Chapter 65
65
Faith opened her eyes and stared around her.
Where was she? What was going on?
And why did she feel so fuzzy? She tried to move her left hand, but it was so heavy. Then she moved her right . . . and something tightened around it.
She glanced over . . . and stared right into Reuben’s eyes.
His very intense, worried eyes. There were dark marks under them, and his skin was sallow.
“Are you sick? Are you all right?” she asked.
Because he didn’t look all right. He blinked before relief filled his face.
“God, baby. God.”
His voice cracked. Was he . . . was he going to cry? What was wrong? What awful thing had happened? It had to be something bad for Reuben to break.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked. “Has something happened to Juliet? Gwen? Cat? Alejandro? What’s the matter?”
“No, baby. No. They’re all fine. It’s you.”
Her?
Then she glanced around. “I’m in the hospital? What happened?”
“What do you remember?” he countered.
Frowning, she tried to think. “I don’t know. I can’t think.”
She glanced down at where he had two fingers resting on the pulse point on her wrist. There was an IV line in her inner elbow.
Then she looked at her other side. Where her wrist was bandaged.
“What’s going on? Was I in an accident?”
“You were standing at the pedestrian crossing outside work. Charlie was across the street waiting for you. Someone pushed you and you fell into oncoming traffic.”
Her breathing quickened. “Oh.” There was so much to unpack in that statement.
“The car wasn’t going fast, and it braked. But it still hit you.”
“What . . . what injuries do I have?” She couldn’t really feel anything, but she was guessing that she was on the good drugs.
“Your left wrist is fractured. They’re waiting for the swelling to go down before they put it in a proper cast. Lacerations along your left side where you landed. Lots of bruising.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad.”
“It could have been a lot worse.” There was a dark, tense note to his voice that had her glancing over at him in worry.
“Are you all right?” she asked again.
“Baby, I’m not the one you need to worry about right now. We need to concentrate on you. Do you have a headache? Any blurry vision?”
“No. I’m all right. Just really tired.”
Something he’d said came back to her. “Pushed?”
Anger darkened his face. “Yes. Someone pushed you.”
“Why?” Why would anyone want to harm her?
“Let’s not talk about this. You need to rest.”
“Daddy, who was it?” Fear filled her. Would they try to harm her again?
“We aren’t talking about this.” He gave her a firm look. “You were only just starting to recover from what Eric did and then this happens. I’m supposed to be keeping you safe and I’m going a terrible job.”
Oh no. Poor Reuben. He couldn’t blame himself.
“This isn’t your fault.”
“It is. And I’m not inclined to ever let you out of my sight again.”
That should worry her. But right now, she was in complete agreement.
“Please tell me who it was. I need to know. Not knowing will make me more anxious.”
He frowned, but then he nodded. “Very well. Your homeless friend saw it happen.”
“She has a name,” she chided.
“You’re right. Sorry. Margie saw it happen. She said . . . baby, it was Lou.”
What?
“No. That can’t be right. Margie must have been mistaken. Lou wouldn’t try to harm me. She’s my friend.”
“I know you think she is, baby. But she’s not.”
She shook her head, but that made her feel dizzy and ill. “No, I don’t believe it.”
“We haven’t been able to locate her,” he told her, putting another nail in Lou’s coffin. “Nighthawk has been looking into her, and her cover was completely fake. She stole it from a dead woman.”
Her breathing grew harsher.
“D-Daddy,” she stuttered. If Lou wasn’t her friend, then what else was a lie?
“It’s all right. Baby, you’re okay.” He stood and leaned over her, placing his hand on the side of her face. “I will not let her get to you. I will not let anyone harm you, understand me? Never. Again.”
Reuben stepped into the bathroom to take the call from Brick. He didn’t want to leave his girl. Hadn’t wanted to stop touching her pulse point, but he knew he had to take this call.
He’d messaged Juliet but hadn’t spoken to her yet.
Still, he kept the door open, so he could watch Faith at all times.
“Hey,” he said as Brick’s face appeared.
“How is Faith?” Brick asked.
“She’s . . . all right. Heartbroken that a person she thought was a friend did this to her.”
“Fucking bitch,” Brick spat out.
Yeah, on that, they agreed.
“Juliet wants to talk to you, but she let me speak to you first.”
Reuben stilled. “What is it?”
“Juliet remembered more about the accident . . . Reuben, it wasn’t an accident.”
Reuben’s breathing grew shallow. “What is it? What did she remember?”
“Someone did this to her deliberately. She remembers hearing a car approach, and she got a weird sense of foreboding, so she turned the corner instead of continuing on straight. It clipped her back tire. She flew from the bike but didn’t pass out straight away. She thinks it turned around to come back, but another car drove up and the first one left. That’s when she slipped into unconsciousness.”
Reuben paced back and forth while watching Faith.
Fuck. Fuck.
“Someone is coming for the people I love.”
Brick grunted. “Maybe. Could be unrelated.”
“You need to keep Juliet under lock and key,” he said urgently. “I’m going to send some people there to take care of her.”
“I’m already calling in Elias and Sterling.” Brick’s friends were ex-marines. It wasn’t enough, though.
“I’ll call Kent.”
“I’ve already done that,” Brick told him. “He can spare a couple of guys. I told him about Faith. He said he’d send people to help you as well.”
Reuben closed his eyes. He knew what it took for Kent to offer that, considering their relationship.
“I’ll call him, but I should be good.” Alejandro would provide any protection he needed.
Brick nodded. “Let us know if you find out what’s going on.”
“I will. Hopefully we’ll find the woman who pushed Faith and she’ll give us the answers we’re looking for.”
He’d make sure of that.
“I’ll let Juliet talk to you. But if you need us, we’ll be there. You’re family.”
Reuben sighed and nodded. Then Juliet appeared. Her face was pale and worried.
“Big Bad Wolf?” she whispered.
“Mini,” he said gently. “Hey, what’s the matter?”
“I’m worried about Faith. And you. I want you both to come here. Where I can make sure you’re safe.”
To his surprise, he smiled. It was something he would have said. Actually, he had said it before.
“I want to see you, Mini,” he told her. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too. I don’t like this. Any of it.” Her eyes filled with tears. Then the camera ducked and when she righted it, he could see that she was sitting on Brick’s lap.
Good.
“Listen to me, Mini. Nothing is going to happen to Faith or you, understand? I . . . we are going to protect you.”
“And you? Who is going to protect you?”
“The two of you are what’s important.” He frowned. “And Gwen. We need someone watching Gwen.”
“I’ve talked to Dominic,” Brick said. “I told him about what happened with Juliet and Faith. I wanted to give him a head’s up. Security is tight on the Ranch, so I don’t think anyone will be able to get to her.”
His breathing eased. Gwen had called him, but he hadn’t called her back yet.
It was hard to focus on anything but Faith.
“Who’s looking after you, Big Bad?” Juliet asked worriedly.
He smiled at her. “Mini, you know I can take care of myself.”
“I really think I should come to you. You need me.”
“What I really need is for you to be safe,” he told her firmly. “Can you do what Brick says? And stay safe?”
“Yes, I will. I love you, big brother.”
“I love you too.”
After he finished that call, he sent a message to Gwen, letting her know how everything was.
Then he called Kent.
“Reuben,” he said stiffly. “You’re still alive?”
“Much to your disappointment, I’m sure.”
“Surprisingly, it’s not as much of a disappointment as I thought it would be. Must be going soft in my old age.”
“Brick said you offered to send some men here,” Reuben said.
“For your girl. Not for you.”
That’s what he’d expected. “Kent, I didn’t sleep with her.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
“She came on to me. I know you don’t have to believe me, but . . . I think she slipped something into my drink. Because I would never have gone upstairs with her otherwise.”
“You were drugged?” Kent asked.
“Yeah. I knew Zinna wanted me, however I turned her away every time. She was your girl. But yeah, she was trying to get my clothes off when you walked into that bedroom at the party.”
Kent breathed in and out heavily. “You never told me.”
“I tried. But a few weeks later, you’d left for training and I couldn’t get you to listen. And then too much time passed. I didn’t think you wanted to know. And I was angry at you. For believing I could betray you like that. Now . . . now I’m learning that perhaps life is too short to hold grudges.”
“Are you dying? What the fuck?”
Reuben snorted. “Not dying. Just some personal growth. It’s not fun and I don’t recommend it.”
Kent let out a small laugh. “Never thought I would see it. Do you need my men?”
He wasn’t surprised by the change of topic. There was too much water under the bridge for the two of them to ever be friends again. But perhaps Kent would no longer hate him.
“Thanks, but no. Just keep Juliet and Gwen safe for me until I work out what’s going on.”
Kent grunted. “Right.”
“I have to go back to Faith.” She was stirring.
“Reuben?” Kent said.
“Yeah?”
“You’re a dick. But if you ever need JSI, we’re here for you.”
Reuben ended the call and went back to his girl.