Page 42 of Velvet Corruption

“Fine,” she said, the word heavy with reluctance. “But not here. Follow me. And try not to be, I don’t know, so noticeable.”

“I have no idea how you expect me to do that,” I scoffed.

“Whatever. Just hurry.”

She turned on her heel, not waiting for a response, and headed toward the side of the house.

I followed her without a word, staying a few steps behind. The narrow path led to a small shed tucked away at the back of the yard, half-hidden by overgrown ivy and the shadow of a massive oak tree. Ruby glanced toward the house again, muttering under her breath, “God, I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

She pushed the door open, revealing a cluttered but functional space—shelves lined with gardening tools, a folded lawn chair, and an old workbench scarred from years of use. The air smelledfaintly of damp wood and earth. “This your she shed?” I asked. “Didn’t take you for the domestic type.”

“Fuck off,” she scowled. “It’s Julian’s. He doesn’t use it anymore so it’s a fucking mess.”

“Too busy?”

“What do you care, Kieran?” she asked. “Just do whatever the fuck you’re going to do.”

“Okay.”

She gestured for me to step inside, her posture still defensive. “If Rosie sees you, she’ll have questions I don’t feel like answering. So whatever you’re doing, do it here.”

I nodded, keeping my movements deliberate as I entered. Ruby stayed by the door, watching me like a hawk, before finally stepping in and closing it behind her.

“You have a first-aid kit?” I asked, scanning the room.

“There should be one on that shelf,” she said, motioning toward the far wall.

I found it tucked between a box of screws and a rusty toolbox, the plastic case covered in a thin layer of dust. I wiped it off with my sleeve and set it on the workbench, flipping it open to reveal neatly organized bandages, antiseptic wipes, and gauze.

“Sit,” I said, motioning to the lawn chair.

Ruby hesitated, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t start giving me orders.”

“Ruby,” I said, my tone soft but firm. “You’re bleeding. Let me do this.”

She huffed but sat down, resting her injured hand on the armrest. Her fingers twitched as I knelt in front of her, the proximity making the air between us feel heavier.

“This might sting,” I warned, tearing open an antiseptic wipe.

“I can handle it,” she said, her voice clipped.

I didn’t doubt that. Ruby Marquez could handle anything, but the way she flinched when I dabbed the wound told me she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted me to believe.

The cut was worse up close, deep and jagged, with a shard of glass and tiny slivers of it still embedded in her palm. I worked carefully, using the tweezers from the kit to remove the shards. Each one made her suck in a sharp breath, but she didn’t pull away.

“I’m surprised your husband couldn’t make the time,” I said, breaking the silence. I’d have been lying if I said it didn’t give me a sense of satisfaction though—that I was the one who was here for her, not him.

“Julian’s working through some urgent deposition. Judge’s orders—it’s not optional, apparently,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’d think he’d at least call instead of leaving it to his secretary to let me know.”

“So it’s the judge’s fault.”

“Why are you going to bat for Julian?” she asked. “He’s an assh—he’s a complicated human, okay? But he’s always there for Rosie. If he knew about this, he would be here in a heartbeat.”

I wasnotgoing to bat for her husband, but this was good. This told me that this rift that I thought I perceived was real. That I could take advantage of it, even if the very mention of Julian’s name made me want to send my fist flying into the nearest wall.

“I’m sure he would,” I said, focusing back on Ruby’s hand. The last piece of glass came out clean, and I wiped away the blood with gentle strokes. “But until he gets here, you’re stuck with me.”

“Just finish up. My patience with you is wearing thin. Plus…I don’t know if my cleanup job was quite up to snuff and I can’t let Rosie get hurt.”