Slavic (The Brigands of Ruk #1)
Chapter 1
Chapter One
RUBY
“ Hey , Sis ! Whatcha been up to since we talked last?”
“ Oh , the usual. Had a dress fitting yesterday for a benefit Robert has later in the week and other than that, I’ve just been fiddling with things here at the house. What about you?”
‘ How did I miss the signs?’, I think to myself as we continue this small talk like we’re strangers instead of sisters. She’s my baby sister, and even though I haven’t been around her much since she got married to that asshole, I still talk to her regularly enough that I should’ve noticed things like how much weight she’s lost. Or the fact that she has to set the phone down on a stand because her hands are trembling so badly. Not to mention the dark rings under her eyes and that fake smile spreading across her face right now.
Now that I’m making myself look closely, it’s easy to see the fear in her features as Rowan glances behind her as we FaceTime on the phone. Tuesdays seem to be the only time I ever hear from her. It’s like that’s the only day she’s allowed to call me or something. She moves slightly out of frame, and I catch a glimpse of him across the room. I knew that sneaky bastard was somewhere close and the look on his face shows his disapproval of our conversation. Gritting my teeth, it takes everything I have to contain my anger while we’re on the phone, because I know he’s watching or listening to everything she says.
I want to ask her so many things, but something holds me back. Reflecting on the past few years, I wonder how I could’ve been so blind.
My sister’s a strong woman, so surely if she were in some sort of trouble, she’d find a way to tell me. My eyes are seeing what my heart doesn’t want to believe, so maybe it’s time for me to visit for a few days.
The nice thing about my lifestyle is I have no true roots anywhere. Waitressing is a quick way to obtain cash and then move on if you want. I left home right after high school, much to our mother’s disapproval. I was determined to be and see more than the small town where we had been raised.
In the beginning, I just wanted out of that house and away from all the things everyone expected from me. I was tired of mom’s constant breakdowns and for once, I simply wanted to take care of myself and my wants. Days after I graduated, I jumped on a Greyhound bus going to the furthest point it would take me. I found myself a quick waitressing job in a local bar and life started. That’s been six-plus years now, and I still haven’t found what my soul is searching for.
Rowan was always the good girl when we were kids and she hated being in trouble. The thought of rebelling never entered her mind, but I’ve done enough of that for the both of us. She was in her second year of college, taking a class on political science when she went to the capital to do a paper on some of the officials in our state.
She was easy prey, her innocence shining bright and with one look, that bastard latched on, taking advantage of her age and her limited knowledge of men. Promising her a life of leisure and luxury neither of us could ever imagine, I can’t really blame her for wanting it. After all, it’s the same thing I was wandering around looking for, too. He was a good twenty years older than her, but nothing we said would make Rowan see past his fake charm. Mom and I both tried our best to talk her out of being his arm candy, but all she saw was the opportunity to become something more than who she was born to.
The very first time I met him, I knew he was a dick, especially with those roaming eyes of his. He had become very talented at hiding his flaws from all the others around him. At first, my sister was all smiles and giggles as he paraded her around draped in jewels, wearing pretty dresses. For months, they were all over the front of the tabloids. No matter how many times I asked her if everything was alright, she promised me she was fine, and that she was living the dream.
However , this was not his first rodeo, and he was smarter than us from the very start. He easily found multiple ways to keep her away from us by doing little things in the beginning. Like taking her on surprise vacations when we were supposed to visit or having to leave town abruptly due to his job. He was always dragging her away, stating he simply couldn’t go without her. Anything to isolate her from her family, Robert made sure that she was dependent on him for everything.
When she didn’t go back to school after summer break, I voiced my concerns again. Rowan reassured me that she was merely taking a break and would go back the following year. Only another year came and went, and she never did.
Then we lost mom to a sudden heart attack, and life just happened. I damn near disappeared trying to escape the pain and guilt of not being there at the end for mom and started bouncing from place to place. I was so wrapped up in myself that I seldom even checked in on Rowan much.
One morning, I woke up in a run-down apartment with a stranger sleeping next to me. When I got up, gathering all my clothes that were laying around, I glanced up in a mirror and saw my mother’s face staring back at me.
For some unknown reason, it really hit me hard that I was the only person to blame for all my bad decisions. I didn’t want to go down the same path as my mother, who found herself raising two young daughters alone, because their father left them without a second glance. I was going to have to change my life, but so far, I hadn’t been successful.
Now the only person I have left in the world is in trouble, I only have three hundred dollars to my name and there’s nowhere to go that his goons can’t find us.
“ Sis , are you listening to me?”
“ Sorry Rowan , my mind drifted off there for a second.”
She gets up slowly, taking the phone with her and walking over toward the counter to get a glass of water. Unbeknownst to him, I can see her clearly through a mirror in the background on the other side of the room. When I see the bruises on the backs of her legs, I’ve got to close my eyes and count to ten. These are not the kind of bruises you get from bumping into something. The fingerprints on her skin are plainly visible. What kind of hell is she living in?
Rowan must have seen something in my face because hers turns to terror. Before she has time to remake that fake smile she had been sporting this entire phone call, I start to blurt out.
“ Rowan ? What the fu …”
Her eyes get huge and she shakes her head slightly. This time when she glances behind her, I notice another bruise on her neck. Ok , enough of this shit! Someone is going to answer for those, and I have a nice nine-millimeter that has a bullet with his name on it. Putting on my own fake smile, I decide to act this out.
“ Hey Sis , I was thinking of stopping by on Thursday . I’ll be traveling that way to pick up some uniforms in the next city over from ya. I’m sure the boss wouldn’t care if I swung by on my way back.”
Instantly , she starts trying to dissuade me from coming. “ Ohh , Thursday won’t work at all for me, Ruby . I’m sorry, I would love to see you too. Robert has a few of his colleagues coming over that evening and you know my main job here is to be a good hostess.”
I can tell by the sound of her voice that the word hostess means something else entirely. “ Hey , I’m a waitress, so hosting is what I do best. I don’t care to help you out.”
For a split second, I see the old fire in my sister’s eyes before she once again hides it. She’s doing her best to keep me from coming there. “ Absolutely not!” She stops talking by clearing her throat. “ Sorry , didn’t mean to snap at you, but Robert is so picky about how he wants things done. You would probably be in the way more than anything else.”
I want to scream at the phone and demand to see her, but suddenly he is hovering over her. She puts her hand over the speaker so that I can’t hear what they are saying, but I see her shoulders slouch before she nods. Turning back to the phone, she has that fake smile back in place. “ Sis , I’ve got to go, Robert needs me. Call me Thursday , and I’ll see if any of our plans have changed. I love you, go have fun.”
“ Rowan , I love you too.”
The phone clicks off, but not before I see the devastation on her face of what’s to come as he grabs her by the hair. I know she deliberately turned the phone so that I could see this firsthand. I have never felt so helpless in my life. Tears form in my eyes as I try to figure out how to get her the hell out of there as quickly as possible. Then it hits me, she said Thursday twice, and now I wonder if she meant something else by that. Ugh , I hate second guessing everything.
I’m so mad I’m seeing red. Financially , I know I can’t beat him. Because of that, where in this world can I take her to get her away from him? Those thoughts no sooner cross my mind than a picture on an old phone book, lying in a stack of magazines I intended to read one day, catches my attention.
The words across the front are highlighted. When you are scared with nowhere to go, call Janet . I wonder if this number is still active? Late already , I write the number down quickly on an old receipt in my purse and head out for my next shift. The moment I get to work, I pick up a double so that I can get some extra cash in my pocket.
I smile distractedly to myself when I deliver drinks to the wrong table. My mind is not here, it’s working on cataloging all the things I need to get ready before I can break Rowan out of that pretty prison she lives in. If I can manage to get her out of there, I know I’ll have to ditch my car. That’ll be the first thing he tries to track.
The part that scares me the most is time; it’s not something I think she has much of. As teenagers, we had a safe word, Boudreaux . If we were on a date and a guy was making us feel uncomfortable, all we had to do was call and say that word and the other would come immediately. Does she doubt I’ll come if she calls and says that one word, because of how long I’ve been gone? It’s frustrating, and I’d love to speak with her one-on-one, but he keeps everything under surveillance.
Even after a double shift, sleep eludes me and my brain won’t shut off all night. Swinging my legs out of bed, my body goes through the routine of getting ready for work automatically. It’s Wednesday and I’m already scheduled for a double, so at least I won’t need to pick up an evening shift. On autopilot, I don’t even remember getting to work. For the most part, I’ve managed not to screw up any orders as the day wears on. We’re in the middle of a changeover when a large group comes in the door. Being the only waitress in that section, they take up all of my attention for the next few hours. But they were well worth the effort when I see the large tip they left. Once I have their tables cleaned up, I take a second to look at my phone that I’d felt buzz a few times earlier.
My heart hits my throat when I see the words Boudreaux and Thursday , both of which are from an unknown number. I don’t say a word to a soul as I untie my apron and make my way toward the back. Grabbing my bag, I open the server’s door and head down the alley to my small apartment. Once inside, I pull a worn-out piece of luggage from under the bed. Then I start throwing things in that I can’t live without. It only takes me a couple minutes to get the essentials and as I open the door to leave, I glance back to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. Rushing back in, I yank a picture off the wall of me and Rowan standing with mom when we were little.
I don’t even waste the time locking the door. Deep down, I know I’ll never be back here again. Whoever discovers all this second-hand stuff is welcome to it. Rolling my luggage down the hall, in my head I plan the quickest route to Rowan’s from here. With a grin, I pat the dash as my old faithful Civic starts right up. A silent prayer escapes my lips as I lift the console, my hand searching for the reassuring weight of my pistol and hoping it won’t come to that. My sister needs me, and NOTHING will stop me from getting her out of that house, one way or another.
Even though my heart tells me to floor it to get there as quickly as possible, my mind reminds me that Rowan said Thursday for a reason. So , I make myself slow down. The last thing Rowan needs is for me to get pulled over for speeding with a loaded weapon in the car.
Five hours later, I stop at a rest area for a few hours of sleep. A loud truck flying by in the early morning hours has me jerking straight up out of my seat. Running my fingers through my hair, I shake the grogginess off, start my car back up and head down the road. Stopping at the first gas station I come upon, I grab a coffee and a stale donut. I gas up before getting back on the road. Looking down at the time on my phone, if nothing happens, I should get there late this evening.