He didn’t know what would become of things between him and Ruby, or where the lines would blur. But he knew one thing with absolute clarity—the man who thought Ruby owed him something had made the worst mistake of his life. And Ant would make damn sure he never got close enough to forget it.
Ant spent most of the morning keeping an eye on the door and watching Ruby sleep. She wasn’t peaceful, as she tossedand turned, and he knew that had everything to do with the man stalking her. He eventually gave up guarding the door and decided to make them both some coffee and breakfast. He had a feeling that Ruby would need both before he took her in for her shift at the hospital.
By the time he woke Ruby, Ant was already dressed and ready to face whatever the day wanted to toss his way. He stood at the front window with a mug of coffee he hadn’t touched yet as his eyes scanned the driveway, the road beyond it, and the quiet stretch of woods that usually made his place feel secluded instead of exposed. He saw nothing, but that didn’t mean anything.
He checked the cameras again, noting that they were still clear. He saw no unfamiliar vehicles, and no movement that didn’t belong. The absence of threat should’ve eased the tension in his chest, but it didn’t.
Behind him, the couch creaked softly as Ruby started to wake up. She stirred, sitting up with the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was a mess, her eyes tired but alert—the look of someone who slept but didn’t rest.
“You’ve been up all night,” she said. She wasn’t asking him a question—merely stating a fact.
Ant didn’t turn to face her right away. “I’m fine,” he lied.
She padded closer, barefoot on the hardwood floor, stopping a careful distance away from him. “You didn’t have to play guard dog. I don’t think he will find us here.”
He finally faced her. “We don’t know that,” he said. “And someone had to guard this place.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, and Ant let his eyes roam her curvy body. “That guy doesn’t scare me as much as he should. Once he sobers up, he’ll probably realize that he was an ass. I don’t think that we have to worry about him anymore.”
Ant frowned. “That’s not a good thing. He should scare you. He cornered you and demanded things from you he had no right to ask for.”
“It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be,” she insisted. “I’ve dealt with worse down at the club. Sometimes, guys get handsy, and I deal with them. I can hold my own, Ant.” The words landed heavily between them. He knew that she was capable of taking care of herself, but there was something about Ruby that had him wanting to step in and help her. He wasn’t sure why that was, but thinking too much about it right now wasn’t going to happen.
Ant set his coffee down untouched. “We’re going to your place. It’s better to check things out in the daylight. We can check the parking lot for any sign of him. Then, we’ll check your door to make sure nothing’s been tampered with. If you want to grab some more clothes and essentials, you can, but you’ll have to do it fast.”
“And if he’s there?” she asked. Bolt had the guy held overnight for driving while intoxicated, but when the courts opened downtown, he’d be let out on bail. There would be no way that they’d be able to keep him in custody.
Ant’s voice didn’t change. “Then he would have made a very bad decision. But I don’t think that will be a problem. Bolt had the guy held overnight, and he should still be behind bars.”
She watched him closely, like she was measuring what he wasn’t saying. “You can’t just handle it. Don’t you have rules to follow as an FBI agent?”
“I can just handle it,” he replied. “And I never was one for following the rules, honey.” That seemed to satisfy her—for now. “We’re going to need to head out in ten minutes. Can you be ready to go?” he asked.
“I can,” she agreed. He could see that worry on her face, and Ant wished that there was something that he could do to ease it, but he couldn’t.
The drive back to her apartment was quiet. Ruby sat with her hands folded in her lap, her gaze fixed out the window. Ant looked in the rearview mirror every few seconds, as though he expected someone to be following them. The entire ride made her nervous, and right now, she needed to keep her head on straight because she had an hour until her shift started down at the hospital.
The parking lot was empty, and Ruby took that as a good sign. There was no sedan parked crooked in the back of the lot. No shadowed figure sat behind any windshields watching for her. There was just the morning sun bouncing off windshields and the normal hum of a place waking up.
Ruby let out a breath she’d been holding. “He’s gone.”
“For now,” Ant said. “He should still be in lock up. Let’s grab a few of your things, and I’ll still be able to get you to work on time.” They both got out of his truck and approached her building together. Ant checked the door frame, the lock, the windows—subtle things most people never noticed. Everything looked untouched.
Inside, Ruby moved slowly, like she expected the space to feel violated even if it wasn’t. She set her bag down and leaned against the counter. “I hate that he made my home feel unsafe,” she said quietly.
Ant nodded. “That’s what guys like him do. They don’t need to touch you to take something from you.”
She looked at him then. “You didn’t treat me like I’m fragile. Everyone else seems to be waiting for me to break, but not you.”
“I don’t think you are going to break, Ruby,” he admitted.
“But you didn’t tell me to just be careful either,” she added. “You acted and took me back to your place to keep me safe.”
He shrugged. “Careful doesn’t stop predators.” Something shifted inside of her. She felt this strange respect for Ant, mixed with something warmer, and a lot more dangerous.
She cleared her throat. “I should get ready for work.” Ant hesitated. Every instinct in him wanted to say don’t go. He wanted to beg her to stay with him, and let someone else cover her rounds, and give him time to figure out who this guy was and why he followed her home from the club. But he knew better.
“I’ll drive you to work,” he said. He wasn’t really asking, but Ruby still protested.
