Epilogue
Samuel
The sounds of slot machines, people’s excited voices, and the distinctive clacking of tokens being stacked fill my ears. I’m on the verge of sensory overload, already regretting agreeing to this trip, but I think I’m doing a pretty good job at hiding it. Admittedly, the way Ruby’s body feels in my lap is helping. My personal fidget toy.
Her skirt is a bit too short and too tight, but I would lie if I said that she doesn’t look smoking hot in it. Still, I keep my hands on her thighs, pulling the fabric down whenever she squirms too much in my lap. That body is only for me to see.
Ruby feeds the slot machine in front of her as if her life depends on it. She looks too cute doing it, and it’s not my money that she’s burning, so I’ll let her have fun.
Technically, it’s going to be our money from tomorrow on, but she has more than enough either way.
Her eyebrows are slightly scrunched together, and she’s biting down on her lower lip. As if she’s sure that she’s able to control the machine in front of her if she tries hard enough.
It doesn’t matter how many times I look at her; it doesn”t matter if she just woke up in the morning or if she’s all dolled up like she is right now; I just can’t get enough of her.
“Won the jackpot yet?” Max’s voice comes from behind me, a grin on his face.
“Guess I did,” I mumble before Ruby turns around to press a kiss on my lips.
“Hm?” she asks, nosy as always.
“Nothing, darling,” I say, grabbing Max’s shoulder the second I see him opening his mouth to repeat what I just said. I love Ruby, but there are certain boundaries, and getting all sappy in a casino is one of them.
She and Max are a dangerous combination. Over the last months, and especially during my move into her house, Max used every opportunity to spend time with us.
He’s like a brother to me, and I was more than happy for his and Logan”s help, but it feels as if he and Ruby were separated at birth. Their shared brain cells turn into something concerning as soon as they are in the same room and while I thought they were firecrackers on their own, they continue to have Logan and me struggling to keep them under control.
It’s not like they couldn’t defend themselves. I’m more worried about the people they cross paths with.
“Come on, let’s go back to our room before you spend your entire inheritance,” I say with a laugh as I lift a protesting Ruby up from my lap. She stops arguing with me soon, probably knows I’m right. I wrap my arm around her waist as I get up, draping my leather jacket over her shoulders.
Of course, she did not bring her own jacket even though I told her to, but I don’t want her to get a cold. The way she looks with it on makes me want to drag her into one of those dimly lit corners.
But before I can act on it, she spots Logan and Rockwell at one of the blackjack tables, rushing over to them with Max.
They win an obscene amount of money before we all decide that it’s best to end when things are going well and make our way out of the casino. She smiles at me, resting her head against my arm as we wait for the elevator.
I think this is what people mean when they say they found their home in a person.
The next morning,I wake up alone in the huge hotel bed. A look in the ceiling mirror confirms what I already know. Nervousness is plastered on my face and I roll my eyes at myself. And at the damned mirror.
Ruby insisted on booking the Belaggio’s presidential suite and I’m not entirely sure if the mirror is a permanent fixture or if it was a special request of hers. I’m not complaining. It really came in handy last night when I put her in every possible position. And I’m hard again. Good job, Sam.
The suite is huge. Ridiculously so. Way too big for two people. Max shared that sentiment and put his bag in the second bedroom the minute he saw it, while Logan and Rockwell got separate rooms, like normal adults.
I’m pretty sure Logan had a few other reasons too, but again, Ruby is happy, and that’s all that matters. Apart from that, it gives me a bit of time for myself. And Lord knows I need it on this trip.
The last months were filled with things I’d either sworn myself to never do again or to never do in the first place, this trip being no exception. On some days, the old Sam comes through again. Seldom, but still.
The version of me who needs quiet and a glass of liquor. Ruby knows about it. Senses it whenever I’m shutting down again. Cuddles against me and is just there. No talking, which surprised me at first. I think everything that had happened changed her too. Not in a bad way; it just feels like we both finally can be vulnerable with each other.
Blaring music, interrupted by giggles and laughter, tells me where to look for her. She and Max had watched Hangover—in preparation, they said—and I fear that I’ll run into a tiger when I go to the bathroom. Or that Max is sporting a pretty face tattoo from now on. That would be hilarious, even though I’m sure that Rockwell would yell at him until he cries.
Thankfully, no tiger is waiting for me in the bathroom. Just a mess of clothes, make-up, and two half-empty glasses of champagne. Ruby has an interesting influence on everyone around her.
I’m taking a shower that’s more of a fruitless attempt to calm my nerves before I go looking for her.
The music that comes from Max’s room is loud enough to make the door vibrate on its hinges, and I wonder if someone already called at the desk to complain about us. I bet my girl paid enough money for no one to give a damn about it.
I knock, wait, and knock again after no one reacts. My nerves get the best of me after a few more minutes and I open the door, only to be almost hit in the face with it by Max, who jumps in front of Ruby as if he’s shielding her from bullets. He accidentally slams his elbow right into her face, and I have to laugh so hard that my towel almost slips from my hips.
“Sam, get the fuck out,” he yells, all panicky. “It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!”
“But I just want to see—” I reason with him, but I don’t stand a chance. He’s taking the job of being Ruby’s bridesman rather seriously.
“No you don’t,” he scolds me like a concerned mom, still shielding her from my view. No matter how much I crane my neck, he’s moving with me. I hear her laugh and see her hand as she tries to shove him away, but he’s not moving an inch.
“You heard him, Sam. It’s bad luck,” Ruby says, finally giving up. “And you better get ready. We have to leave in an hour.”
I groan, but can’t suppress the small smile tugging at my lips as I reluctantly close the door.
I’m half dressed when I hear a knock on the front door and I thank God, because it means that Logan and Rockwell are here. At least I’m not alone in my excitement anymore.
They had all been a godsend through all of this. Yes, even Charlie. Being a part of our task force is more than a job. We are a family, and the last few months showed this more than clearly.
Rockwell came with me to pick out rings. We bought them from Richard because this man knows Ruby and her taste better than anyone else. He looked at me with a knowing grin when I walked into his store and I wondered what Ruby told him about me. But he didn’t slap me, so it was nothing too horrible.
While Ruby had her bond with Max, mine with Rockwell also grew stronger. He’s a bit like the father I never had. He helped me calm down when it all became too much and talked sense into my head when I was unreasonable again.
If it hadn’t been for his, Max, and Logan”s loving force, I would probably still be sitting at base and drowning my sorrows in cheap whiskey instead of being with Ruby.
She made me realize it was okay to love, even if it meant taking risks. Even if it meant that I had something to lose again.
“I’m gonna fuckin’ punch him if there are no tears in his eyes when he sees you,” Max’s voice comes through the closed bedroom door, followed by Ruby’s giggling.
It’s a nervous giggle, and it makes my heart beat faster to know that she’s excited too. But before I can decide what I’ll do to Max if he’s not keeping his mouth shut, the door opens.
Ruby is always beautiful. Even when she had the flu last month, she was stunning. But right now, she looks like a princess. As if she just stepped out of a dream.
Her hair falls down over her exposed shoulders, slightly wavy. She also taught me how to do it like this. The red lipstick on her plump lips catches my attention before my gaze travels down to the diamond collier around her neck.
She picked out a short dress. I wouldn’t expect anything else from her. The white silk hugs her curves perfectly, and as she walks closer, I catch a glimpse of the lacy blue garter belt around her left thigh. Jesus, I’ll pull the thing off with my teeth as soon as I have her all to myself.
She twirls around for me like a ballerina, and it’s just now that I can see the veil that’s tucked into her hair, adorned by a small white ribbon. Of course, the ribbon has small diamonds on it too.
My sparkling princess.
“I helped her with the veil,” Max whispers proudly towards Logan and Rockwell, joining them in the hallway.
“Pretty?” she asks me with a smile as she straightens my tie.
“Prettiest girl in the whole world,” I answer, discreetly trying to wipe away the tears that form in my eyes.
Stupid air conditioning getting my eyes all wet.