RUBY’S POV
"YOU DIVORCED GABRIEL?!" Ariana’s voice tore through the pounding bass of the club, loud enough to make the heads of nearby patrons turn. Her bright blue eyes were wide with shock, her curly black hair bouncing as she leaned closer to me. “Yes, I divorced Gabriel,” I shouted back, rolling my eyes as I took a sip of my martini. “I told you this already!” “No, no, no,” Ariana insisted, waving her manicured hand. “You said you were thinking about it. You didn’t say you actually did it! When did this happen?” “Today!” I yelled, the thudding beat of the music forcing us to scream over it. “Oh, my God!” she shrieked, grabbing my arm. “Finally!” Lilac, sitting calmly across the table with her signature poised demeanor, sipped her wine and gave me a knowing smile. Her warm hazel eyes twinkled under the neon lights of the club. "About time, Ruby. I mean, the man was a walking red flag. I’m proud of you for leaving him.” “Thanks, Lilac,” I said, flashing her a grateful smile before Ariana butted in again. “But wait—what happened? You didn’t tell us the juicy details!” she demanded. I hesitated, my eyes darting to the dance floor where bodies moved to the music. The truth still stung, but I knew I couldn’t avoid it. "I caught him fucking Julia,” I said flatly, setting my glass down. “I found out this morning." Ariana’s jaw dropped, and Lilac’s face hardened. “With Julia?” Lilac asked. “Yeah, the b!tch,” I spat. “I walked in on them in our bedroom. He didn’t even bother to hide it.” Ariana gasped so loudly that even the DJ seemed to falter. “You walked in on them?! In your house?!” “Yup.” I downed the rest of my martini in one gulp. “I left, told my lawyer to prepare divorce papers, and now here I am. Free.” Lilac shook her head, her several face piercings glinting under the light. She reached across the table and placed a hand on mine. “You deserve better, Ruby. Gabriel was an idiot to mess this up.” “Damn right!” Ariana chimed in, tossing her curly hair over her shoulder. “Now, enough about him. We’re here to celebrate your freedom! Drinks, dancing, and maybe some cute guys to flirt with.” “Or girls,” Lilac added, her gaze drifting to a tall brunette in a red dress who was dancing near the bar. Ariana caught the direction of her gaze and smirked. “Lilac, you’re shameless.” Lilac shrugged, a sly grin spreading across her face. “What can I say? Strong women in heels are my weakness.” I laughed for the first time in what felt like years, a genuine, deep laugh that bubbled up from my chest. “You two are impossible.” “And you love us for it,” Ariana said with a wink. “Now, speaking of strong and sexy, have you heard about Dominic Rutherford?” I raised an eyebrow. “Who?” Ariana leaned in with mischief in her eyes. “Dominic Rutherford. Business tycoon, filthy rich, always wears a mask, but nobody knows why. They say he’s ruthless, cold, and terrifyingly hot.” Lilac snorted. “A mask? Seriously? What is this, a billionaire superhero story?” “No, I’m serious!” Ariana insisted. “He’s in his late forties, but women lose their minds over him. I mean, no one really knows why he wears the mask, but apparently, it only makes him more mysterious and irresistible. If he asked for one night, no woman would say no. I definitely would not say no.” I scoffed, leaning back in my seat. “An older guy in a mask? Please. If he were younger, maybe I’d be interested. But I'm just twenty five. He's too old for me, and frankly, no man is that attractive.” As if on cue, the energy in the room shifted. The chatter around us grew hushed, and heads turned toward the entrance. We stopped our conversation and followed their gazes. He walked in like he owned the place—tall, broad-shouldered, and showing an aura of power so intense it felt like he stole the very air in the room. His ink-black hair was perfectly styled, held up in a ponytail, and his piercing blue eyes, visible even from across the room, scanned the crowd with a detached confidence. And then there was the mask. It looked like it was made of pure gold, and it covered the left side of his face, but it didn’t look as bad as I thought it would. If anything, it made him more intriguing, more commanding. Dominic Rutherford. “Speak of the devil,” Ariana whispered as she nudged me. "Oh, God. He Is so unbelievably hot!" I hated how my pulse quickened at the sight of him, how my gaze involuntarily traced the sharp cut of his jaw and the way his suit clung to his muscular frame. I didn’t even know the man, but something about him made my skin tingle. To cover my reaction, I turned to Ariana and rolled my eyes. “He’s not that impressive,” I grunted. "Okay, he's wearing a mask. And so what?" Ariana raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because you look like you’re about to combust.” “I’m not,” I snapped. “If anything, that mask is ridiculous. What’s he hiding? A bad facelift?” Lilac stifled a laugh behind her glass, and Ariana shot me a skeptical look. “Uh-huh. Sure, Ruby. Whatever you say.” I ignored her, grabbing my bag and standing abruptly. “This party’s boring. Let’s find another club.” Ariana and Lilac exchanged confused glances but didn’t argue. They followed me out of the club, the thumping music fading into the background as we stepped into the cool night air. As we walked toward the car, I couldn’t shake the image of Dominic Rutherford from my mind. I clenched my jaw, forcing the thoughts away. He was just a man—a stranger I would never see again. And yet, as I climbed into the car with my friends, I couldn’t help but wonder why I was so drawn to him. It made no sense. I’d never met him before. But something about Dominic Rutherford had already found a place in my mind, and I hated it.RUBY'S POVIt was barely noon the next day, and Dominic Rutherford was already invading my thoughts again. I sat on the edge of my hotel bed, staring at the TV that I’d muted hours ago, fiddling with a loose thread on my robe and trying to push that accursed masked man out of my head.Why was I still thinking about him? It wasn’t like me to get caught up over a man, especially one I hadn’t even spoken to or seen exactly how he looks, except through the MASK. ESPECIALLY one who looked so dangerous. Yet his bright blue eyes, the commanding way he carried himself, and that stupid gold mask were all I could see.Before I could spiral further, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I lunged for it, hoping for a distraction. Thank the Lord!“Ariana!” I called out, forcing a cheerful tone.“Well, well, someone’s up early after ditching us last night.” Her voice was teasing, but I could hear the curiosity behind it.“I didn’t ditch you,” I argued, leaning back against the headboard. “The club was
RUBY'S POVDominic Rutherford's growl shocked me just as much as it shocked Julia. I sprang back, pressing myself against the corner of the bathroom. The water from the sink still burned against my throat, and I coughed and spluttered to get it all out.Julia froze, her hands trembling as she backed away from me. Her confidence seemed to crumble under his sharp glare, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I saw fear in her eyes.Dominic Rutherford stepped further inside, his presence consuming the room. “I asked you a question, woman, and for your own good, you'd better answer me."“I—I wasn’t—” Julia stammered, but Dominic Rutherford cut her off with a single, biting word.“Enough.”He turned to me then, his eyes locking into mine just enough to make my knees wobble. Before I could speak or even breathe properly, his strong hand wrapped around my arm, pulling me up with ease.The heat of his touch startled me, but it was his scent that undid me. A heady mix of dark ambe
RUBY'S POV "You are such a stubborn woman!" He growled, his breath heating my face. "I like my women subservient—" "Then maybe you should leave me alone!" I spat. "—but there is something about you," he continued, as if he didn't hear me. His lips moved, trailing a heated line from my ear, down my neck and back. His hand was still around my neck, holding me in place. Excited goosebumps were spiralling down my body at this point. "You need to be punished." He said suddenly, letting go of my neck. The force of his words left me speechless for a second. "Punished?" I whispered. "Yes." He replied. "For being so feisty." And with one sweep of his arm, he lifted me in the air and placed me to sit on the sink. Kiss me! I screamed in my head with a strange, unfamiliar need, completely captivated by him. I was staring openly at Dominic Rutherford's Cupid's bow mouth now, utterly mesmerized, and he was looking down at me, his gaze hooded, his eyes darkening. I knew I shouldn't be doin
RUBY'S POVTaste. Those lips. That tongue. I didn’t need any more encouragement. My hands began to travel, over my neck, back over my breasts, pressing them together, my nipples peeking through my fingers. Dominic Rutherford leaned forward and ran his tongue over them, one peak and then the next. Lick, swirl, lick.My hands went to his hair. His name whispered from my lips.More licking, a delicate scrape of teeth, and then he leaned back. “Show me more. Where do you need me?"Oh, I needed him all right. The fingers of one hand slid seductively down my stomach, through my underwear and the triangle of curls above my clit. I touched myself, stroked my clit, slid my fingers into the wet heat dripping from my core. "Here," I said. “I need you here.”He pressed my legs wider and pushed my panties until they slid down my legs. Then his strong fingers brushed up and down my thighs, slow and seductive. His lashes lowered, head tilted as he watched me caress my sensitive flesh, until he cov
RUBY'S POV What the hell did I just do?I leaned against the cold sink in the bathroom, my hands trembling as I tried to steady myself. My reflection in the mirror looked just as lost as I felt. My red lipstick was smeared, my hair was a mess, and my dress clung to me in all the wrong ways. How had I let myself get carried away like that?Dominic Rutherford. His name echoed in my head like a curse. A stranger. A man I had barely known for all of five minutes, and yet I’d let him pull me into something reckless and stupid.Unprotected sex!This wasn’t me. I wasn’t the type to lose control, to throw caution to the wind. I was sharp, calculated, and independent. But somehow, around him, I became a version of myself I didn’t recognize—soft, pliant, and completely at his mercy. What had he done to me?I quickly adjusted my dress and reached for my mask, pulling it over my face. The voices outside the bathroom grew louder, and panic bubbled in my chest. I had to get out of here. I had to p
RUBY'S POV "Ugh! You stink like you drank the entire bar!"I jolted awake with a gasp. The first thing I felt was an intense pain in my temple. My head pounded as if someone were using my skull as a drum. I squinted against the sunlight pouring in through the curtains and groaned, pressing a hand to my temples. My mouth tasted like I’d chewed on a sock soaked in cheap whiskey.Turning my head slightly, I realized I wasn’t on the couch where I’d passed out last night. No, this was a bed—a soft, inviting bed that smelled faintly of lavender. Ariana’s bed.“How…?” I croaked.“You were a mess last night,” Ariana’s voice came from across the room. She was perched on a stool before her vanity, her face smeared with some white, creamy substance that made her look like a ghost. “Drinking yourself stupid at the bar. Your driver had to half-carry you here. Do you remember?”Ah, yes. I remembered that much now. Vaguely. The bar, the drink I demanded, the suffocating noise… and then nothing.I s
DOMINIC'S POV "We're here, boss." I didn’t bother answering my driver. Instead, I motioned for him to leave. “Get out and take a smoke. I need a moment.” “Yes, sir.” He nodded, turned off the ignition, and stepped out into the drizzle. I watched him walk a few feet away, his silhouette barely visible through the rain-splattered windshield as he moved under a shade and lit a cigarette. Once I was sure he was out of earshot, I pulled my phone from the pocket of my jacket. My thumb hovered over a secure app before I tapped it, initiating the call. The line clicked after two rings. “Don Dominic,” came the familiar rasp of Rocco’s voice. Always too casual, too comfortable. “What’s taking so long?” I snapped. "Tuesday was what you promised. Today Is Friday." “Ah, buona sera, boss,” Rocco replied smoothly, as though we were old friends chatting over wine. “I see you’re in one of your moods again.” “This isn’t about moods,” I said sharply. “Five years, Rocco. Five years I’ve ke
DOMINIC'S POVThe rain hadn’t let up. It kept hammering against the roof of the car like an impatient messenger. I stared at the image of Ruby on my laptop screen, trying to arrange my tangled, messy thoughts.I should tell Damien.The logical part of me knew that keeping this information from him would be a betrayal. We’d been friends for well over a decade, and finding Ruby had been Damien’s obsession for years. He deserved to know that his sister was alive, safe, and living her life in plain sight.But then there was the other side of me—the selfish side. The side that wanted Ruby close, where I could see her, where I could have her. And that thought made my stomach churn, because I wasn’t sure I could control myself around her.My phone buzzed on the seat beside me, jolting me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen.Damien.“Of course,” I muttered under my breath. As if the universe had decided to test me at the worst possible moment.I stared at the screen, debating. Answering
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