Page 27 of Keeping Knight

Houdini nods. “Let’s do this.” Then he smirks. “I know you’re eager to finish and get back to your place. See how a certain redhead is doing.”

I’m more eager than I’d like to admit. But I don’t say that. Instead, I reply dryly, “Jester’s probably roping her into a half-dozen pranks as we speak.”

Then I push the door open and head into the hallway. It’s empty, save for us, which I’m glad about. Not that seeing another resident would be a problem, exactly, but if they see us letting ourselves into Ruby’s apartment, there’ll be questions, and it’ll just be easier to avoid them.

“She’s in 416,” I say. Reaching into my pocket, I take out Ruby’s key. I’m glad I thought to grab it before we left for the hospital the other night. Houdini could pick the lock, but it’ll be simpler if we don’t have to.

“I guess it’s not too bad,” Houdini concedes. He scans the hallway, which has worn checkerboard tile on the floor and bronze lamps beside each door. His voice lowers. “Aside from the whole breaking in through the fire escape part.”

“Yeah,” I mutter. “That definitely takes away the appeal.”

When we reach Ruby’s door, I don’t unlock it immediately. First, I give it a thorough once-over to see if the contractor I hired installed it properly. I paid extra to have the broken door replaced while I was still at the hospital with Ruby, along with the compromised living room window.

Everything looks to be in order. The doorknob is new and shiny. So are the hinges. And the wood is almost the same shade as the one I destroyed, which is good, since I don’t want anyone giving Ruby a hard time about her door matching the others.

I slide the key into the deadbolt first, turning it until I can feel the bolt slide clear. Then I start to unlock the doorknob, and I’m just about to turn the handle when Houdini’s hand grips my shoulder hard.

“Wait.” His tone carries an urgency that immediately makes me stop what I’m doing.

“Why?” I ask as I turn to face him. “What’s wrong?”

His gaze is wary. His features are more solemn than I’ve seen them in years. “Just a feeling,” he says. “Something’s wrong. I can’t explain it. I just⁠—”

I drop my hand from the doorknob. “Did you see something?”

“No.” Houdini’s forehead creases. “It’s not that.” He jerks his chin in a gesture for me to move aside. Then he leans his ear close to the door, just as I did the other night. “I don’t hear anything. But my gut…”

If Houdini says his gut is telling him something, I believe him. “We won’t walk inside right away,” I suggest. “We’ll open the door and hang back. See if someone’s inside.”

He hesitates. “Okay. Just get clear of the door as soon as you open it.”

In case someone is waiting inside for us.

“Alright.” I adjust the bag I have slung over my shoulder and take my switchblade from my pocket, turning it in my right hand so it’s ready to flip open. Then I grasp the door handle with my left and slowly twist it open.

As soon as the latch clicks, I shove the door open and dart to the side.

For a split-second, there’s nothing.

Then a burst of fire explodes from inside.

A surge of heat pushes into the hallway.

The blast knocks both of us backward, and my back slams into the opposite wall.

Shards of wood fly at my face, and I throw up my arm to protect it.

Something hot and wet trickles down my forehead and into my eye.

For a moment, my breath is stolen from me.

“Get clear!” Houdini yells. He grabs my arm and nearly pulls it from its socket as he yanks me down the hallway. “Fucking trap. I don’t know how he did it. But he set a fucking trap for us.”

As I blink away the blood blurring my vision, I look at Ruby’s doorway, with flames licking all around it. “Not for us,” I reply. “For her.”

Chapter Seven

RUBY