to tell me anyway, so I didn't ask. Besides, if she did tell me, she might have to kill me.

Some secrets were better kept secret.

"I miss you," I said. "It's nice to have another woman to talk to once in a while."

"Testosterone overload, hmmm?" She laughed. "We should have anticipated that might be a problem."

"It's not a problem," I protested. "It's just nice to have a female friend to giggle with and talk about stuff the guys aren't interested in. Like the colour of my toe nail polish."

"Who says I'm not interested in the colour of your toe nail polish?" Frost said as he stepped into the kitchen. He glanced down at my bare toes, then up at my face before wiggling his eyebrows at me. "We could paint our toenails together."

"You're both missing the point," I said, assuming Sadie heard what he said through the phone. "I just mean women have a different perspective on things, that's all. Once in a while a girl likes to have some girl time."

"I mean, if Sadie wants to move in, I'm happy to watch." Frost grinned. "Or I could join in." He reached for a glass before holding it under the tap to fill it with water.

"Sadie isn't moving in," I said. "And if she was, I'm not interested in her like that. And vice versa. Sorry, you'll have to settle for watching me with the other guys instead."

"I'm down with that." He toasted me with his glass before gulping back the water.

"I thought you might be." I tossed my teaspoon in the dishwasher before taking a sip of coffee. "Anyway, where were we?"

"You were telling me you were missing me," she said. "I miss you too. It's nice to hear your voice. I'm happy that you're happy and I hope everything works out the way you want it to."

"Me too," I said. "I hope it’ll be safe for you to return some day. And that Darcy takes good care of you."

"They will," she assured me. "They know what's good for them. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and shop for turtlenecks."

Once again, I laughed, then said my goodbyes and ended the call.

"You really do miss her, don't you?" Frost rested his hip against the island.

"It's not that you guys aren't enough," I said quickly.

"I get it," he said. "If there were six women and me in this house, I'd probably want a dude to talk to once in a while. Which gives me an idea. Do you trust me?"

I gave him the side eye but said, "Of course I do."

"Then let me arrange something. I promise you'll love it."

I didn't know what he had in mind, but he had me intrigued.