by Tessa Bailey
Troy moved in front of her, taking her face in his hands. He looked tortured, ripped apart by her unexplained grief. “Talk to me. I’m dying here.” She looked up into the eyes of the man she loved beyond reason and knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was her anchor. No matter what happened, no matter how they fought, he would be there, standing firmly in her corner. Without giving herself a chance to second-guess, she threw her arms around Troy and pulled him close. With an unsteady exhale, he held her tight against his chest, rocking her back and forth.
“I love you,” she whispered. “No matter what happens.”
“Nothing is going to happen to you,” he responded fiercely.
She swallowed hard. “The match is tomorrow night.”
Troy stiffened slightly, telling her he hadn’t known. Her father must have sensed the temporary weakness in their bond the other night and cut him out of the loop. “Are you going to let me come with you or do I have to—”
“Go behind my back?” Troy didn’t respond and Ruby sighed. “Come with me. You’ll show up either way.”
“Damn right.”
She pulled back to meet his eyes. “Whatever is going on between us…I won’t let you get hurt. Not because of me. Remember that.”
He looked like he wanted to argue, but wisely didn’t address her cryptic remark. “Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up. We walk in together.”
She nodded, wondering if they would walk out the same way.
Chapter Seven
Troy positioned himself between Ruby and the group of four men scrutinizing them from across the dim pool hall. His first instinct upon seeing where the match would take place had been to break the speed limit driving her back to Manhattan. Located in a section of Jersey City that hadn’t yet seen the same revitalization as neighboring areas, Mancuso’s didn’t even have a proper sign or entrance. Around the back of an out-of-business furniture store, Mancuso’s was painted sloppily over a dented metal door that let out into an alleyway, where Troy had parked his car. Pool hall was honestly a loose description for what was in reality a basement directly beneath the old furniture store. None of the pool tables matched, and the wooden bar looked so distinctly out of place, Troy had a hunch it had been “borrowed” from somewhere else.
He checked his phone again, in an attempt to distract himself from the fact that Ruby looked completely unfazed by their shady surroundings, reminding him she’d been in this situation too many times to count. Upon entering, she’d tossed the men, one of them an uncle she’d never met, a disinterested glance before screwing her pool stick together, leaning against the wall and promptly looking as bored as possible. Part of him fucking loved her for that. Yet knowing it was an act, the rest of him just wanted to throw her over his shoulder and carry her out of there, damn the consequences.
Seeing that his friends still hadn’t called him with any news, Troy bit back a curse and shoved his phone back into his pocket. Shit. They were running out of time. He reminded himself that Daniel, Brent, and Matt were busting their asses trying to locate Ruby’s mother before this game began, but as time wore on, that possibility seemed less and less likely. The woman had made it damn near impossible to trace her, but as of this evening, they’d been closing in on her. He’d had to leave the station to pick up Ruby, leaving his three friends to put the final pieces together. Thankfully, he didn’t think he could find three more dedicated or capable cops to pick up the slack in his absence.
Troy hoped Jim never showed up. Or at least gave them a little more time to retrieve the information that would render this dangerous game unnecessary. He started to check his phone for the umpteenth time since they’d entered the hall, but the metal door creaked open and slammed, bringing his head up.
His body tensed and he took a step closer to Ruby, but instead of Jim walking through the entrance, Bowen swaggered in. He took in the entire place in one sweeping glance, through an eye Troy had blackened less than forty-eight hours ago.
“He always has to make a damn entrance,” Ruby muttered.
Obviously loving everyone’s focus on him, Bowen shivered dramatically. “It’s colder than a mother-in-law’s heart in here.” He didn’t wait for a reply, but strode toward their side of the hall and sat a short distance away from him and Ruby. Troy glanced back at her and she gave a small shake of her head, telling him she hadn’t asked Bowen to come. Noticing the tension that had crept into Ruby’s shoulders the second Bowen walked in, Troy made a decision. She already had enough pressure on her without their antagonism adding to it, and he wouldn’t allow the elephant in the room to stand between them a second longer.
Troy cleared his throat and jerked his chin at Bowen, signaling him over. Warily, Bowen stood and complied, arms crossed over his chest. “Yeah?”
“Listen, Driscol. I owe you an apology.” Bowen’s and Ruby’s identical double takes were comical. Or would have been, if the three of them weren’t standing in a decrepit basement in New Jersey, waiting to play a uniquely staked pool game against criminals. The things you do for love. “Instead of fighting against having you in her life…I should have been thanking you. For looking out for her when I couldn’t. All right? So, thank you.”
After a moment wherein Troy guessed Bowen was trying to gauge his sincerity, he nodded uncomfortably. “Okay, man. It’s no big deal.”
Watching Bowen’s tough-guy demeanor momentarily lift, Troy felt a stab of guilt. Bowen was just as lost as Ruby had been once, but he didn’t have anyone to pull him toward the light. No one except Ruby. And he’d been trying to take that away from him. “No, it is a big deal. I owe you.”
“Fine. That’s…fine.” Bowen yanked at the collar of his jacket. “Jesus. What does a guy have to do to get a drink around here?”
Troy stifled a smile, then glanced at Ruby. His breath caught at the look on her face. Fierce and beautiful emotion shone in her eyes, telling him he’d finally done something right. About time, Troy. And not a moment too soon.
“I love you,” she mouthed.
He winked at her. Later, Troy tried to communicate with his eyes. Later he’d tell her how much he loved her. Then he’d show her continuously, until their bodies gave out. A wave of impatience swept over him. He wanted this over, so he could take Ruby back home where she would be safe. As if his thoughts had conjured Ruby’s father, the rusted front door opened and Jim Elliott breezed in.
His attention swung between the group positioned at the bar and Ruby. “Oh, good. I was worried the party would start without me.”
One of the men stepped forward into the sparse light, his face a mask of irritation. Ruby’s uncle, Robert Bell, Troy guessed, based on his coloring and position within the group. “Not a wise move to keep me waiting, Elliott.”
“No? I guess that’s a matter of opinion.”
The group of men shifted in irritation. “My opinion is the only one that matters here.”
Troy could practically feel the surge of energy shoot through Ruby. He knew then, there was a part of his girl that would always thrive on the prospect of danger. That trait was part of her, something she’d been born with, and it was time he fully accepted it. Hell, he should be thankful for it. God knew their physical relationship required a healthy appreciation for danger. Not to mention, his job was infinitely more risky. Yet she’d never asked him to change. Not once.
God, I need to get her out of here. Need to tell her.
“Let’s agree to disagree for expediency’s sake.” Jim smiled at the angry man as he removed his coat. “Shall we knock some balls around?”
…
Ruby tried not to scrutinize her long-lost uncle too closely as she lined up a shot on the seven ball. Theirs had not been a tearful, Oprah-style reunion. Oh no. After they’d flipped a coin to determine who would break the first rack, there had been zero interaction between them. In order to win, she needed to best him at least three out of five games. So far, they’d each won two, making this the final game to decide the winner.<
br />
Something about her game was decidedly off. She knew it, and based on Bowen’s and her father’s tense expressions, they knew it, too. Those two lost games should have been hers, no question. Her uncle had a decent technique, but no heart. No instinct. She’d beat better players than him before with very little effort. She couldn’t help feeling distracted, though. Her uncle…something about him filled her with a sense of dread, but she couldn’t name the cause. Ruby never forgot a face, so she knew they had never met, but he looked so damn familiar. It didn’t make any sense.
The seven ball just missed the side pocket and she heard her father hiss behind her. Bowen frowned at the table, looking confused. No wonder. That hadn’t been a difficult shot. Struggling to keep the panic from her face, Ruby leaned against the wall and focused on Troy. He smiled at her, no visible worry on his face, his confidence in her unwavering. A lump formed in her throat, regret washing over her. She suddenly wished she’d never agreed to this. Look at what you’ve done. Put Troy, Bowen, and yourself in danger, all for a woman who never wanted anything to do with you.
At that moment, she wanted to be at home, stretched out beside Troy in their bed, so badly her chest ached with the desire. As if sensing her regretful thoughts, Troy nodded calmly, miraculously steadying her enough to draw a deep breath and focus. An odd look crossed Troy’s face then as he dug his phone out of his pocket. Ruby didn’t have time to speculate on who would be calling or texting him now, because her uncle missed a bank shot to sink the eleven ball, sending her back to the table.
Focus, Ruby. Three shots and you’re out. Put the seven in the side like you should have done before. Use a little right-hand English to send the cue ball down to the opposite end of the table, giving you a corner shot on the three. The eight was a tough shot before, up against the rail, but he just did you a favor by knocking it out. You’ve accomplished run-outs way more complicated than this. Get out of your head now and win this motherfucker.
She leaned over the table, ready to take her shot. One of Robert’s men made a loud, disgusting smooch noise. It set her teeth on edge, but she ultimately ignored it. She’d dealt with worse in the past. Troy, however, didn’t seem capable of letting it pass.
“Ruby.” Troy’s deep voice behind her caused her to straighten and turn. At once, the already-thick tension in the room tripled. He took a step toward her. “Let’s go. We’re out of here.”
“W-what? I—”
Red-faced, her father jumped off his stool. “Not happening. You can’t just interrupt a goddamn match.”
“I can do whatever the hell I want. So can Ruby.” His voice cracked like a whip. “And she knows she doesn’t have to put up with this bullshit. Not anymore.”
Bowen moved in between Troy and her father. “Let’s take it easy.”
“You shut the fuck up, Driscol.” Jim pointed a shaking finger at Ruby, who was still trying to get her head around the fact that Bowen was playing peacekeeper for once. “Finish the match.”
She turned back to Troy, who gave her a quiet, meaningful look. Something just underneath his irritation begged for her cooperation. “Don’t finish the game.” Trust me, his eyes added.
Trust had nothing to do with it. Stopping a match before its completion was tantamount to treason among this group. Putting down her stick and walking away would be a bold move. Troy, being intelligent and well-acquainted with her world by now, knew it. So he had to have a very good reason for telling her to stop. She had to believe in him. Slowly, Ruby lowered the butt of her cue to the floor.
Robert spoke up. “This is a business transaction. No one leaves until it’s over.”
In her peripheral vision, Ruby saw a few of her uncle’s men step forward, toward Troy, whose hand slipped into his jacket. Surprisingly, Bowen moved to stand next to him, both of them clearly ready to fight to get her out of there without finishing the game. Quickly, she ran the numbers in her head. Five against two. Troy had his department-issued gun on him, but she was willing to bet her uncle’s men were all armed, too. The thought of gunfire exploding in the room made her blood freeze. No, she couldn’t let them get hurt on her behalf. Not when three pool balls were the only thing standing between them and walking out the door unharmed.
“Everyone stop,” Ruby demanded. “I’ll finish the game.”
“Ruby—”
“It’ll be over in one minute,” she said softly, pleading with her eyes for Troy to understand. “Then we’ll go home.”
Her uncle snorted. “You’re that confident?”
“I’m always confident.” She jerked her chin toward the table. “You screwed yourself by knocking the eight ball off the rail. It was the only shot that had me worried. Watch and learn, uncle.”
She ignored her dad’s proud laugh, putting her sole focus on winning the game and getting them safely out the door. At this point, the information about her mother came secondary. She took a deep breath and chalked her cue, then bent low to put the seven ball into the side pocket. Next came the three. She quickly rounded the table, gesturing with her stick toward the pocket where she intended to sink the eight. Her uncle acknowledged her calling of the pocket with a low grunt. Ruby tried to suppress the hum in her veins, the distinct feeling that came with being in the zone. It had been missing the entire match, but now she felt it, giving her tunnel vision and blurring everything out but the table. Without giving herself a chance to become distracted, Ruby lined up her shot and sank the eight ball.
Before she’d fully straightened from the table, Ruby felt Troy move in behind her, one hand coming to rest on her hip. Under the pretense of kissing her neck, he whispered in her ear. “No matter what happens, stay calm.”
Maintaining her practiced poker face, she nodded absently and began to unscrew her stick.
“She beat you fair and square, Robert.” Jim cocked a hip against the pool table. “Give me what I came for.”
Ruby narrowed her gaze. “Don’t you mean, what we came for?”
A shadow crossed Jim’s face as he shrugged. “Sure.”
She’d known it all along, that her father had an ulterior motive, but having it confirmed felt like a slap in the face. Quickly, she ducked her head to hide the embarrassing tears that sprang to her eyes, grateful for Troy’s comforting presence at her back.
Robert hadn’t yet responded to Jim, so he prompted him again. “So, tell me. Where can I find my infamous ex-girlfriend, Pamela Bell?”
A manila file folder slapped down in the center of the pool table, presumably with her mother’s whereabouts inside. Ruby’s eyes shot wide when some of the documents spilled out, including an old, grainy photograph. Jim snatched up the papers immediately, but not before she’d seen the smiling picture of her mother staring back at her. Denial hit her quickly. What she’d seen had to have been a mistake. But on the heels of her denial came the resounding reminder that nothing, nothing is a coincidence.
Mya Hicks. Her coworker, investor, friend…was her mother?
Momentarily, her deafening heartbeat drowned out the loud conversation taking place around her, but Troy’s steady hand squeezing her hip brought her back to earth. Needing him to steady her, Ruby leaned back against his hard chest for balance. Sliding a possessive arm around her midsection, he gave her some much-needed support. No matter what happens, stay calm, he’d said. Ruby took a deep breath and slid her cue into its leather carrying case.
“So, Jim. Are you going to share my mother’s information with me or am I wasting my breath?”
Across the table, Robert laughed incredulously, apparently recovered from his loss. “Is that what he told you? That he’d share?” He shook his head. “No, Jim has a score to settle with my crazy-ass sister. If you think he’ll let anything get in the way of that, you don’t know your father very well.”
Upon hearing Mya was in trouble, Ruby struggled to keep her features schooled. They needed to get out of there and warn her right away. She could sort through her feelings and figure out the rest
later. First step? Don’t be obvious. “No, I’d say I know him better than anyone,” she said quietly, slinging her pool cue over her shoulder. “What did she do to you?”
Jim tapped the file against his thigh, considering her through an unreadable mask. “Besides sleeping with my best friend at the time and taking off with one hundred thousand dollars of my hard-earned money?” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Without going into details, she saw something she wasn’t meant to see. You can use your imagination. Being the agreeable man that I am, I told her to get out of town and never show her face here again or we’d have a problem. Funny, I never mentioned cleaning out my bank account as a bon voyage gift.”
Ruby absorbed that as calmly as possible, but her mind caught on one confusing detail. She frowned. “But, your best friend—”
“Let’s get her out of here,” Bowen said abruptly, coming up beside her and Troy.
Troy took her hand. “My thoughts exactly.”
Chapter Eight
Keeping Ruby sandwiched between them, Troy and Bowen led her from Mancuso’s. Troy kept a steady eye on Robert’s group of friends as they passed, baring his teeth when one of them looked at Ruby’s ass and groaned theatrically. The entire time she’d been playing the match, hell, since the moment they’d arrived, he’d wanted nothing more than to wipe the lecherous expressions from their faces. The telltale bulge of their concealed weapons had forced him to keep a level head, not easy where Ruby and ogling men were concerned, but the thought of her anywhere near gunfire had forced him to remain calm.
Until he’d received the text message from Daniel, and he’d been forced to use their obscene behavior as a way to get Ruby out of the bar. Not that it had worked.
As soon as they cleared the exit, putting the three of them alone in the alley, Ruby tried to pull away from him, obviously intending to run for his car. “We have to hurry. She’s…it’s Mya. I know where she is. I know—”
