"There's nothing to discuss." Ruby's arms tighten around her son. "You made your choice when you kicked me out. When you called me those names. When you told me I was dead to you."
"We were upset!" the older man says. "We said things we didn't mean!"
"You meant every word." Ruby's voice breaks. "And now you want to take my son? Over my dead body."
Marcus reaches for the door. "Ruby, stop being dramatic—"
I move without thinking, grabbing his wrist and yanking him back. Hard. He stumbles, nearly falling off the porch.
"She said no," I tell him. "Hands off."
Chapter 2 - Ruby
My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my throat as I watch the stranger grab Marcus's wrist and yank him backward. Marcus stumbles, his expensive loafers scraping against the wooden porch, arms windmilling as he fights for balance.
I've never seen this man before in my life, but right now he looks like an avenging angel, if angels had tattoos covering their arms and wore leather vests over black t-shirts.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" my father demands, his face turning that familiar shade of purple that used to terrify me as a child. "You can't just assault people!"
"I stopped him from touching her door without permission," the stranger says, his voice deadly calm. "That's not assault. That's preventing one."
Liam whimpers against my shoulder, his little fingers clutching my shirt. I bounce him gently, trying to soothe him even though my own hands are shaking. Two days. I've been in this house for two days, and they already found me. I thought I'd been so careful, thought I'd covered my tracks.
But I underestimated how obsessed they'd become with taking my baby.
"Ruby, please," my mother tries again, her voice dripping with that false sweetness that makes my skin crawl. "Be reasonable. You're barely twenty years old. You can't raise a child alone. Let us help you. Let us take Liam somewhere safe, somewhere he'll have a real family—"
"I am his real family!" The words tear out of me, sharp and desperate. "I'm his mother!"
"You're a child playing house," Marcus says, finally regaining his balance. He straightens his polo shirt. "You always were immature, Ruby. That's why this was never going to work between us."
The audacity of this man. The sheer fucking audacity.
"You told me you loved me," I say, my voice breaking despite my best efforts to stay strong. "You said you wanted a future with me. And the second I told you I was pregnant, you blocked my number and told everyone I was trying to trap you."
"Because you were!" Marcus's mask slips, showing the cruel man underneath. "We were careful. You must have done something to sabotage the condoms—"
"Oh, fuck off," the stranger interrupts, and there's genuine disgust in his tone. "You really going to stand here and blame her for a broken condom? Man up and admit you're a coward who ran when things got hard."
Marcus's face flushes red. "This has nothing to do with you! Stay out of our business!"
"She asked you to leave. You didn't. That makes it my business." The stranger crosses his arms over his chest, and I can see more tattoos peeking out from under his sleeves. His biceps flex with the movement, and Marcus's eyes track the motion nervously.
Good. He should be nervous.
"We're not leaving without our grandson," my father says, his voice taking on that authoritative tone he always used when he wanted to end an argument. "Ruby, you have two choices. Either come home with us and we'll help you raise Liam properly or sign over custody to us so we can place him with your cousin Jennifer and her husband. They've been trying for a baby for years—"
"So you planned to steal my son and give him to Jennifer?" The betrayal cuts deeper than I thought possible. "You actually planned this?"
My mother has the decency to look uncomfortable. "It's not stealing, sweetheart. It's what's best for everyone. Jennifer can provide everything Liam needs—"
"I provide everything Liam needs!" I'm shouting now, and Liam starts to cry. I immediately lower my voice, rocking him gently. "Shh, baby. It's okay. Mama's got you."
"Look at him," Marcus says, gesturing toward Liam like he's evidence in a trial. "He's crying because he can sense how stressed you are. Children need stability, Ruby. They need a calm environment. You can't give him that."
"He's crying because strange people are shouting on his porch," the stranger says flatly. "Any kid would cry."
Marcus rounds on him. "I've had enough of you. Either get lost or I'm calling the cops."
