Page 67 of Rocked By the Alpha

She nudges West in the rib. “How about that one you’ve been working on?”

“You have something, man?” Hunter asks.

West glares at Ruby as he takes back the can. “The start of something. Not sure it’ll amount to anything.”

“It will. It’s good.”

“Then fucking pull your finger out and get it written.” Hunter scowls at West and Ruby can’t help a laugh.

“You’ve been told slacker,” she says.

West groans and closes his eyes, feigning sleep, and she rests her head against his shoulder.

At the airport, she says goodbye to him and climbs into a cab, dozing herself as it weaves through the lunchtime LA traffic. Her stomach is rumbling like mad by the time they pull up at the hotel and she grabs her bag and ducks out of the car and into the sunshine. Perhaps she’ll try to find a bite to eat before she sets off for rehearsals.

She steps through into the hotel foyer and a figure pounces forward, blocking her way. She jumps back. Her gaze flying upwards.

But it’s only Natasha.

She lets out a sigh of relief, her hand coming to rest on her chest. For a moment she thought …

“You gave me a fright, Nat. I wasn’t expecting to see you here. I thought we were meeting at the studio.”

Then she registers the look on Natasha’s face. Her friend’s brow is pulled down into a deep scowl and her eyes flash with annoyance.

“Where have you been?” Natasha demands.

“Wh-what?” she says, unease washing over her body.

“I said, where have you been?”

Ruby readjusts the bag on her shoulder. “I told you I was going to stay with a friend for a couple of nights.” She cocks her head. “What is this Nat? Can you let me step inside the hotel please?”

Her friend remains where she is, blocking her path. “Which friend? Which friend were you staying with?”

Ruby flips her shades off her face and glares at Nat. “I already told you this, Nat. I was staying with my friend Gerry.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Her heart starts pounding in her chest and she pushes at Nat’s shoulder, barging her way past. “Yes, I’m fucking sure.”

She starts to stride across the foyer towards the elevator. She needs to dump her bag and change her outfit before heading out to the rehearsal. Nat can’t know anything. Why she’s being a jerk is anyone’s guess.

“And where does Gerry live again?”

“Venice,” she snaps, not breaking her step.

“Are you sure they don’t live in Las Vegas?”

Ruby freezes.

What? She can’t possibly … Shaking her head, she starts walking again, ignoring her friend, But Nat quickly catches up with her, grabbing at her arm and swinging her around.

“You’re lying to me.” Her fingers dig into the flesh of Ruby’s arm and cold air from a vent overhead makes her shiver. The foyer is made from irregular planes of glass and the bright light falls around them in sharp shards, bathing her friend’s face in shadow.

“You’re hurting me, Nat,” she says.

“You’re lying to me. I know where you were and who you were with.”