And that has my foot on the floor, engine revving and tires squealing as I wait the few seconds it takes for my phone to connect to the bluetooth of my truck. It feels like it takes for-fucking-ever, but Ruth’s voice finally carries through my speakers.
“I’m at my apartment.” She’s so quiet it’s hard to hear her.
“What’s going on?” The question has barely cleared my lips when a loud thudding echoes in the background. “What the fuck is that sound?”
“There’s a guy banging on my door and he won’t leave.” Her breath hitches. “I thought maybe he’d go away after a while, but he just keeps getting louder and louder, and I’m afraid Birdie’s going to start making noise and he’s going to realize we're in here.”
Something about this is off. Why would a random man stand outside Ruth’s door, attempting to beat it down long after he should have assumed no one was home? “Do you know who it is?”
“Technically…” She hesitates. “No.”
That’s a weird fucking answer if I’ve ever heard one.
“But I probably know why he’s here.” Her admission is choppy and low. One she clearly didn’t want to have to make.
I want more information. I need to know what’s going on so I can figure out how to fix it. But now is not the time to grill her. “I want you to hang up and call the police. Get someone there right?—”
“No.” For the first time since she’s called, her voice is loud. “No.” She’s quiet again. “I can’t call the police about this.”
Fucking hell. What is going on? And who has she pissed off?
Ruth’s breath sounds suspiciously sharp and ragged. Like she’s crying. And it could send me into a spiral if I’m not careful. I hate when women cry. Do my best to make sure I never have to deal with it.
It reminds me of?—
“He stopped knocking.” There’s a hint of hope in her voice. “I think he left.”
The grip I have on my steering wheel eases the tiniest bit. “Stay where you are. I’m getting there as fast as I can.”
It still feels like it takes fucking forever for me to reach Ruth’s apartment. I make her stay on the phone with me the whole time, ears straining for any strange sounds in the background. When I finally make it to her place, I pull right up into the fire lane at and park, because I don’t give a fuck. I will happily pay for the ticket.
Leaving my truck running, I jump out and race to the third floor, taking the steps two at a time. I continue to scan my surroundings, looking for any sign of the man who just scared the shit out of her. I reach her floor and gently knock. “Ruth, sweetheart? Come let me?—”
My eyes land on her door, and all the air is sucked from my lungs by what I see scrawled across it.
Watch your back bitch
I’m staring at the letters, written in bold black Sharpie, as the door opens. Ruth’s skin is pale, her eyes wide and red rimmed. Her shoulders sag when she sees me, body seeming to curl in on itself.
“It’s okay.” I reach out to pull her against me, holding her tight against my chest as she gulps in shuddering breaths. “Everything is going to be okay.”
She shakes her head, face rocking against my sternum. “It’s not. He’s going to come back.”
She is right about that. Whoever was here is absolutely going to return. He left it in writing.
But everything is still going to be okay. Because Ruth and Birdie won’t be here when he does.
“Let’s go get your stuff. You’re coming to stay with me.” I don’t normally boss people around—especially women. But I’mnot budging on this. Aside from the current state of her empty apartment, it’s also obviously not safe here. “You and Birdie will be more comfortable at my house.”
They’ll also be close enough I can make sure no one touches them.
Ruth’s head tips back, mouth slack as she shakes her head. “I can’t ask you to do that. You’re already?—”
“First of all, you didn’t ask.” I give her as much of a smile as I can manage to soften my next words. “I demanded.” I struggle to release her, not quite ready to let her go. She still looks so vulnerable. “Second, we are working on a condensed timeline here. It will probably help my cause for everyone to think I’ve moved you in.”
I honestly don’t give a shit about my cause at this point. My only concern is making sure Ruth and Birdie are safe while I figure out who the fuck has the balls to show up on a woman’s doorstep and scare the shit out of her before leaving a threat in permanent ink.
And Iwillfigure it out. Heidi won’t take any convincing at all when I explain the situation, and it will only be a matter of time before I know whose ass I’m kicking.
