DOMINIC'S POV“Sir?” Clyvedon’s voice was hesitant. “Is there a problem?”I didn’t answer him. My eyes stayed fixed on the note. Was Ruby okay? I had to find out. I had to make sure.I closed the file that he'd give me with a loud snap. Without another glance at Clyvedon, I stood and strode to the door. His stammering protests reached my ears; mostly excuses about hard work, promises to improve, but I didn’t bother acknowledging them.Weak men like him disgust me.The office felt stifling as I stepped out, and the forced smiles and hesitant greetings from the staff in the lobby did nothing to improve my mood. I walked past them without a word. The glass doors opened automatically, and I stepped into the waiting car.My driver glanced back from the front seat. “Where to, sir?”“One moment,” I raised a finger, then pulled out my phone from my pocket.I scrolled through my contacts and pressed the call button for my secretary. It rang twice before she picked up.“Good morning, Mr. Ruther
RUBY'S POVIf I was being honest with myself, seeing Dominic standing in my living room felt surreal, like I was stuck in some fever dream. What was he doing here? Why was he always turning up where I least expected? Deep down, a warmth bloomed—was it happiness? No, I fought against it. This man was chaos in human form, and I didn’t have time for that.But I couldn’t stop my eyes from wandering over him. He wasn’t in one of his usual tailored suits. Instead, he was wearing a pair of jeans and a brown country club tee, with matching brown sneakers. His long black hair was tied back into a sleek braid that ran down his back. Casual Dominic was new to me. He looked more approachable, less imposing. And that made him even more dangerous.He caught me staring and cleared his throat, pulling my attention back to his face—or rather, the gold mask that covered half of it.“I heard about the booby trap,” he started. His deep voice was steady as usual, yet somehow softer than I’d expected.My
RUBY'S POVI whistled a tune to myself as I stepped out of my room, my gym bag slung over my shoulder. Four days had passed since Dominic’s unexpected visit, and though I hadn’t heard from him since, his words still echoed in my head. I wasn’t sure if he’d done anything to Gabriel yet, but things had been surprisingly calm. No threatening letters, no booby traps—just the quiet presence of Ambrose’s men, stationed at my house.I glanced back at the two men in camouflage standing in the living room. “I left some apple pie on the kitchen counter,” I told them with a smile. “Help yourselves whenever you’re hungry.”One of them nodded. “Thank you, Miss DanCliffe. Be safe out there.”I gave a small wave as I headed out the door. Sliding into the driver’s seat of my car, I tossed my phone, Airpods and water bottle into the passenger seat and adjusted the rearview mirror. As I backed out of the driveway, I noticed a white car parked a few yards away. I didn’t think much of it—probably a neigh
RUBY'S POV“I…I’m sorry,” I choked out, wiping at my cheeks, but the tears kept coming.Dominic leaned closer, his voice lower now, almost gentle. “Stop apologizing.”I shook my head, trying to explain. “I just…I’ve been holding it all in, and I don’t know how to…”“Ruby.” His voice cut through my panic. “You don’t have to explain anything.”And somehow, with just those words, I felt safer than I had in weeks.Dominic’s arms wrapped tighter around me as I continued to cry, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself feel safe. Safe in a way I hadn’t been since my father was alive. The world had forced me to grow up too fast after he was gone. Eleven years of being strong, being tough, being everything except vulnerable. But now, in Dominic’s arms, I felt like a little girl again. Protected.The pendant around my neck, the one my father had given me, pressed between us, almost like he was here with me. Like he was telling me that I wasn’t alone anymore. Like he appr
RUBY'S POVI stared at him, dumbfounded, as the words sank in.“You what?”He didn’t respond. Instead, he grabbed my hand again, his grip firm but not uncomfortable, and started leading me down the street.“Where are we going, anyway?"“You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied.As much as I hated to admit it, the fact that he could make things happen with just a phone call was… impressive. Annoying, but impressive.The man was a walking enigma—one minute, he was a cold, unapproachable masked figure covered in mystery. The next, he was casually arranging for someone to relocate my car, as if that was just something people did every day.I sighed, letting him pull me along. Whatever this was, I had a feeling arguing wasn’t going to get me anywhere.Dominic led me to his car, parked a few meters away, and I stopped in my tracks when I saw it. A sleek Italian car—Lamborghini, of course—gleamed under the morning sunlight. Its design was so sharp and aggressive that it looked like it could
DOMINIC'S POVI gripped the wheel tighter, trying to keep my focus on the road instead of the woman sitting beside me. I'd been on the way to meet Damien for brunch when I had the thought to call Ruby. And thank God that I did. The thought of that bastard ex husband touching her was enough to heat me up with anger.Ruby had been uncharacteristically silent since we left the gym. Usually, she’d be throwing sarcastic remarks my way or filling the space with questions I didn’t want to answer. Was she put off by what I did? Perhaps I was too forward by asking her to grope me in my car. After all, she was still scarred by her ex. Hell, she was just chased all around Seattle by the man. She was most definitely still processing all that had happened that morning.I snorted to myself as I maneuvered my car past a white van. Since when did I start to care about the feelings of my flings? But this quiet version of her was just as dangerous as her loud side. Her presence alone was enough to unr
AMBROSE'S POVGabriel was about to destroy everything I worked for.I paced the length of my study, fists balled at my sides, barely able to contain my rage. Ruby’s house had been booby-trapped, and I knew exactly who was behind it. Gabriel. That imbecile was trying to pull a power move, as if he wasn’t already skating on thin ice. After everything I’d done for him—elevating his position, introducing him to Ruby in the first place—this was how he repaid me? By acting impulsively and threatening everything I’d built over the last eleven years?It wasn’t Ruby I was worried about, not really. She was just a tool for me, a means to an end. Gabriel’s reckless stunt could jeopardize our plans, could shine an unwanted spotlight on everything I’d worked so hard to bury under layers of manipulation. The girl had been useful, blissfully unaware of her own role in all this, but now things were getting messy.Too messy.Gabriel was supposed to be a partner. But lately, he’d been more trouble tha
RUBY'S POVRain pelted down on my umbrella as I walked briskly along the sidewalk, keeping my head low and my eyes sharp. Every sound felt amplified—the squelch of my boots on wet pavement, the hum of cars, the occasional splatter of rain hitting puddles. I couldn't stop glancing over my shoulder, paranoid that Gabriel was lurking somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again. It had been days since he stalked me all around the city, but the fear hadn't lessened. If anything, it had only grown stronger.Dominic had warned me to stop taking my car out, claiming it was too flashy and too recognizable. "You want to hand him a road map to find you?" he'd said to me, when he called yesterday. So now, here I was, taking public buses like a regular person and feeling more exposed than ever.When I spotted the dark green Audi parked by the curb, just as Dominic had described, I took a breath of relief. It wasn’t one of his more ostentatious cars, but I could tell he was inside.
Dominic’s POVI let go of her long enough to lead her to the bed. The first order of business was to pull down the bedding. Then I turned back to beautiful Ruby, glad she’d been too busy looking at me to start undressing. I wanted to undress her myself.She was already gathering her dress in her hands, ready to lift. I was at her side in a second. “No, no, no. That’s my job. Have I mentioned how much I like this dress?” She shook her head.“Well, I do.” My fingertips went to her shoulders. So close to bare, and yet those two delicate straps were all that stood between me and seeing those pert little breasts. Tasting them and making those nipples bud for me.I slipped one finger under each strap. “It must have been so hard for the men in your flight to concentrate." I murmured. "One look at you in your sundress and they would have been done for. I can barely even look at you with control. Waiting for the hem to climb up those gorgeous thighs. Picturing what lay beneath.” Ruby's breat
Dominic's POVRuby sat on the bed, legs crossed, wearing that yellow dress that had no business looking as good as it did on her. It stuck to her body in all the right places, and the color made her red hair even more striking.She was a perfect distraction.She smiled at me with a playful glint in her eyes. "I’m going to do my best to take your mind off the obvious problem."I let out a dry chuckle and leaned back against the couch. "I’d love to see how you plan on distracting me from the fact that my daughter is in danger."She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh my God, Dominic. Just play along."I shook my head, but I was already smiling. "Fine. What do you have in mind?"She adjusted herself, resting her chin on her palm. "Tell me about the women in your life these past five years. Since I was gone, I assume you kept yourself busy?"I huffed and laid sideways on the couch. "You really want to hear about that?"She shrugged. "We need something to do while waiting for Damien’s update.
Ambrose’s POVI walked out of the store room and typed out the message. Short. Precise. The kind of thing that would drive a blade straight into Dominic’s chest.“I wonder how it feels to know your daughter is slipping through your fingers as we speak. Tick tock, tick tock. Time is running out. If you ever want to see your daughter again, you will do exactly as I say. Instructions will be relayed to you very soon. I don't want any cops or dumb tricks. You know what to do.”I read it over once, then sent it. A moment later, the screen blinked. The message had been delivered.I stared at Ariel's name glowing at the top of the message. The irony of it almost made me laugh. There was something delicious about making a father’s worst nightmare come true.I slid the phone back into my pocket and sighed, walking to the rusty elevator and taking It back up. When I got up, I walked past the smoking men and stepped out into the cool night air. Chicago was quieter than usual, even though I knew
Ambrose's POVThe building smelled of dead animals. It was an old hotel, now reduced to nothing but dust and silence. I stepped over a broken floorboard, my polished shoe grinding against the dirt under me. The place was barely standing. The ceiling sagged in places and the corners darkened with mold, but it would serve me for now, at least.Some of my old and loyal men were sitting on a wooden slab in the middle of the room, smoking and drinking. When they saw me, they gave me deferent bows. A few of them waved, and I waved back. I had called them together at such short notice, but they still came. It was good to know that they were still loyal to me. I would pay them handsomely once this was over.I walked toward the rusted iron elevator, its metal cage rattling as I stepped inside. The doors groaned as they slid shut and with a shudder, the elevator descended. Dominic Rutherford had taken everything I worked for away from me. Rachael was meant to be mine, but he stole her. And wh
Dominic’s POV“Oh, my God!” Ruby screamed.She sprang to her feet and started pacing her hotel room. Her hands tangled in her hair, her pants legs flapping against each other as she walked about. I'd told her about everything, from the news of the prison break that I got during the meeting, to Ariel being kidnapped at home, to her boyfriend who was in the house when it happened.“You’re telling me some random guy just waltzed into your house and claimed to be Ariel’s boyfriend?" She roared. "And you let him go? What If he was behind it all?”I squeezed my eyes shut. “He said he was in a long-distance relationship with her. That they met when she was in Switzerland.”Ruby spun on her heel, eyes burning into me. “And you believed him? Dominic, I thought you were smarter than this.”I scoffed. “Hell yes, I am. But he didn’t seem like a threat. If he was dangerous, I’d have known. Trust me, Ruby, I have been around a lot of dangerous people, and that Brandon boy is not one of them."Her a
Ruby's POVJust like that, five years disappeared between us.Five long years, and now I was standing here, face to face with the man I had once given my entire heart to.There was a whole myriad of emotions within me. But more than anything, I felt love. Because despite everything that had happened, despite the distance and the silence and the longing, despite every reason I had given myself to move on… I never really moved on from him.I let my eyes roam over him, drinking in every change that time had carved into him. Five years had really done him good.He was broader now, his body was solid with muscle like he had spent every day training, pushing himself harder. His hair which used to be in a ponytail was now styled into neat, sharp cornrows that framed his face perfectly. A well-trimmed beard lined his jaw, making him look even more powerful and more manly.And God help me, he looked so... fucking.... good!I felt my heart stutter, and for the first time in a long time I was br
Dominic's POVThe Basement was filled with voices but none were louder than mine."Spread out!" I roared, slamming a fist against the table. "I don’t want excuses! I want results! Do you hear me?"The metal rattled under my hand, but I didn’t care. My men scrambled around, some on their phones, others poring over maps and documents. None of them moved fast enough for me. Ariel was missing, and the more time we wasted, the more danger she was in.I knew it was Ambrose. There was no doubt in my mind. That bastard had taken her, and I had let it happen.I balled my fists so tight that they hurt. I kept running last night over in my head, every single mistake, every moment I should have done something differently.I should have never told the men that guarded my house to go home. The house had been unprotected because I thought for one damn second that we could let our guard down. I should have gone home after that call with Ariel, not go to the bar with Damien. I should have..."Sir."I
Ruby's POV"I understand what you’re saying, Martin, but we are not doing another take of that scene."I held my phone between my shoulder and ear, flipping through a thick script with one hand while signing a document with the other. My assistant stood beside me, watching with nervous eyes as I scrawled my signature across the last page."I don't care if the lighting was slightly off," I continued, shifting the phone back into my hand as I turned to grab a bottle of water. "The emotion was perfect. The moment was perfect. If you ask me to reshoot it again, I swear I’ll throw something at you."Martin the director laughed on the other end of the line. "Fine, fine. You win, DanCliffe. You always do.""Exactly."The assistant took the signed document from me and scurried off. Another person approached with a clipboard, but I raised a hand. "Not now. Give me a second to breathe."She hesitated before nodding and stepping back. I squeezed my eyes shut, rubbing my temples. My head was poun
Dominic's POVThe Chief’s words played over and over in my head. Eight inmates had escaped, and not a single one had been found. It didn’t make sense. How could a group that large vanish without a trace? Someone had helped them. Someone with power and enough resources.I gripped my whiskey glass and set it down hard. The sound made Damien glance at me. He could see the frustration in my face."Dominic," he murmured in warning.I shook my head. "He’s the Chief of Police. How does he not have a single lead? Not even one?"Damien leaned back, stretching his arm across the booth. "Agitating yourself isn’t going to change anything.""So what do you suggest?"He looked at me for a long moment. "We need to get some sleep. We regroup in the morning and think about our next step then."I opened my mouth to argue, but he raised a hand. "No arguments. You know I’m right."I ran a hand over my face. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."We finished our drinks in silence. Damien paid the bill, and we walked out