She let out a shaky breath. “Thank you,” she breathed. “I should be mad at you for that, but I’m not. I’m just thankful that you showed up when you did. That guy gave me the creeps. He told me that he won’t stop until he gets what he wants from me. Apparently, he feels slighted that I didn’t give him his full lap dance.”
“Shit,” Ant growled. “I’m walking you inside.” Ruby didn’t argue with him because she didn’t want to be alone right now. As they moved toward the building, Ruby realized something terrifying and undeniable—her past wasn’t just knocking at her door anymore. It was following her home. And the line between Scarlet and Ruby had never felt so blurred.
Ruby felt bone tired. Maybe that’s why having Ant in her space didn’t feel so foreign to her. Having him there felt comfortable to her—safe even. He had gotten her into her apartment and checked the place to make sure that nothing was wrong. All she could do was sit on the sofa and watch him clear her space.
She couldn’t stop shaking. Why couldn’t she stop shaking? This wasn’t the first time that a guy had gotten handsy with her. Heck, she had been groped more times than she would admit, but she never felt this way in the past. When she looked into the guy’s eyes, she saw the sheer determination there, and that was all she needed to know that he wasn’t going anywhere. He told her that he wasn’t going to stop until he got what he had paid for, and Ruby believed him.
“Does your place have any security?” Ant asked, sitting down next to her on the couch. He was moving around her as though he was afraid that any sudden movement might spook her.
“Um, no,” she breathed. “This place is a shithole,” she said, looking around her apartment. “Heck, most of the streetlights in the parking lot are out.”
“Yeah, I noticed that,” he said. “Do you by chance know that guy?” he asked. “I mean, have you danced for him before?”
“Privately, no,” she said. “But I have seen him around the club. He’s there on the weekends a lot. I guess he’s a regular.”
“Have any of the other women had issues with him?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” she breathed. “I don’t really hang out with the other girls. I show up, work my shift, and leave. The less time I spend there, the better. Plus, I’m not really looking to make friends with the other women there.”
“Understood,” he breathed. He stood from the sofa and crossed the small living room to look out the window. Her apartment overlooked the parking lot, and she had a feeling that he was trying to see if there were any security cameras on the property. She hated to tell him, but he was going to be disappointed because there were none.
“You’re asking a lot of questions,” she said. “I’m starting to feel as though I did something wrong. Is there a reason why I’m being questioned about the asshole who followed me home?”
He nodded to the window and looked back at her. “I’m asking a bunch of questions because I’m trying to figure out who your new stalker is.”
“He’s not a stalker,” she insisted, “he just followed me home.”
“Look for yourself,” he said, “your new stalker is sitting in the parking lot. I’m assuming that he’s waiting for me to leave so he can finish what he started.”
Ruby quickly crossed the room to look out the window. She saw the car before she registered the fear. It was parked crooked at the far end of the lot, engine off, lights dark—but she knew it was him. She knew it in the same way she’d known she wasbeing followed tonight. Some instincts never went away. They just learned to whisper instead of screaming.
Her chest tightened. “That’s his car,” she said softly.
Ant’s body seemed to change instantly. He squared his shoulders, his weight shifting from foot to foot, as his attention locked onto the dark sedan like it was a target instead of just a vehicle. “You sure?” he asked.
Ruby nodded. “Same car. Same plates.” The memory of the man’s hand on her wrist flashed through her mind. The way he looked at her as though she was something he owned—something purchased.
Ant didn’t hesitate. “Grab a bag and shove some of your things in it. You’re coming with me,” he ordered.
“You’re overreacting,” she insisted. “Let’s just call the cops and report him for stalking me. I’m sure that he’ll get the message and leave me alone once they are involved.”
Ant barked out his laugh, and she looked back at him. “I think that I have a little more experience in matters like stalkers and unwanted visitors, Doc,” he said. Ant pulled his FBI badge from his pocket and flashed it at her, causing her to roll her eyes at him.
“Okay, so you have a fancy badge, but I know the men who go to the club. They just want a good time, and he feels as though he was slighted. Once the cops explain to him that he can’t just show up at my place, I’m sure that he’ll stop.” She didn’t even believe what she was saying to him, but the thought of letting him take her somewhere safe scared the hell out of her. She and Ant had just called a truce, but that didn’t mean that she needed him to protect her. She had been doing an excellent job of protecting herself all these years.
“I’ll have Bolt come over to talk to the guy, but you’re coming with me—no arguments,” Ant demanded. “Until we know who this guy is, you’re going to stick by my side. So, go pack some ofyour things,” he said again. She crossed her arms over her chest, and he sighed, his head hanging just a little lower. “Ruby, he knows where you live, and he seems pretty determined to get to you. Can you please just trust me?”
She wanted to laugh at just how determined Ant looked, but that would probably piss him off more than he already was. “Fine,” she grumbled. “I’ll let you use your FBI voodoo skills to check him out, but once you find out that I’m safe, I’m coming back here.”
He nodded, “Fair enough. Now, get your things, and get in my truck,” he said, already moving.
Within minutes, she was sitting in the passenger seat of his pickup, looking back at her apartment building. Her keys were in her hand. Home was right there—her bed, her shower, the illusion of safety. But the man who had followed her home was still sitting in the back of the parking lot, watching and waiting. The question was—what was he waiting for?
“He’s still back there,” she breathed, looking over her shoulder.
“Yeah, and he’s not going to leave you alone—not until he feels that you gave him what he paid for,” Ant said, pulling his truck out of the parking lot. Something inside her resisted—not because she thought Ant was wrong, but because she hated how familiar this felt. She hated that Scarlet’s world was bleeding into Ruby’s.
“He’s following us,” she almost shouted. Ant looked in the rearview mirror and nodded. He reached for her hand, and she let him take it into his own, needing the comfort.
