“I’m going to go back to the club and dance,” she said.
“No fucking way,” he said. “I thought that we’ve been through all this before. You’re not going to dance at that shithole again.”
“No, you decided that I wasn’t going back there, but Bolt and I decided that it’s the only way that we will be able to catch my stalker. He blew up the Harlot’s new clubhouse, trashing over a year of work. Now, we have nothing to call our own and nothing to show for all our hard work. Plus, you got caught in the explosion and could have died.”
“Right, but I didn’t die. I have a broken leg and a few scratches. I’ll be fine, but you might not be if your stalker shows up at the club. You’re using yourself as bait,” he said.
“Yes, I am. I can’t let anyone else get hurt because of me,” she insisted.
“I’ll be with her the entire time, and I have a team of agents who will be undercover in the audience,” Bolt offered.
“Fucking great,” Ant barked. “So, a bunch of the guys down at the office are going to see the woman I love dancing naked on stage,” he growled.
“I promise to keep on my bottoms,” she joked, but Ant wasn’t in a joking mood right now.
“No,” he shouted.
“Wait, did you just say that you love me?” she asked. He retraced his words in his head and nodded, trying not to make a big deal out of what he had just said. They needed to focus on the matter at hand—which was her putting herself in danger and possibly getting herself killed.
“I did, but that’s not what you should be focusing on, honey,” he insisted.
“Well, you really don’t have a say in this,” she said. “I know what I’m doing, and I trust Bolt to keep me safe. Some of the Harlots will also be there, pretending to be dancers, and they will have my back, too.”
“If I can’t stop you, then I’ll be there too,” he insisted.
“You’ll just be in the way,” Bolt said. “I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, man, but you’re a liability.”
“Bullshit,” Ant growled, “just give me my fucking gun and I can handle my own.”
“No, you can’t,” Ruby insisted. “As your doctor, I’m telling you that you need to stay in this bed for another week or two, or you’ll end up back in the hospital.”
“I think I want a second opinion,” he mumbled. Bolt barked out his laugh, and Ruby shot him a look.
“You’re not helping,” she said. She pulled Ant’s hand into her own and gently kissed his knuckles.
“Um, I’m going to give you two some space. Let me know what time we’re all meeting tonight to do this, Ruby,” Bolt said. “I’m sorry, man, but your woman is right. This is the only wayto stop this guy.” Ant’s frustrated growl filled the room as Bolt quickly made his way out.
“I need to do this, Ant,” she whispered, still holding his hand. “I promise to be safe, and if things go sideways, I’ll have Bolt right there to handle things. Besides, Banshee and Rebel will be there too, and you know that those two won’t take any shit from anyone.”
“Yeah, they are tough as shit, and you are too, honey, but I’m worried that this guy won’t stop until he gets what he wants from you.”
“Well, he’s going to have to learn to live with disappointment.” She cuddled in against his side and sighed. “Did you really mean it when you said that you loved me?” she asked. He knew that they would circle back to that sooner or later.
“I did,” he whispered, kissing her head. “Is that okay?”
She nodded, “It’s more than okay,” she said. “I love you too, you know?” she asked.
“I was hoping that you did, but it’s good to hear you say it, honey,” he breathed, pulling her tighter against his body. “Promise me that you’ll be safe and that you’ll come back home to me, Ruby,” he said.
“I promise,” she breathed. He worried that she had just made him a promise that she wouldn’t be able to keep, but all he could do was let her go and pray that she came back to him.Ruby
Ruby was scared out of her mind as she stepped out onto the stage. The spotlights nearly blinded her, and she had forgotten how the bass of the music felt as though it moved right through her. She squinted against the bright lights and tried to act naturally, but that was nearly impossible.
There were a few cat calls and whistles, and she had forgotten how much she hated those. She spied Bolt sitting in the front row as her song started. Banshee and Rebel stood just off stage,giving her their silent support as she spun around the pole a few times. She tried to focus, but all she could think about was Ant sitting at home, waiting for her to come back safely to him. She worried that she had made a huge mistake, but thinking about that now wasn’t going to help her get through the task at hand.
As soon as she finished her dance, she hurried off the stage, not paying attention to where she was going. She ran into what felt like a brick wall, but this wall had arms that banded around her—and it spoke.
“Well,” a man drawled softly, “there’s my favorite dancer.” Ruby’s pulse slammed violently against her ribs. Fear hit first, sharp and electric, followed immediately by something colder—rage.
