Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Miguel

We’re seated side-by-side on the sofa, with our feet propped on the coffee table, eating our ice cream, when there’s a knock at the door.

Ruby jumps.

“It’s okay. I’ll get it,” I say. I pause the show and walk to the door so I can look through the peephole. I’m surprised to see who’s here. Since I started picking up Ruby’s mail and taking out her trash, we haven’t seen Darren. “It’s Darren. Do you want me to open the door?”

Ruby looks surprised. “Yeah.”

I unlock the door and open it a foot or so. Darren ignores me and peers through the opening. “Ruby? Can I talk to you?”

The guy’s tenacious, I’ll give him that. I don’t think he likes the fact that I’m encroaching on his territory.

Ruby joins me at the door. “Hi, Darren? What is it?”

Darren glowers at me. “Do you mind not eavesdropping on our conversation?”

Well, yeah. I do mind.

Before I can respond, Ruby nods to me. “It’s okay, Miguel.”

I take a few steps back, out of his sight, but close enough to monitor their conversation.

Darren lowers his voice to a whisper. “Ruby, I don’t like this guy being in your apartment. How well do you know him?”

“I know him well enough,” she says, sounding more than a little defensive.

Darren tries a different tack. “How long have you known him?”

“Just a couple of days, but it’s not what you think.”

“Oh, I think I know how it is,” Darren whispers. “You need to get rid of him, Ruby. He’s not safe.” Darren emphasizes the word safe. He sure knows how to prey on Ruby’s fears. “He’s a stranger. There’s no telling what he might do.”

“I’m fine, Darren,” she tells him. “You don’t need to worry. I have to go now. We’re watching something.”

Giving him an apologetic smile, Ruby slowly closes the door. At the last second, I catch a glimpse of his expression—he’s pissed.

“I’m sure you heard that,” Ruby says, looking apologetic. “I’m sure he didn’t mean that.” Ruby locks the door.

We return to the sofa and resume the show. It sure seems like a lot of people are miffed at the idea of me staying here with Ruby. I keep replaying every manipulative thing Darren said to Ruby and try to decide if he’s a real risk to her or just a jealous suitor who sees my presence in her apartment as a threat.

I’m hyperaware of Ruby’s presence beside me—just inches away. Long strands of her fiery red hair hang loose over her shoulder and down her back. I find myself wanting to reach out and touch the strands to see if they’re as silky as they look. She smells like roses. I don’t know if it’s from perfume or the scent of her soap or shampoo.

The longer I sit this close to her, the guiltier I feel. It’s wrong on so many levels for me to be attracted to her. I’m here as her protector, for fuck’s sake. I have no business moving in on her personal space.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so hasty to blame Darren for his concern. The truth is—I do think about Ruby in ways I shouldn’t. I’d never act on it—it would be blatantly unprofessional. And yet, as we’re sitting here together, so close that our arms almost touch, I’m aware of her every movement, every shift of her body, every sigh she makes.

We’re into the second episode now, and neither one of us seems ready to call it quits. When the current episode ends, Ruby gathers up our empty ice cream bowls and spoons and takes them to the kitchen. Pumpkin follows her, probably in case he might get a second dinner.

This time, I don’t follow her. I don’t offer to help. I think maybe it’s best if there’s a little space between us.

When she’s done in the kitchen, she switches off the light and returns to the living room. “It’s getting late, so I think I’ll head to bed now. Goodnight, Miguel. Thank you for a delicious dinner and for, well, everything.”

“My pleasure.”

I watch her walk away, already feeling the loss of her presence. “Goodnight, Ruby. Sleep well.”

She spends a few minutes in the bathroom before she disappears into her bedroom and shuts the door.

I get myself ready for bed and set the security alarm before making up my bed on the sofa. I lie down with my book and resume reading.

It’s just after midnight when I hear glass shatter. I jump up from the sofa and race down the hallway to Ruby’s bedroom. The door flies open just as I reach it.

Ruby’s standing there, her face flushed. She’s breathing hard as she holds up a rock the size of her fist. “It came right through the window!”

I swallow a curse and run to get my shoes and shirt on. I strap my gun holster to my chest, turn off the security system, and unlock the door. “Lock this behind me,” I say as I exit the apartment.

“Miguel, be careful!” she calls after me.

As I’m racing to the stairwell, Darren’s apartment door opens and he steps out into the hall. He’s in his pajamas, his hair mussed from sleep. He’s blinking against the bright hallway lights. “Did you hear that? What’s going on?”

“Ruby, lock your door!” I yell back at her, seeing that her door’s still open.

Darren looks genuinely worried. “Is Ruby okay?”

“Now, Ruby!” I don’t want Darren talking to her, and I can’t waste another second giving her instructions. I hear Ruby’s door close as I’m jogging down the staircase. I race out the back door into the parking lot just in time to see a figure dressed in a dark hoodie racing away from the building. I take off after him, determined to catch him this time.

He weaves through the cars as he heads for the park. I stay on his trail, gaining on him with each passing second. I lunge at him, taking him to the ground, and wrap my arms and legs around him, holding him immobile.

“What the fuck?” the guy yells as he fights my hold. He thrashes violently, trying to head-butt me. “Let me go, you moron.” He sounds young.

I roll us so that I’m sitting on him. After yanking the hood off his head, then a black knit cap, I stare down into a frightened teenage boy’s face. His brown eyes are huge, and he’s white as a ghost. He can’t be more than sixteen. “Who the fuck are you?” I demand.

He glares up at me as he struggles to break free.

I grab a fistful of his sweatshirt and shake him. “I asked you a question. Who are you?”

“Aaron,” he says, breathing hard.

“Why were you throwing rocks at that apartment window?”

“I don’t know!” he cries. “Some guy paid me fifty bucks to do it. He said it would be funny. It was supposed to be a prank.”

“What guy?”

“I don’t know. Just some dude. He’s old, like even older than you.”

“Describe him.”

“I didn’t really see much. It was dark out.”

“Was he dark or fair?”

“He was a white guy. That’s all I know.”

“Did he have dark hair or light?”

The kid shrugs. “I couldn’t tell. He was wearing a hat, and like I said, man, it was dark out.”

“When did he hire you?”

“Tonight. About an hour ago. I was walking down the street, and he called me over, gave me fifty bucks to throw rocks at a window.”

“Did he tell you exactly which window to hit?”

“Yeah. He told me to go to the back of the building, count over six windows from the left on the second floor. Hey, man, I’m sorry. He said it would be funny. You’re not gonna call the cops, are you?”

I let go of the kid’s shirt and stand. “Get up.”

He jumps to his feet and brushes off his clothes. “Look, I’m sorry, but it was fifty bucks, you know? That’s a lot of money.”

I pull one of my cards out of my back pocket and hand it to the kid. “If you see him again, you call me, all right? And if you ever throw a rock—or anything else for that matter—at that apartment, I will rip you a new one, you got it?”

“Yeah, man. I got it. Sheesh.”

“If there’s a next time, I’m callin’ the cops. Understand?”

“Yeah, I hear you.” Then the kid takes off running across the park, quickly disappearing into the trees.

When I return to the apartment, I’m sorry that I don’t have more information to share with Ruby, but I’m pretty sure that kid doesn’t present any real threat to Ruby. I believed him when he said he was paid to throw the rock at her window.

I knock on Ruby’s apartment door. “Ruby, it’s me.”

She opens the door, looking exhausted and scared. “Did you catch him?”

I nod. “It was just a kid—a teenager. He said someone hired him to throw rocks at your window.” I come inside and lock the door. “He couldn’t tell me who hired him.”

Ruby’s shoulders fall. “What am I going to do about the window?”

“We can call Rick in the morning. Hopefully he can repair it quickly.”

Ruby glances down the hall toward her bedroom, indecision marring her expression. I think she’s afraid to sleep in her bedroom.

“Do you want to sleep on the sofa?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “I can’t take your bed. Where will you sleep?”

“I’ll sleep on the floor. It’s no problem.”

“I have a sleeping bag,” she says. “I’ll take the floor.”

I chuckle. “Honey, I’m not letting you sleep on the floor, and that’s final, so don’t even waste your breath arguing with me.”

A smile flits across her face. “Then what are we going to do?”

“Well, how about this? You sleep in your own bed—”

Her eyes widen. “No! I don’t feel safe in there. Not with a hole in the window.”

“Wait. I’m not done. You sleep in your bed, and I’ll sleep on the floor in your room. Will that help? Is there any glass on your bed?”

She shakes her head. “Just on the floor beneath the window.”

“Okay then. Are you okay with this plan?”

She thinks for a minute, then nods. “Yes.”

“All right, then. Let’s go to bed.” I set the security system, then walk Ruby to her bedroom. The heavy drapes are moving just a bit, courtesy of the wind blowing through the hole in her window, but it’s not too bad.

I turn the light on and check the floor for glass. Fortunately, the glass is contained mostly beneath the window. “Have you got a broom and dustpan?” I ask.

She runs out of the bedroom, returning a couple minutes later with the items I asked for.

“Stay back,” I tell her as I take the broom and dustpan from her.

“I can help,” she offers.

“No, you’re barefoot. Sit.” I point to the bed.

Ruby climbs up onto the bed and watches me sweep up the shards. I dispose of the glass in the kitchen trash can.

“Now, where’s that sleeping bag you said you have?”

“Wait! I can’t let you sleep on the floor, not after everything you’ve done for me.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

She hesitates a moment, then blurts out, “We can share the bed.”

“Ruby.” Something tells me this isn’t a good idea. I know it’s not a good idea for me. Sharing a bed? “Are you sure?”

She nods. “Yes.”