“He needs you, Ruby. Who’s more important right now? These people you’ve never met or him?”
My lips part to respond but she must read the answer on my face because she resumes pulling me toward the exit once more.
“What’s he done?” I ask once we’re outside and the noise of everyone’s chatter has vanished behind us.
“Nothing yet, but it’s only a matter of time. He’s drowning, Ruby, and I think there’s only one person who’s able to keep him afloat.” My brows pull together. “You, Ruby.”
She opens the door of the muscle car we come to a stop by and all but pushes me inside. I drop down into the passenger seat as she races around and sits beside me, bringing the engine to life.
“This your car?” I ask, suddenly realizing this isn’t the sort of thing I’d expect her to drive.
“No, it’s Axel’s. Probably best we don’t tell him I borrowed it either.”
“Your secret’s safe with me.” I really don’t want to talk to that guy more than I have to.
Willow drives us away from this side of town toward where they live, or more specifically where the party was last night.
Dread twists in my stomach the closer we get until she pulls the car to a stop around the back of the building.
“What is this place?” I ask, looking at the old, dilapidated building before us.
“It used to be a factory, but business ceased a few years ago. It’s been our hideout ever since. I’m pretty sure Dad’s forgotten it even exists. Works perfectly for us.” She pushes the door and twists to get out.
“Wait, who’s your dad?”
“We definitely don’t have time for that little history lesson. Let’s just say that he’s someone you probably never want to meet.”
“Okay,” I breathe as she closes the door behind her before I turn to do the same.
The second I’m out, she’s ushering me toward the door.
She knocks and in seconds we’re inside and heading back down the hallway. A hallway I kinda hoped I’d never see again.
The cigarette smoke mixes with the weed and I struggle to suck in the air I need.
We’re just about to round the corner to where the party is when she suddenly turns to me, forcing me to stop if I don’t want to crash into her.
“What?” I ask when her eyes search mine.
“I just... remember that he’s really hurting.”
My heart jumps into my throat. What the hell am I about to walk into?
I suck in a breath and nod at her.
“I know,” I whisper but with the music booming in the distance, I doubt she heard me.
23
Ruby
If I thought my legs were weak when I walked away from Mom not so long ago, it’s nothing compared to how I feel as I follow Willow into that party.
I look around and it feels like déjà vu. It makes me wonder if any of these people even left after we did last night or if this is just one permanent party down here. The number of cups and bottles that litter the place sure point toward the latter being the case.
I scan the people down here. There’s less than last night. Maybe some of them do have lives aside from getting drunk and high.
The guys who carried the coffin earlier, well four of them, are sitting on the same couches Ash was at last night. Two of them look up and Cash smiles sadly at me before nudging the one beside him who also looks my way.
Their attention makes me nervous but not as nervous as knowing that both Ash and Axel are missing.
“Where is he?” I ask, turning to look at Willow who’s standing beside me.
She tips her chin in front of us, and after a beat, I look that way.
I scan the heads looking for him but it’s not until I get to the very far wall that my eyes land on him.
My stomach turns over, threatening to spill its contents over the concrete at my feet.
“Is that... is that...”
“Nat,” Willow spits.
“He doesn’t want her, Ruby. He’s just—”
“Hurting. You said. Although I’m sure it hurts a little less with her tits in his hand,” I mutter, taking in where his arm disappears under her shirt.
“He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“You’re really going to defend him?”
She spins me to face her. “He doesn’t want her. He needs you. Go and prove it to him.”
I turn back to look at him pressing that whore into the wall, his body pinned against hers, his hand disappearing and what I can only assume is his tongue in her mouth.
I think back to the kiss we shared in the graveyard earlier. It was so sweet, so full of emotion and need and the memory just shatters. He ruins it, just like he ruins everything.
My chest heaves as I continue to watch him. Betrayal flooding my veins, jealousy eating me from the inside out.
But he’s not yours, a little voice says in my head.
“Ruby,” Willow warns, beside me. “You can’t just stand there staring. Go teach him a lesson.”
The thought of walking over there and announcing my presence, seeing the smug as fuck look that I know will be on her face, fills me with dread.
Thankfully, I don’t have to because as if he can feel my stare, he rips his lips from his little slut and looks over his shoulder.
His eyes don’t focus for long seconds and my breath catches in my throat.
“Is he on something?”
“Yeah, although I have no idea what he’s taken. Stupid motherfucker.”
Just as I don’t think things can get any worse, fear snakes down my spine a second before arms wrap around my waist and I’m hauled into a solid chest.
“Didn’t think he’d let you back in here, baby,” Axel practically growls down at me. His eyes run over me, heating with desire. “You look hot, but I gotta say, I preferred yesterday’s dress.”
“Axel, put her down. She’s here for Ash.”
“Yeah, but it seems to me that he’s otherwise engaged. He fucked her yet?”
“Axel,” she snaps. But he didn’t need to ask the question out loud, we’re all already wondering the same thing, I know that I am.
I look to Ash to find that he’s pulled back from Nat a little, he’s released her, but she’s now wrapped around him like a fucking snake.
“My sister told you to teach him a lesson, so shall we?” he offers, his voice low and dangerous, but he doesn’t give me a chance to tell him to fuck off because his grip on me tightens and before I know what’s happening, my back crashes, against the wall, my head bouncing off it as pain shoots down my neck and I’m caged in by his huge body and his lips are on mine.
“No, no,” I cry against his lips as his giant hand wraps around my waist, pinning me to the spot. “Get off me.”
I find my fight just as his other hand drops to my leg in search of the hem of my dress and I lift my knee, but it doesn’t connect because he’s gone and when I open my eyes, he’s no longer in front of me.
People shout, scream, and run toward me, excitement in their eyes.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” Ashton roars.