“You shouldn’t have run back in there,” he murmured. “The building was falling down, and it wasn’t safe.” He remembered the explosion and waking up on the concrete floor. When he saw Ruby running into the building towards him, he wanted to stand up and tell her to get the fuck out of there, but he couldn’t. He remembered feeling completely terrified that she was going to end up getting herself killed, and that just pissed him off.
Ruby’s voice softened — just a fraction. “You shouldn’t have been under a collapsing building.” Touché. Ant’s thoughts drifted as his mind went to a much darker place. The explosion that had been planned by Ruby’s stalker, and the precision that it took to coordinate it all. This wasn’t a random escalation anymore. This was war, and he’d just put Ruby directly in the crosshairs.
Guilt churned in his gut. But when Ruby reached for his hand and laced her fingers tightly through his—not as his doctor, or his caretaker, but as his Ruby, Ant realized something terrifying. He wasn’t just afraid of losing her stalker. He was afraid of losing her, and that fear was far more dangerous to his heart than any damage the explosion had done to his body.
Ant hated hospitals. He hated the antiseptic smell and the feeling of being helpless as he lay in the hospital bed. Everyone had been so nice to him, and he was sure that had everything to do with the hot-headed doctor who stood watch like a centaur over him. Being in the hospital made him feel as though he had lost control over his entire life, and that was true—he had. He had no control over Ruby’s case anymore, and relying on Bolt for details was getting on his last nerve. He knew that the guy was holding back with him, and that just pissed him off.
He had been laid up, with a cast on his damn leg, for almost a week now, and he hated that he was out of the loop. Bolt had moved Ruby in with him and Rebel and promised not to let her out of his sight. He wanted Bolt to take Ruby and get her out of town to a safe house, but she refused to go. She said that she needed to be with him and that she couldn’t take off work. She was being a stubborn mule, and she hated that she wouldn’t just follow his orders. Now that he was her patient, she was the one giving the orders, and that had him feeling out of his element.
Bolt and Banshee weren’t able to catch up with the guy, and Ant worried that meant he was still out there watching Ruby. She didn’t seem fazed by that thought at all, but it terrified him. The only time he could get any shut-eye was when Ruby agreed to spend the night with him in his hospital room. He hated that she wasn’t getting much sleep before going back to work the next day, but having her next to him gave him peace of mind to rest.
“There’s my favorite patient,” Ruby teased as she walked into the room. He wanted to protest and tell her that he was more than a patient to her, but she looked dog-tired, and he decided against it.
“When do I get out of here?” he asked.
“Well, that’s why I’m here,” she admitted. “You get to go home today. Once the orthopedic doctor comes down to check you out, we can head home. But you are on bed rest for the next two weeks, and if you fight me on that, I’ll drive you back down here myself.”
“Are you trying to piss me off or kill me, honey?” he asked.
“Neither,” Ruby admitted. “I’m trying to keep you alive and help you heal. So, can you follow the doctor’s orders?” she asked.
“You meant to ask if I can follow your orders, Ruby,” he mumbled under his breath.
She giggled and nodded. “As your doctor, yes. Can you follow my orders, Ant?” she asked.
“If it means getting out of here and being able to sleep in my own bed, then yes,” he admitted. “I can behave and follow the doctor’s orders.”
“Good to know,” she sassed, bending to gently kiss his lips. “If you can be an extra good patient for me, I’ll give you a sponge bath before we head home.” She gave him an exaggerated wink, making him chuckle. He winced at the pain that shot up through his leg, and she seemed to notice.
“It’s just about time for your pain meds,” she said, crossing the room to pull his chart. She nodded and grabbed the pain pills out of the locked med cabinet in the corner of the room. Ruby handed him two small white pills and a cup of water. “Take these,” she ordered. He did as she asked, trying to be a model patient until he could have his freedom.
Within the hour, Ruby had him back home. Bolt showed up at the hospital to help him get into his truck and agreed to meet them back at his house to help get him settled. Ant hated that he needed so much help. He wasn’t the type of person to ask for help—ever. He was usually the one people turned to for help. Ifhe ever got his hands on the asshole stalking Ruby, he’d kill him for doing this to not only her but him now, too.
He’d give just about anything to feel normal again for just a few hours, but he knew that would take time. It was time that they might not have, because Ant had a sneaky feeling that Bolt and Ruby had planned something behind his back—something that he wasn’t going to like. It was probably something that could get his girl hurt, or worse.
Bolt helped him into the house and got him settled into the bedroom while Ruby was busy in the kitchen making them all lunch. She insisted that it was the least that she could do to repay Bolt for lending a hand. Honestly, Ant was happy to have a few minutes to talk to his partner alone. It was the only way he’d get the answers that he was looking for.
“You want to tell me what’s going on with Ruby?” he asked. Bolt froze at the end of the bed, and Ant knew that he wasn’t going to give him a straight answer.
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Bolt lied.
Ant barked out his laugh and winced at the pain that it caused him. “Want to try that again?” he asked. “I have a broken leg, not a broken head. You and Ruby have been whispering behind my back, and either you two are sleeping together, or you’re planning something that’s going to piss me off. I’m betting it’s the second part because Rebel will have your balls if you cheat on her.”
Bolt sat on the edge of the bed and laughed. “Yeah, she would have my balls if I ever cheated on her. Honestly, there will never be any other woman in my life besides Rebel, so your guess is correct, but I promised Ruby that I would keep quiet about everything. She doesn’t want to worry you,” Bolt said.
“Well, I’m already worried, so out with it,” he ordered.
“Maybe you should talk to Ruby about all of this,” Bolt offered.
“I’m talking to you about it,” Ant said. He was getting more frustrated by the second.
“He’s right,” Ruby said from the doorway, holding a serving tray with sandwiches that she had made for them. “You should ask me if you’re worried about what’s going on.” She walked into the room and set the tray on the bed, handing them each a plate of food. “Sorry, but all we had was stuff to make sandwiches. I’ll grab some groceries soon,” she offered.
“I don’t give a fuck about you going grocery shopping or what’s for lunch, Ruby. I want to know what’s going on,” Ant growled.
She sighed and sat next to him on the bed. “I need you to keep an open mind, Ant,” she insisted.
“No promises,” he grumbled.
