Chapter 12: Micah - Keeping Knight

By the time I get away from the police officers, my worry is a living thing.

Catching up with Ruby should have been simple. She was only fifteen, twenty feet down the hallway from me. I should have been able to catch up with her in seconds.

Would have, if not for the two cops who grabbed me.

Logically, I can’t blame them. They see a man running down the hallway after a woman, without a police badge, no less, and I can understand why they jumped to conclusions.

Logically, I get it. They needed to make sure I wasn’t trying to hurt her. But during the minutes I spent with them, explaining who I was and why I was there, Ruby was alone. Vulnerable. Potentially in danger.

If only I hadn’t told Rogue and Jester to stay behind, they’d be with her by now. But I assumed I’d catch up to her easily and wouldn’t need any assistance. “Watch the rest of it,” I tossed over my shoulder as I hurried from the room. “I’ll get Ruby.”

Except I didn’t. Because I messed up. Again.

As I race towards the door at the end of the hallway, Ruby’s stricken face flashes behind my eyes. She didn’t just look shocked. She looked devastated.

Anger surges at the memory of the terrible things Sylvia said. No, not just terrible. Abhorrent. To accuse Ruby of causing her father’s death⁠—

I reach the metal door that leads to the waiting room and give the doorknob a hard twist. Then I shove it open, surprised at how heavy it is.

A beat later, there’s a feminine yelp.

My lungs seize.

As the door swings open, I’m met with a picture that fills me with rage.

A man is grabbing Ruby. She’s pressed up against his chest. His hand is clamped around her arm so tightly his fingers dig into her skin.

“What the fuck?” the man blurts.

Ruby glances over her shoulder at me. Her frightened expression shifts to one of relief. “Micah!”

“Get your hands off her,” I growl. “Now.”

The man looks at me. He’s familiar, and a second later, I place him.

Liam. Ruby’s ex. I’ve seen photos while investigating him. Good-looking in an artsy sort of way, with floppy hair and intentional stubble and glasses I’d put money on being fake. But he doesn’t appear harmless, like Ruby insisted he was. He looks dangerous.

Well, at least to Ruby. But he’s no match for me.

“Get away from her,” I order. I let him see the promise of violence in my eyes. “Right now. Before I do it for you.”

He stares at me for a second, debating. Then he drops Ruby’s arm and shoves her away from him. She stumbles, but I catch her and pull her close to my side. “Whatever,” he snips. “You’re the one who opened the door and pushed her into me, anyway.”

Guilt stabs at me. He’s right. Judging from their positions, that’s likely what happened.

But what about her arm? And her frightened expression?

“You were grabbing her,” I retort. Taking Ruby’s forearm in my hand, I inspect the five faint pink marks across it. My voice dips dangerously. “Hurting her.”

“I was talking to her,” he replies defensively. “She tripped, and I was just steadying her.”

“Is that what happened?” I ask Ruby. I don’t think he’s telling the truth for a second. But I want to hear it from her.

From behind Liam, a uniformed officer approaches. “Everything okay here?”

Ruby presses close to my side. “It’s fine,” she says. “We were just talking.” Then she glances back at me. “Can we go?” Her voice quivers. “Please?”

The officer casts a sweeping glance at all five of us. Then he pins Liam with a hard look and says, “I think you and I are going to have a talk. Whether she presses charges or not.”

“It was nothing,” Ruby repeats. “I just want to go home.”

I study Ruby’s face. She’s on the verge of tears. “Fine,” I tell her, “we’ll go home.”

“Thank you,” she whispers.

As we head past Liam and the officer and into the lobby, I ask her quietly, “What really happened, Rue? I need to know.”

“I just ran into him,” she says. “I think he’s here because he’s a suspect. He’s mad that I gave his name as one.”

“He just happened to be where you were? And he grabbed you, Rue. I saw it. He can’t get away with it.”

Ruby hesitates. She glances over my shoulder at Liam, who’s still talking to the police officer. Fear flickers in her eyes.

And that’s what draws me to a stop. Tugging her off to the side, I take her hands in mine. “I know this has been hard. Listening to Sylvia, and then seeing your ex… I want to get you home, too. But if he touched you this time, right in the middle of a police station…”

She stares at me for a long moment. Then she sags. “Okay. I’ll press charges.”

Fortunately, the officer still talking to Liam is more than happy to help. He has the look of someone who doesn’t like seeing men put their hands on women any more than me. So he takes Ruby’s statement and sends us on our way much more quickly than I expected.

As we wait at the entrance for Kurt and Beau to escort us to the Fox & Falcon SUV to the car—I have my own car, but given the danger threatening Ruby, we thought it would be better to bring her here in something more secure—she buries her face into my neck, dampening my skin with her tears.

Once we’re in the backseat and Kurt and Beau are positioned on guard outside, I wrap my arm around Ruby and hug her against me. Wishing I’d listened to my dad when he insisted that it was always a good idea to carry a handkerchief, I use my thumb to wipe the tears from her cheeks instead. “Are you okay?” I ask. Which is a pretty stupid question, really. Of course she’s not. “I mean⁠—”

“I should have stood up for myself,” Ruby says. “But I didn’t. I just froze.”

“You’d just heard some pretty awful things. Of course you were shaken up. And you weren’t expecting to see your ex here, of all people.”

After a second, Ruby shakes her head. “I shouldn’t have run off like that. I know it was stupid. And I feel so stupid. I said I could handle it, and then—” Breaking off, she covers her mouth to stifle a sob. Fresh tears spill down her cheeks. “I’m sorry…”

“Rue.” My heart aches for her. And I feel so damn guilty for letting her come here. “Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I just…” Another small sob slips out. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

I stroke her hair. “What can I do?”

“Nothing,” she says. Then she starts crying harder. “There’s nothing.”

Dammit. I’m so pissed at myself for letting her come. First Sylvia’s shit, and now Liam’s. It’s too much for her. It would be too much for anyone. Feeling helpless, I lift her onto my lap. “I’ll just hold you, then.”

“It feels like it’s happening all over again,” Ruby says. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Ah, sweetie.” I kiss the top of her head. “I’m so sorry.”

“She thinks I killed him⁠—”

“No.” I jostle her on my lap. “No. I don’t give a shit what that woman said. She’s wrong. We all know it.”

Ruby goes silent. She exhales, letting out a shuddering sob. “You don’t know. I never told you how my dad died. Maybe it was my fault.”

“It was not, Ruby,” I reply firmly. “Don’t let her get into your head.”

She stares at her lap as she whispers, “We were on our yearly hiking trip. Every year, my dad and I would go up to our camp in the Adirondacks. We’d spent a long weekend there, hiking and grilling and just getting away from everything. It… it was our special thing.”

“It sounds very special. A really nice memory to have with him.”

“The last time… when he died. I didn’t stop him from going. I didn’t even think. He’d always been so healthy, and he worked out, ate well… most of the time, at least. I never considered it could have been too much for him.”

“Lots of older people go hiking, Rue. People in their seventies and eighties.”

“He died right in front of me, Micah. We were hiking. Having fun. Talking. One minute everything was fine, and the next… he was gone.” Another sob bubbles up. “I tried to help him. But nothing worked. I had to sit there with his body until the Rangers showed up.”

Swallowing a curse, I hug her closer. “I’m so sorry.”

“I wondered. What would have happened if we canceled the trip. But I never thought… Maybe that was stupid of me. I should have realized it was my⁠—”

“No.” Cupping her cheek, I tilt her head up to look at me. “It was not your fault, Ruby. Not even a little. And you know it. That woman got in your head, and that’s making you doubt yourself. But she’s one hundred percent wrong.”

“What if she’s not?” she whispers.

“She is.” I hold her gaze. “Your dad was a smart man, right? A doctor? So if anyone would know what they’re physically capable of, it would be him. And if he said he was fine to go on the trip, there would be no reason not to believe him.”

“But—”

“It’s terrible,” I continue. “But heart attacks happen like that sometimes. There’s just no warning. No symptoms. It sounds like that’s what happened to your dad.”

Before Ruby can respond, I press on. “I am so, so sorry that you had to go through that. But I am absolutely certain you had nothing to do with your dad’s death. Nothing. Just like you didn’t manipulate him into changing his will. Your stepmother is just plain wrong. She’s messed up in the head and she’s throwing out irrational accusations. That’s it.”

“Do you think she really tried to kill me?”

“I don’t know. But we’re going to find out.”

More tears streak down her cheeks. “My dad would be so upset if she did. He would feel like it’s his fault. For bringing her into my life.”

“Would you blame him?” I ask. “If it turns out Sylvia is guilty?”

Ruby shakes her head quickly. “No. Of course not. He’s not responsible for her.”

“And do you think he’d ever blame you? For what happened on the trip?”

“No.” She pauses to think. “No. He would say it was just his time.” After a pause, her face crumples. “But it wasn’t supposed to be his time. He’s supposed to still be here. I’d introduce you to him, and I’d go upstate to get a turkey, and… I just miss him. So much.”

Until now, I never truly understood how someone’s pain could feel like your own.

“I know,” I say. “I wish I could make it better for you. But I can tell you some honest truths. If you want to hear them.”

Ruby swipes at her cheeks. “Okay.”

“First, none of this was your fault. Your dad died, and that’s horrible. But it could have happened anywhere. Anytime. Work. The gym. Home. He chose to go hiking, and it probably had nothing to do with his heart attack. Also, he was with you. The person he loved most. Doing something he loved. When I go, that’s all I could ask for. And you gave him that.”

“Micah.”

“As for his will? What she said was ridiculous. You’re his only child. Of course he’d leave most of his money to you. To think otherwise? It’s just crazy. And.” My jaw clenches. “If she’s guilty, I will make sure she’s punished. That’s a promise.”

As Ruby looks at me, I add, “I’m here for you, Rue. For whatever you want. Whatever you need. I’m not going anywhere. And I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”

The tiniest smile tugs at her lips. “You know, my dad would really like you. He’d tell me you’re a keeper.”

I smile back at her. “Oh, really?”

She nods. “Yeah. He would.”

“I like that. A keeper.”

“Yeah.” She sags against me, resting her head on my shoulder. “And what you said. About making things better. You do. Having you here makes everything better.”

My heart rolls over. Instinctively, my arms tighten around her. “Good. Because I meant it. I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you tell me to.”