“Just come to the bar. I have an extra key to my place.”
Ruby ended the call, anxious to be gone from there and not alone and scared.
* * *
Damon watched Santiago sitting at a table with Orlando, Curtis and Sonny. Orlando’s dead stare showed no emotion as he looked from Curtis to Sonny. As the leader of the lesser ranked members of Santiago’s organization, he exuded an aura of evil power. Curtis was the weaker of the members, shorter in height and a man of few words. Sonny was much more dangerous, a powder keg of easily triggered temper.
Earlier he had spoken to Sonny and Curtis and the two had left. Damon wondered where they had gone and hoped it wasn’t to harass Ruby. Now Santiago and Orlando seemed to be having a chummy conversation.
Sonny and Curtis reappeared at the pub, going to the table and sitting. Sonny spoke to Santiago, who nodded in satisfaction. Then he looked over at Damon. Standing, he walked to the bar and took a stool.
“How are you today, Damon?” Santiago asked.
“I can’t complain. And you?”
“I am well, except for my missing guns and ammunition.”
Damon nodded.
“Have you made any progress with your girlfriend?”
“If you mean does she know anything about that, no. I asked her, and she doesn’t know anything.” Would his word be enough?
“My friend Sonny over there doesn’t agree. He stopped by to talk with her, and she denied knowing anything to him as well, but he thinks she isn’t telling the truth.”
Great. Now they were going to turn up the heat on Ruby? No wonder she’d called and said she was on her way. At least he knew she was all right. Just scared, most likely. He’d do his best to make her feel safe.
“What if she is telling the truth?” Damon asked.
“That’s what I need you to find out. Are you still seeing her?”
“Yes. In fact, she’s going to come and stay with me now.” Damon looked Santiago straight in the eyes.
“Ah. Then, things are progressing? She should be able to trust you to give you information. See that she does. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes, I believe we do.” But did Santiago and his men understand that Damon would kill any one of them if they put so much as one finger on Ruby?
“She’s only afraid someone will come after her if she tells them she knows where the items are. I don’t want to harm her. I only want my guns.”
His guns. That was priceless. He wasn’t the one who’d bought them on the black market. “I’ll do my best.”
“You should do better than that, my friend. If you can’t get her to talk, I will have to take matters into my own hands.”
“Ruby can’t reveal what she doesn’t know, Santiago. I believe her. I can tell she isn’t lying about that. She doesn’t know.”
Santiago leaned forward and patted Damon’s shoulder. “Then, you will find a way to get me my guns and ammo, won’t you?”
Now he expected Damon to magically produce guns? He shouldn’t be surprised. A thug like him didn’t listen to reason.
“I plan on giving you a sizable cut from the sale of them,” Santiago said.
“Well, that certainly gives me some inspiration. You can count on me.”
“I knew I could.” Santiago glanced around. “I haven’t seen Ruby here. Are you sure the two of you are doing all right? Sonny said you haven’t been with her every day like you usually are.”
“We’re fine.”
“When she gets here, I’d like to meet her.”
He wanted to meet Ruby? Certainly not for personal reasons. Santiago was no friend. He wanted one thing from Ruby and one thing only. Guns. And he expected Damon to deliver. Even if Damon had to snap his fingers to make them appear.
“All right,” Damon said.
With that, Santiago stood and walked like a man who believed he controlled the world. Damon would work very hard to arrest them all before any of them could hurt Ruby.
* * *
On the way to the Foxhole, Ruby alternated between looking in the rearview mirror at Maya playing with a doll and driving and watching for suspicious cars. So far she hadn’t been followed. It was almost four in the afternoon. She just wanted to get to Damon’s home and feel safe.
Ruby’s cell rang. Seeing it was January, she answered, putting the phone on speaker.
“Just checking up on you,” January said.
“I’m fine.” Ruby wished no one had seen her that night.
“You left so upset. I’m going to be looking in on you from time to time.”
“Well, you’ll have to look in on me at Damon’s apartment above the bar.” Might as well get that out in the open.
“Wha—” January was clearly stunned. “You two patched things up?”
“No, not really.” Not by a long shot. “Kid’s men have been coming around, giving me veiled threats. I’m staying with Damon for Maya’s sake.” That was a partial truth. She truly did think he was her best bet for survival. “I would have called Sean, but it’s Damon’s case. He’s more familiar with it and everyone he’s been investigating.”
“No need to explain. I’m thrilled.”
She was?
“I don’t pretend to know Damon super well, but what I do know so far is he’s got a lot of integrity. Did you know he and his brothers and I think his cousins are going to help us fight Carin and her penchant for ruining Colton Connections?”
“No.” He was going to do that?
“I don’t mean to say anything bad about his dad and uncle, but it’s just the way they’re going about it, attacking us.”
“Damon doesn’t seem to have a close relationship with his father,” Ruby said. “In fact, he grew up wanting to be the opposite of him.”
January smiled and nodded. “I believe that. Hotshot, handsome DEA agent.”
“You have Sean.”
“Yes. They do share some similarities. I can’t tell you how grateful we are that Damon and his brothers are going to help. I just don’t want Erik and Axel to cost my entire family everything they’ve worked so hard to build. What they are trying to get will literally take everything from us.”
“I heard about it,” Ruby said. Hearing Damon had redeemable qualities went against her new perception of him. She had believed he did. She didn’t feel like forgiving him yet but felt this was the wisest move to make at the moment.
Ruby arrived at the Foxhole. The dining area and bar was about half-full. She spotted Damon serving drinks, and his rugged good looks struck her. Somehow knowing he fought for justice made him more attractive to her. She wouldn’t share that with him, though.
Ruby took Maya’s hand, and they walked toward the bar. She was a little uncomfortable bringing her daughter into a place like this, but the Foxhole was more of a pub and not run-down. She hoped it wouldn’t trigger some dormant memory and upset her. She seemed to be doing fine, looking around and studying people as she often did.
Damon saw her approach and finished with a customer. He said something to another bartender, who nodded. Then Damon walked from behind the bar and came to stand before her.
“Hi, Maya,” he said.
Maya signed hello back with a big smile.
Then Damon surprised her by leaning in to kiss her mouth. “We need to make it look believable.” His voice was low, breath falling against her skin.
They had to make it appear as though they were seeing each other? Why? Part of his cover, no doubt.
“I need to introduce you to Santiago,” Damon said. “Are you up for that?”
Ruby wasn’t a liar. Her face revealed too much. “No, I’m not up for that!”
“All right. Let’s get you both settled in, and then you can come back down later.” He glanced over at Santiago as though worried they’d create an unpleasant
scene.
Ruby became angry. “I’m not acting, Damon.” She was well aware of her stance, but he had to understand he couldn’t just turn on a switch in her and have her do his bidding.
He met her gaze. “You’re right, Ruby, but we can’t afford probing questions right now.”
Maya tugged at her hand, and Ruby saw her worried face.
It’s all right, Ruby signed.
Damon put his hand on her lower back and led her and Maya toward a back door. Through that was a storage area, and on the far left was a heavy wooden door. Damon punched in a code and opened it for her and Maya.
“I’ll give you the code. Don’t write it down anywhere.”
He was in commando mode.
Inside the door was a remarkably clean and bright entry. A console had a vase of silk flowers. There were no windows. An intricately trimmed staircase turned to the left after three steps to a landing, where more stairs led to the second level.
Pictures of cities hung on the wall. Chicago, of course. New York. London and Paris.
Ruby was impressed. She was even more impressed when she reached the top of the stairs where another landing offered plenty of room for entry. Not only that, she could barely hear the noise from the pub.
She supposed gangs liked nice places, too. This wasn’t a dress-to-the-nines establishment, but it seemed solidly constructed.
Damon opened the door for her and Maya.
As they entered she was again surprised. The apartment was like a warehouse, a loft conversion, with tall ceilings and open space. Two sitting areas, one with a huge television, and a modern kitchen with an island, and a dining room. She saw a hall to the left in the middle of the space. That must be the bedrooms and bathroom. There was another bathroom right off the entry.
“Wow. This is nice.”
“I do have my standards.”
Ruby heard his sarcasm and looked back at where he stood unable to suppress a soft smile.
His grin disarmed her so she focused on the accommodations. “Where will you have me and Maya?”
“Maya can have her own room, or you can stay in the same one,” he said. “Let me show you.”
He walked down the hall, and she took in everything. The clean white trim, the wood-floored bathroom with an open shelf of towels. The first bedroom burst with cheerful colors and a queen bed.
Maya made a gleeful sound and jumped up onto the bed with her backpack.
“Well, I guess this is your room,” Ruby said, putting Maya’s suitcase down.
“You have your own room,” Damon said. “There are three bedrooms.” He walked down the hall to a door opposite another.
Ruby went there. This room was decorated in softer tones, more of a seashell theme.
“Did you do all this?” she asked.
“It came furnished.”
“It’s nice for being above a pub named the Foxhole.” She put down her suitcase on the bed. “Quiet, too.”
“The owner told me it was constructed to be soundproof. He originally lived here with his family before they bought a house.”
Lucky her. This would be a good place for a kid, away from the adult atmosphere downstairs. Ruby appreciated that.
“We need to go down and talk with Santiago,” Damon said. “I called January, and she agreed to come over and watch Maya.”
He must have done that after she had spoken with January and before she’d arrived at the Foxhole. January was probably the only person she would trust with her daughter, other than her mother. How thoughtful of Damon to choose her. January could sign.
“Why is it so important I meet him?” she asked.
“He asked to meet you. I told him I asked you to stay with me. I wasn’t sure you would.”
In other words, Santiago was not a man to be disappointed. Kid had been the same way. She had discovered that abhorrent thing about him too late.
The buzzer by the door went off. January was here. Ruby followed Damon to the door, where he pressed an intercom button and checked his phone. His doorbell was equipped with a camera.
“Hello, January.”
She smiled and waved at the camera. “Hello.”
Damon let her through the lower door. Ruby was impressed by the security. Like a big apartment building, he could buzz people in from inside his apartment, and he must have a security system in place. She looked up and saw a detector at the top of the door. She spotted other devices throughout the room, motion detectors.
Damon allowed January inside, and her beautiful smiling face appeared.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Ruby said.
“Oh, no problem. I feel lucky that I get to spend time with Maya,” she said, hugging Ruby.
Ruby stepped back.
“Are you two going on a date?” January asked, moving farther into the home, looking around, presumably for Maya.
“Sort of,” Damon said. “I want to introduce her to some people.”
“Mercer’s group?” January asked, clearly perplexed.
“Santiago made the request. But we shouldn’t be talking about that,” Damon said.
“Of course. I know the drill.”
Sean was a cop, so she must be accustomed to the irregular hours and complexity of police work.
“Where’s Maya?” January asked.
“She’s in her room, probably already has her toys spread out. She loves going to new places.”
January laughed fondly. “She’s a very brave girl.” She continued to look around, taking in the apartment. “This is a lovely home, Damon. It has a...family kind of feel to it.”
“A family did live here before me,” he said.
“He’s being modest. Maya likes him,” Ruby said, looking at Damon and saying with some angst, “a lot.”
“What’s not to like?” January said. “She liked Sean, too. It’s good she’s got some good men in her life to influence her.”
Damon grinned at Ruby, probably loving the vote of confidence.
Okay. Enough of that. “Let’s get this over with.” Ruby stepped to the door.
Just then, Maya came out of her bedroom. Seeing January, her eyes brightened, and a big smile sprang forth.
January signed, Hi, Maya.
Maya reached out to her, and January crouched to take her into her arms. They hugged for a moment. Then January leaned back and smoothed Maya’s hair back from her face.
“Look how pretty you’re getting,” January said.
Come play dolls with me, Maya signed.
January straightened and looked from Damon to Ruby. “I’ve been summoned.”
Ruby laughed, adoring her daughter. “We shouldn’t be long. Can you stay for dinner? I know Maya would love that.”
“Why, yes. I’ll definitely take you up on that. Mind if I invite Sean?”
“Not at all.”
Maya took January’s hand and tugged her.
“Don’t worry about us,” January said, looking back as she walked with Maya toward the bedroom.
Smiling, Ruby led Damon down the stairs. At the bottom, he stopped her.
She looked up at him in question.
“This is going to be tricky, Ruby. I need to make sure you’re ready.”
“I’m ready. Don’t worry.” She didn’t have to pretend to be attracted to him, if that’s what bothered him.
“We have to appear to be a real couple.”
“I know. We can exchange a look here and there, and you can hold my hand,” she said.
“If I touch you, are you going to recoil?” he asked.
She wouldn’t like that, but it was necessary, she supposed. “No. I’ll play along, but only for Maya, to keep her safe.”
“I think we should practice,” he said.
“Practice what?”
“A kiss?”
Ruby stepped back. “We don’t have to go that far, do we?”
“I hope not, but just in case...”
She eyed him, wondering if he was trying to maneuver his way back into her heart. He was already there, but she didn’t need any more temptation.
“It’s just to be sure, Ruby,” he said, as though reading her.
After a moment more of thought, she finally nodded. “All right.” She didn’t want to blow this any more than he did.
Gently, he slid his arm around her and pulled her against him. The shock of her body against his startled her. The potency of her attraction and desire disconcerted her.
“Easy,” he murmured, sexy and deep.
Her inner turmoil must show. When he moved his head closer, her heart flew. His lips pressed to hers.
Ruby tensed and tried to shove him away. It was too much. Too strong.
He released her, his brow went low with displeasure. “See, now that’s the kind of thing that could get us both killed.”
Ruby stepped back. “I never asked to be a part of your investigation, Damon. This is not who I am. It’s who you are.”
“No, you never asked, but you were a part of it from day one. Whether you knew it or not, you were a part of it. Your association with Kid put you in this situation, not me. What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t been sent here to work undercover?”
She shivered with what he was suggesting. She and Maya would be in so much danger. She had felt in danger even after Kid was killed.
“I see your point. It’s just...” She couldn’t bring herself to voice again his betrayal.
“I know, Ruby.” Damon’s expression relaxed. He put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m well aware you don’t want me to touch you and you’d rather not be near me. Let’s just play our roles and resolve this case. Then...then we can take it from there.”
She didn’t dislike being near him. That was actually a problem. She did like being with him, which wasn’t good for her. She was still too out of sorts over the way he played her. Had he felt the same as her, or had he pretended? She didn’t know what to believe. The way he said they’d take it from where the investigation left off gave her tickles of butterflies inside, but her mind was full of caution.
Colton 911: Temptation Undercover Page 10
