Ruby Rose

by Alta Hensley

  Ruby’s head whipped back from the force of the blow. Blood shot from the corner of her mouth as Maxine’s knuckles made contact with her lower lip. The evil in her eyes shone in the dim light of the parking lot. The stench of her breath only added to the demon-like figure before her.

  Swiping her fingertips over her mouth, Ruby struggled to her feet, but Maxine was suddenly on top of her, Maxine's fishnet-clad thighs straddling her chest, pinning her to the cold asphalt below. Ruby tried not to focus on the crazed face looming over her. Maxine's face showed a fury that made Ruby realize she would indeed try to kill her.

  Ruby had knocked the knife out of Maxine's hand when she unexpectedly lunged at her. But the knife remained within her reach. If only she could stretch out her arm and—

  “Stop fighting me, bitch! I'm going to show you what happens when you mess with me. Do you know who I am? How dare you punch me in the club! You'll pay for that now!”

  Ruby blocked the pummel of hands, feeling Maxine's skin beneath her nails as she clawed at her face. Ruby let out a scream even though no one would hear. The music in the club was too loud. No one was there to save her. She had no choice but to save herself.

  Maxine grunted, beads of sweat dripping off her forehead. Ruby could feel Maxine's strength weakening. Hope washed over her. She could still fight her off. She just needed to outlast her power. Stamina and sobriety could save her life.

  Maxine was breathing hard, her scrawny body heaving from each jagged pant. She had Ruby trapped on the cold ground, but Ruby knew she had a chance to break free as Maxine's energy faded. Ruby struggled to draw air into her lungs, but Maxine's weight on her stomach almost suffocated her. She couldn't wrestle out from her hold, let alone take a breath. Her own energy faded just as fast.She sucked in much-needed oxygen, refusing to look at Maxine's disgusting face only inches from her own as she continued to punch at Ruby's head. From the corner of Ruby's eye, she saw a flash of silver.

  Her knife. She needed to reach her knife.

  Reach for the knife.

  Ruby forced herself to be brave. She took a calming breath to steady her nerves. She breathed evenly through her nose, slowly counting to five. She could do this. She had to do this. She had to fight back, or Maxine would kill her.

  Before Maxine could react, Ruby's hand reached out, fingers connecting with the silver handle of the knife. When Maxine realized what she was doing, she lunged for the blade. But she wasn't fast enough. Her eyes bulged in shock just as Ruby stuck the blade into her upper arm.

  Maxine screamed as she glanced down at her bloody arm in horror. Her dark eyes flashed with rage as she knocked the knife out of Ruby's hand, sending it flying across the ground. Maxine grabbed a hold of Ruby's neck and squeezed with a renewed, superhuman strength. Struggling for air, Ruby realized she was going to die by Maxine's hand. She had missed her chance.

  Chapter 20

  Evan's chest felt heavy as he walked back into the club. The realization that Ruby had probably left by now made his throat tighten, but knowing he was the one who'd turned his back on her hurt even more.

  Go to her.

  Those three words repeated over and over again in his mind, screamed from his soul.

  He walked halfway to the VIP area when he finally couldn't stand it anymore. He had to see if Ruby was still out there. Maybe she hadn't left yet. Maybe he still had the chance to make things right. He needed to make it right.

  Evan threw open the back door and froze in place, panic rising in his body as he watched the scene before him. With a burst of rage, Evan charged toward Ruby. She lay flat on her back, with Maxine on top of her, choking the life right out of her.

  Suddenly Ruby snapped into a state of alertness, landing a nasty punch to Maxine's jaw. Ruby reached to grab a jagged rock near her hand, crashing it down on the side of Maxine's head. The blow sent her into unconsciousness and she tumbled to the side.

  The silence deafening, Evan surged toward Ruby. “God, Ruby! Are you okay?” Evan pulled her from under Maxine's body.

  ****

  The sound of Evan's voice brought tears to her eyes. He was here! Help… a miracle… Evan was here.

  Almost instantly, her entire body began to shake. Her breath came out in ragged gasps. Air. She needed air. Maxine was dead! She killed someone! She took another’s life!

  “I'm here, Ruby. Everything’s going to be okay.” She felt Evan's hand on her forearm. Blinking with confusion, she looked down and saw that her bloody hand still gripped the rock.

  “I killed her! Oh my god!”

  Evan placed his hand on Maxine's throat and checked for a pulse. “No. She's alive.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. In a hurry, he explained the situation to dispatch and demanded they send the police.

  “It's okay, Ruby. You were defending yourself.” The soft reassurance of his voice soothed her. She loosened her grip on the rock and let it fall to the ground.

  “Are you all right?” he asked gruffly.

  She stared into his dark eyes for a long moment before finally whispering, “No.” And then she threw herself into the strength of his arms.

  She clung to him desperately as she sobbed for what felt like a lifetime. Weak from exhaustion, her body collapsed against his. The next thing she knew, she was in his arms, and he stroked her back with his big, warm hands. “It's all right,” he said softly. “You're all right now.”

  He pulled back slightly, remorse clouding his shadowed eyes. “I'm so sorry, Ruby. I should have never left you.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “I'm sorry I put you in a situation that you felt you had to. I know you may never trust me again.”

  Evan's features creased with remorse. “I left you and you got attacked. It's all my fault.”

  “You had no way of knowing.”

  Evan looked ready to argue, but a shout from behind put an end to the conversation. Ruby turned to see two police officers immediately hurry toward Maxine's unconscious frame.

  “What happened?” the cop demanded, his steely eyes fixed on her and Evan.

  In a calm yet firm voice, Evan told the officers everything. When he finished, he glanced at her and smiled. It was a smile that let her know it truly would be all right. Everything would be fine… with Evan.

  After hours of answering questions and filling out paperwork, they were finally free to go. Ruby felt relief when Maxine regained consciousness as the paramedics arrived. No matter what, Ruby didn't want to hurt her, and definitely didn't want to kill her. The incident was the most terrifying experience of her life. Ruby refused to press charges even though the police urged her to do so. At the end of the day, Maxine needed help. Not jail, but help with her demons.

  Evan escorted Ruby to the limo and gently assisted her inside. “Do you hurt? You have cuts and bruises.”

  “A little, but I'll be fine.”

  Evan watched her intently. His eyes shone with so much protectiveness. So much uncertainty. He reached out, cupping the right side of her face ever so gently in the palm of his hand. “We're going to the hospital to get everything checked out.”

  “I'm fine, Evan. Please, I don't want to go to the hospital. I have some cuts and bruises. That's all. The paramedics already checked me out. Please.”

  Evan sighed. “Fine, but you're staying with me tonight. Don't even try arguing. I'm not asking, I'm telling.”

  Ruby blinked back more tears and Evan leaned forward and slowly, reverently pressed a kiss to her bruised cheek. He repeated the gesture, kissing her cut cheekbone, then the bridge of her bloody nose, the curve of her beaten jaw, her eyelid. Finally, he found her mouth and pressed his lips to hers. She started to cry as he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I'm not going anywhere, Ruby. I will never leave your side again.”

  “Oh, god,” she said, her hands curling into the fabric of his shirt as she pulled him closer, almost as though she tried to merge her body with his. “You have no idea how afraid I wa
s.”

  Evan nodded. “I'll never let Maxine near you again.”

  Ruby shook her head. “No. I was so scared of losing… you.”

  “Never again,” he whispered as he dropped a kiss onto her forehead.

  Ruby leaned into him deeper. “You'll forgive me?” Ruby said and rested her tear-stained face in the crook of Evan's neck for a moment. Evan's hand found her back and massaged it lightly in small circles for a long moment.

  “I can't stand seeing you cry.” Evan leaned over and kissed her damp cheek. “I love you.”

  “Let’s go to your place and work things out. Let us start over, please. Let's make us whole again,” Ruby pleaded. “Forgive me and love me again.”

  Chapter 21

  With uncertainty and nerves twisting his stomach, the night was an emotional blur. The entire ride to Evan’s home, was filled with relief to have Ruby sitting safely beside him, mixed with confusion and pain he couldn’t quite shake off. Evan didn't know what to expect when they got home. His mind working in overdrive, he closed his eyes to try to clear his thoughts.

  Ruby reached for his hand, and the soft touch made Evan's heart leap out of his chest. He didn't want to face the woman he so desperately loved only to see betrayal. He couldn’t give her reassurance, so he gently pulled his hand free. Silence was the only thing he could offer.

  “Evan? I'd really like to show you something if I can.”

  He didn't want to be dramatic and continue with his fury, call off the relationship, or do any other rash action that ran through his head. At the end of the day, he loved Ruby completely. Seeing her hurt only intensified his feelings for her. She was everything he could ever dream of. Evan wanted to make this work. Ruby had already surrendered her love and given her submission. Evan knew that was the greatest show of trust.

  Ruby reached into her purse and pulled out a bunch of papers wrapped in a rubber band.

  “What is all that?”

  “They’re all of the magazine and newspaper articles I’ve ever written.” She pointed to her name on one of them, and then pointed to her name on another. “See that?”

  Evan read her written name, confused. “Your name?”

  “Yes, my name. Ruby Rose.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “When I was a child, my grandmother always told me that I had a name that should be lit up in lights. I had a name worthy of a queen. She told me that with a name like Ruby Rose, I was destined for success.” Ruby paused to take a deep breath. “Every time I write my name at the end of an article, I feel like I am honoring my grandmother’s memory.”

  Ruby took a deep breath and continued on. “There was not a lot of love in my home growing up. My parents weren't affectionate and rarely offered praise. But things were different with my grandmother. It was a blessing when my sister and I finally went to live with her. She made me feel like the most special person in the world. Her words and encouragement made me feel like I could do whatever I wanted. She actually made me believe I was destined for great things.” Ruby paused as she wiped at a falling tear. “She made me promise to do something special with my life. She made me promise to make Ruby Rose a name not to be forgotten. She made me promise to shoot for my dreams, because with a name like mine, dreams would come to reality. It doesn't excuse my lies…”

  Evan reached for Ruby’s hand and linked his fingers through hers. He offered a smile, finding it impossible to be angry at the woman before him. Ruby squeezed her fingers tightly between his, and a shiver of satisfaction went through him. The simplest touch confirmed that Ruby was the only woman he would ever need.

  Ruby was here… fighting. Confiding in him like she'd never done before. Deep down he'd hoped she would come to him, that the bond between them was as powerful as he believed. It had been weeks and he had tried his best to forget all about her, blocking the painful memories of her lies from his mind.

  But here she was, sitting before him with her face shadowed in the dim light of the passing streetlights. She was a woman of such beauty that she took his breath away. Her Spanish skin was so golden and smooth, gorgeous even with the bruises and cuts. Her hair an enchanting brown, richer and deeper than any woman’s he'd seen. It just skimmed her delicate shoulders with a slight curl at the bottom. Her eyes were closed, her lashes lying thick and dark against her cheeks. He needed to see into her eyes… into her heart. But she kept them shut, her face saddened by her memories.

  He couldn't stop himself from reaching out to her. It seemed like an eternity since he last touched her. He skimmed his fingertips along the edge of her swollen jaw.

  She gasped, but instead of pulling back she leaned closer, her eyes fluttering open. “I know I don't deserve you,” she murmured. “I wish I could do it all over…”

  Evan slid his thumb up over her chin and then across her bottom lip. On a shaky sigh, she parted her lips. She stared directly into his eyes. “Evan…”

  He leaned down and closed the distance between his mouth and hers. His hands still cupping her face, he tipped her chin up. Then he brushed his lips gently across hers in a whisper-soft kiss.

  “I'm sorry, Evan. I came here to get a story that could really make Ruby Rose a name people had heard of. I saw the possibility of a book deal, and I saw potential success. I came here, and I met you, for all the wrong reasons.” Ruby wiped at a falling tear. “But I swear to you, that somewhere along our path, everything changed. I fell in love. I gave you my entire heart. I gave you my full submission. Not because of a book, but because I truly fell in love with you.”

  Evan nodded. A glimmer of tears shone in his eyes as the pain in his heart subsided. Ruby reached out unexpectedly and gripped her hand around his neck. In one swift movement, her mouth came down powerfully on his, her tongue plunging past his lips as if she were claiming him, possessing him as hers. Evan clutched at her arms, deepening the kiss, leaving nothing but overwhelming love.

  Arousal sparked in Evan's body as if Ruby had lit him on fire. Evan parted her lips, his hands desperately clinging to the fabric of her shirt. Their tongues danced together as electric currents rippled through his body, his cock hardening at the sensation of Ruby's body pressing against his, his mind spiraling out of control with the knowledge of the erotic gratification they could bring each other.

  Ruby cleared her throat. “I owe you an apology. I will apologize every day if you’ll let me. Just don’t walk away.”

  Evan wiped at the tears streaming down Ruby’s face. “I’ll never give up on us again.”

  The one thing that was clear was what he wanted, what he'd always wanted. Evan wanted Ruby back. The only woman he'd ever truly loved. Being without her for even this short time made Evan realize that. The question was if he could trust Ruby. Did he truly believe her about this whole DD article? Evan wondered if he deluded himself into thinking it was more than Ruby just experimenting with him. Was she really in love like she claimed?

  Evan couldn’t stop believing that they had this love at first sight: crazy love. A kind of love that no matter the insecurities or the anger, never lessened. There had been a time when it would have been impossible for Evan to admit to himself, much less say out loud, how much he was in love. But he could see that he'd fallen hard – Ruby was all he wanted.

  It hurt. It hurt badly to have Ruby lie to him. But he had to forgive in order to move on, and it did appear as if Ruby felt truly sorry. Evan knew this was love. He felt it in every fiber of his being. Evan loved Ruby. He always would. And he was sure that Ruby loved him, too. But even as he thought it, doubts assailed him. This is what they needed to work out. This is what he needed to work out.

  As they walked into the loft, he glanced around, grateful he hadn’t left the place a mess. Immediately, nerves formed a tight knot in his stomach, his heartbeat slamming against his rib cage. He tossed his keys on the granite counter and immediately went to grab a bottle of red wine.

  “Can I pour you a glass of wine?” Evan asked as he popped the
cork.

  “Yes, please.”

  At the sound of her voice, inches from his ear, Evan spun around to see Ruby leaning against the counter with a smile. With a thud, Evan dropped the bottle on the counter, grabbing her, hauling her close and covering Ruby's mouth with his own, running his hands all over Ruby's body.

  With a soft moan and a light giggle, Ruby broke away from the kiss, a frown creasing her forehead. “This is for real, right? My heart can't take it if you compare me to a groupie again,” Ruby said, her voice cracking slightly.

  Evan shook his head, continuing to run his hands over Ruby's back. “I shouldn't have said those things, or acted that way. I was mean and wrong. I was hurt, but that doesn't excuse me lashing out at you.” Evan stopped, shaking his head, closing his eyes briefly. “I know I hurt you, too.”

  “I thought I lost you,” Ruby said, looking away briefly.

  “I don't want our love to be fragile like you said. We're strong enough to get through anything. Even if I did a horrible job of showing you that.” Evan's heartbeat harsh in his chest, he looked into Ruby's eyes. “Do you forgive me?” he asked, his eyes searching Ruby's.

  Evan saw regret cloud Ruby's eyes before she turned away. Evan felt everything in his body freeze as he gazed at the woman he loved, attempting to read the emotions in her eyes, trying to determine their meaning.

  With tears releasing from Ruby's eyes, she placed a hand on Evan's arm. “Evan, please don't apologize—” She broke off, swallowing hard. “I'll never doubt your love for me… for us. I'll always trust in you… as long as you can trust in me.” She stopped, wiping at her tears. “I love you. I always will.”

  Any other words were forgotten as Evan brought their mouths together.

  Ruby laughed around the kisses as Evan kicked the door to the bedroom open, bundled her in his arms, and, with long strides, placed Ruby down on the bed.