Ruby
Ruby
R uby grabbed her purse and keys from the ground where the guy had thrown them. He told her to get lost and not to even think about going for help or coming back to rescue Luke. She nodded and promised that she wouldn’t. The tall guy promised to find and kill her and Luke if she did anything so foolish, and all she could seem to do was agree with him. But that was total bullshit because the very first thing she planned on doing was finding Ranger and begging him to help Luke. She couldn’t lose him—she’d only just found him. They were going to be parents and she was sure that she couldn’t go through that alone. Her baby deserved to have both parents to grow up with, and she had to make that happen no matter what the consequences.
She backed out of the driveway as the guy stood on the porch and watched her. She didn’t bother to look back in the rearview mirror, knowing that watching him walk back into that house to confront the man that she loved, was something she might not be able to do. Ruby couldn’t help Luke if she didn’t find Ranger first. She needed his help and going back to the house without him would only end up getting both her and Luke killed.
Ruby pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed Ranger’s number that Luke had programmed into her phone in case of emergency. Ever since finding out that she was pregnant, he started doing things like that, just in case. Ranger answered the call after the first ring.
“Ruby,” he growled into the phone. “Tell me that you both are safe.”
“I am, but they have Luke,” she said. “Please, Ranger, you have to help him.”
“I’m on my way,” Ranger assured. “I got a cryptic text from Luke and knew that something was up. Where are you now?”
“I just left Luke’s house. He bargained with them to release me for the information that they want,” she sobbed.
“Okay, listen to me,” Ranger ordered. “I need for you to go back to your old apartment. Can you do that for me? Go to Millie’s place. She’ll know what to do. I’ve gone over this with her a million times.”
“I can do that,” Ruby promised. “Just get to Luke and keep him safe. I can’t lose him. I’m pregnant.”
“Oh,” Ranger breathed. “I’ll do my best, Ruby. I love Luke like he’s a brother. I need for you to tell me who the men were and what they wanted.”
“They seemed to know someone from Luke’s past—when he was stationed in South Korea. They sounded as though they were speaking Korean, but I can’t be sure—that’s just an assumption. They were talking about some guy named Joo Won and they asked Luke where his family was. He agreed to tell them only if they let me go.”
“Shit,” Ranger grumbled. “He doesn’t know anything about Won. He didn’t have clearance to know that kind of stuff, but I did. All this fucking time, they were coming for Luke, and they should have been coming for me. I was the one that had the information that they wanted—I still do.”
“You know where Won’s family is being held?” she asked.
“I still have buddies in the Navy and yeah, I know where they are. Unfortunately, the guys holding Luke aren’t going to like the answer. They are being held in North Korea. They have been there for years if they’re even still alive.”
“They might be dead?” she whispered.
“It’s been over five years, so yeah, they might be. North Korea doesn’t share much about what they are doing. I do know that as of two years ago, they were all still alive, but that’s all the intel I have.”
“What will you do now?” she asked.
“I’m going to Luke’s house and trading myself for him. I’m the one that they want and can probably help them. I’ll make them the same kind of deal that Luke just did—his freedom for answers. I’m betting that my contacts in the Navy can get them the answers that they’re looking for.”
“What can I do?” she asked. “I want to help, Ranger.”
“You can go meet up with Millie at her place and do what she tells you to do, got it?” he asked. She wanted to protest; to tell him that she was going to turn the car around and go back to Luke’s place. Ruby was sure that she could be of more help than going to sit at Millie’s and wait for her life to be decided for her.
“Don’t put your baby at risk, Ruby,” Ranger said.
“Playing the baby card is low, Ranger,” she whispered. He was right and she hated that. She wanted to be stronger for Luke. She wanted to walk back into his house and tell those assholes holding him that they had the wrong man, but Ranger was right, she’d be putting her baby in harm's way, and she couldn’t do that.
“Fine,” she mumbled. “I’ll go to Millie’s. Just bring Luke back to me,” she said. “I can’t lose him.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen,” Ranger promised.
“I’m going to hold you to that, Ranger,” she breathed, ending the call. She took the exit to her place and swiped the hot tears that rolled down her cheeks. This was the first time that she had been without Luke in over four months and Ruby felt like a piece of her heart was missing. She just hoped that Ranger could keep his promise to her and bring that missing piece back because, without Luke, she wouldn’t ever be the same.
Millie pulled her apartment door open as if she was expecting Ruby. “Ranger called you, didn’t he?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Millie said. “Come in,” she insisted, pulling her into her apartment. “We have to talk.”
“Talk?” Ruby had only spoken to Millie a handful of times since taking off with Luke. “I know that we haven’t seen each other in months, but can we catch up some other time?”
“No,” Millie said. “I need to tell you something before Ranger tells Luke and you find out that way. It’s important,” Millie insisted.
“Can it wait? I’m a bit worried about the father of my unborn child,” she said, cupping her nonexistent belly.
“You’re pregnant?” Millie asked. Ruby sunk into the couch and nodded. “Wow, Ruby, that’s fantastic. Are you happy?”
“No, I’m not happy. Luke’s being held at gunpoint by two crazy South Koreans while I’m sitting here catching up with you. I’m not happy at all. I should have never left him.”
“Yes, you should have,” Millie insisted. “They would have killed you if Luke hadn’t negotiated your release.”
“I see that Ranger also filled you in on—well, everything,” Ruby grumbled.
“He did because I’m helping him with all of this. I’ve been hired by McTavish Industries, Ruby.”
“Doing what exactly?” Ruby asked.
“I’m a computer hacker by trade,” Millie said. “I’m ex-military and I was trained to hack into enemy computers and stop them from hacking our systems.”
“How did I not know any of this about you?” Ruby asked. She thought that Millie was a run-of-the-mill nerd, just like her, but she was so wrong. “You were in the military?”
“Army,” Millie said. “When Ranger found out what I can do, he talked to your boss, Alex, and got him to make me an offer that he knew I couldn’t pass up. I don’t regret telling him about my past, but I’m not sure that Ranger and me working together is such a good idea.”
“Why shouldn’t the two of you work together?” Ruby asked. She sat back and closed her eyes. “You like him, don’t you?” she asked.
“It’s more complicated than that,” Millie said.
“More complicated how?” Ruby asked.
“We slept together and now; he’s giving me the cold shoulder. I’m not sure what I did wrong, but he won’t talk to me about anything but work and this thing with Luke,” Millie admitted.
“That sucks, Millie,” Ruby said. “Was it just one night?”
“Yeah—one wonderful night,” Millie gushed. “And then, he left out of here so fast the next morning, it was as if his ass was on fire. I had already agreed to work at McTavish at that point. I would have never taken the job had I known that he was going to treat me this way. I don’t know that I can keep the job because seeing him every day, and having him ignore me, is painful, you know?”
“I don’t,” Ruby said. “I’ve never had something like that happen. Honestly, I have very little experience with men. Luke was my first,” she said, letting a small sob escape at the thought of wanting him to be her last too. “God, if something happens to him, I’ll die.” Millie sat down next to her on the sofa and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“He’s going to be all right,” Millie assured.
“How do you know that?” Ruby asked.
“Because Ranger is good at what he does. Hell, he’s a trained killer and probably overqualified to handle what’s going on with Luke. He’ll bring your guy home and then, you can help me find a new job.”
“Or I can help you figure out how to get Ranger to talk to you again. There has to be a reason why he’s giving you the cold shoulder. Maybe he’s worried about getting you tied up in all of this. Maybe it’s his way to keep you safe, Millie,” Ruby offered. It was a long shot. Ranger was most likely being an asshole, but she liked the idea of having Millie hanging out around McTavish Industries. The thought of having a friend around the office was a nice one, and she wasn’t ready to give that up just yet.
“It’s a nice thought,” Millie said. “But I’m not convinced that’s what is going on. You don’t have to sugarcoat things for me, Ruby. I’m a big girl and can handle being disappointed.” Ruby smiled and nodded.
“How long do you think it will take before we hear from them?” Ruby asked.
“Soon,” Millie assured. “I’m sure that we’ll hear from them soon.” Ruby wanted to call her out for sugar-coating things for her now, but she was too tired to argue. If Millie said that the guys would be in touch soon, then that was what she’d believe because thinking otherwise was just too painful for her.