Chapter 24
Ruby
I blink my eyes open, confused as to my location. My body is lying on the most comfortable surface I have ever felt in my life. I am snuggled into a soft comforter of some sort, making it very hard for me to focus.
When I dare to look around, I realize that I am in a bedroom, definitely not my own. It’s luxurious looking, with large windows and big heavy drapes that are now drawn, making it hard to tell what time of the day this could possibly be.
I try to figure out how I even got in here. It’s as if my memory has been completely erased. My heartbeat takes off at a higher rate when I remember being at the bus station. I wanted to buy a ticket somewhere, and I was scared of what was to come of me. That’s when I was approached by a handsome older man in a business suite.
“Hawk!” I scream when it suddenly hits me.
I remember in vivid detail everything the man named Deveraux told me. He explained to me what being part of a motorcycle club meant, and what being disloyal entailed. He told me that Hawk would die because he chose to save me.
Sobs get ripped from my chest, and it affects my entire body. Everything hurts, reminding me that I am alive while he’s not. How am I supposed to continue living my life when he sacrificed his own for me? What will happen to Mary now that Hawk is gone?
I have all these questions running through my head and absolutely no answers. First, I need to find out where I am and how I can get out.
In complete panic now, I throw the comforter off me, relieved to see that I am still wearing everything I had on before I passed out. That includes Hawk’s humongous hoodie. I should probably take it off since I feel overheated, but I am not ready for that just yet.
“Oh my God, my money!”
I don’t have time to appreciate the plushness of the rug under my feet when I start to frantically look around for the backpack I was holding the last time I was awake. I finally notice it perfectly sitting on a chair across from a loveseat. I run to it and grab it with shaky hands. When I try to undo the zipper, my fingers refuse to cooperate. After the third try, it finally works. I look inside and notice that everything is just as I had it. When I pat the pockets of my jeans, I find that all the cash I’d stuffed in them at Hawk’s suggestion is there.
I press a hand to my chest and try to calm down. Then, I slide the backpack over my shoulders and look around for my boots. Another wave of sadness hits me when I can’t find them anywhere. Going barefoot is not a problem, but those were the boots that Hawk bought me. I can’t just lose them.
Deciding that I don’t have time for that, I move closer to the door, then press an ear against it, trying to figure out if there is anyone out there. When I can’t hear anything, I press my hand against the door handle, and it pops open. I jump back, startled by how loud it sounded.
I find myself walking into a hallway that has three other doors. They are all closed, and I don’t want to risk anything by going to look in each one. With only one obvious way out, I walk on the tips of my toes toward the end of the hallway. When I get there, I am scared to stick my head out and look.
Struggling to regulate my breathing, I’m not sure for how long I stand there. When someone clears their throat on the other side, I about jump out of my skin.
“Miss, you can come out. No one is going to hurt you.”
Instant tears form in my eyes, and I am still scared. In the corner of my eye, I notice a shadow approaching.
“Don’t come any closer,” I yell out, although, not as firmly as I was hoping. The shadow stops moving in an instant, and I let out a sigh of relief.
“Miss,” the voice calls out to me again. “I swear to you on my life that I will not hurt you. Please come out.”
I have no idea why I trust this person. I don’t even know who he is. He doesn’t sound like Devereaux nor his bodyguard. I take a tentative step, then another, until I am out in the open.
As soon as my eyes connect to the man’s standing in front of me, I turn around, ready to run. Since I have no idea which way the exit door even is, he has no trouble catching up with me. He is massive in size, and when he grabs me by the nape of my neck, he about lifts me off the ground.
“Jesus, stop fighting. I’m not here to hurt you!”
He yells at me when I start swinging my arms and legs. He manages to drag me to a couch, but at least I know I gave it my all. I remain where he dropped me, my chest rising and falling with my heavy breathing.
“Devereaux and Malone had to leave,” he tries to explain to me. “It was urgent. I was their only option at short notice. My name is Sully, and…”
“And you are from the Steel Lizards MC,” I spit at him.
He is friends with the one guy who Lala was after, Puck. This guy, Sully, was always there, although, he was not into the dancers much.
“I understand why you would not trust me,” he tells me. “But I will trust you with what I am about to tell you. This piece of information would get me killed if it got back to my president.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat, unsure of what to believe. I’ve been played so many times by now, and each time by people moving into the same circles, I am having a hard time processing anything.
“I’ve been working with Devereaux on this mission,” Sully tells me when I don’t respond. “Bricks really is the evil man you were told. It was never the Savages, like he made you believe.”
All that he is telling me makes me think of Hawk. I don’t know who to blame for his demise anymore. I stare at Sully until my eyes get blurry from all the tears I try to hold back, but all of a sudden, the dam is open. I let it all out. I cry like I have never cried before, with my shoulders shaking and turned onto myself.
Blake, to his credit, doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t try to comfort me either. He takes a seat on the couch across from me and lets me get it all off my chest. I feel oddly grateful for the opportunity.
“Why are you not with your club?” I finally ask.
He glances at the watch he’s wearing, then up at me.
“I have to leave in exactly four hours. I promised Devereaux that I’d stay with you and keep you safe until he gets back. At the last check in, they were still two hours out.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Forty-five minutes ago,” Sully informs me.
He continues sitting there and looking at me, but he doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I have no idea what it is about him, but I do trust him.
“I understand that you are important to Hawk,” he says after a few minutes of complete silence.
I don’t reply. There’s nothing to say about it. Hawk’s actions would indicate that I was indeed important to him. But he never translated that into words. Then again, they do say that actions speak louder than words. I don’t know, my head is just a jumbled mess. Sully doesn't seem to care that I don't react.
"I never had much interaction with Hawk. But he was always respected in our world. The Savages, as a club, are also respected. The idea that they would get involved in a sex trafficking ring is ridiculous."
I get defensive at that. Everyone seems to be telling me the same damn thing, and I keep on over explaining myself to all of them.
“Well, how would I have known that, Sully?” I yell at him. “I always stayed away and minded my own business. Lala is the one who always wanted a biker, your friend, Puck, in particular.”
There’s a hint of a smile forming in the corner of his mouth. I’m not sure if I am the reason he is amused or if has fond memories of Lala. Most likely that.
“That’s who you should go and lecture on how wonderful the Savages are,” I cry out. “Better yet, why don’t you and Puck jump ship and go work for them.”
I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore, or why I am even bothering. I just want to be left alone. Devereaux should’ve never come after me at the bus station. By now, I could’ve been hundreds of miles away from here, from this state, from everything.
“You’re angry,” Sully states the obvious. “I get it. I can only hope that one day I meet someone who cares enough about me to be this angry.”
I shrug but don’t comment. I’m done talking. I am now being held prisoner in a gilded cage. I want out. When I glance at Sully, I notice that he is staring at his phone.
“It looks like ten more minutes,” he says. “Then, I am out of your hair.”
I nod but remain silent. My jaw hurts from all the pressure I am putting on it. I try not to focus on time passing, but the longer we wait, the ten minutes he mentioned might as well be ten hours.
Finally, we hear a door opening and closing. I am so much into my own head, I about jump out of my skin when Devereaux walks into the large space we occupy.
“Miss Santiago.” He gives me a warm smile. “I didn’t expect you to be up. I’m glad I had the forethought of asking Mr. Sully to come and sit here while me and Malone tended to business.”
I stare at him like he fell from the sky. I have no idea why he is going so much out of his way to explain things to me. He did the same thing last night, too, or at least I assume this is the morning after.
Clearing my dry throat, I try to speak.
“I don’t really care about any of this, sir. I just want to leave,” I sob. “I want to be away from this place. I want to be free for once. I want to be able to keep all the money I’ve worked so hard to save.”
Both Devereaux and Sully stare at me, one with understanding and the other with a blank look. Then again, Sully doesn’t strike me as the type of person who would show any type of emotion. He seems to be comfortable with sitting in silence for hours at a time.
“Miss Santiago,” Devereaux addresses me. “I have come to the conclusion that you are misunderstanding the reason why I looked you up.”
I sniffle into my sleeve before attempting to wipe my nose with it. It’s gross, but I don’t care. The only thing that depresses me about it is that I will have to wash it at some point, which means I’ll be washing Hawk’s scent off it.
“Mr. Devereaux, I think it’s safe to say that I am not smart enough to understand anything anymore.”
For a second, I am scared that I offended him, although, I really shouldn’t care. But then, he surprises me when he bursts into laughter. It is the first time I see him showing genuine emotion. Usually, he is so extremely polite.
“Sully,” he addresses the biker in the room who looks impassive. He doesn’t care about being here, and he is not scared to show it. “I like this girl.”
He then turns back to look at me.
“My daughter should have a friend like you. The current friend she has is just getting her into trouble,” he declares, suddenly not looking as jolly as before.
I am so confused by the change in topic, I don’t know how to answer.
“Ruby is not exactly trouble free,” Sully decides to speak, his tone dry and monotone.
Unfortunately, he is correct. It seems like everywhere I go, trouble just follows me. I can’t catch a break to save my life. Ironic that I actually needed my life to be saved this time around.
“Mr. Sully, you are correct.”
Sully stands up from the couch. “Does that mean I can be released of my duties now?”
The sarcasm is obvious, and he is already halfway out of the room, but Devereaux doesn’t seem to mind.
“Before you go,” Devereaux stops him. “I just want you to know that I am indebted to you. There will come a time when you will need me,” he declares, making Sully lift a sardonic eyebrow. “And you will come calling. I will have your back and give you my support.”
Sully nods and gives him a two-finger salute before disappearing. Within seconds, I hear a door opening and closing, and he is out.
“Now, Miss Santiago.” Devereaux goes to sit on the couch that Sully just vacated. “Where were we?”
I shake my head at him. “I have no idea whatsoever.”
“Ah, but I do,” he declares. “I was about to tell you how I am going to change your life for the better. I love making people’s wishes come true. It’s a good thing I can afford it, don’t you think?”
I am more confused than ever. And a little scared.