Ruby (24 page)

“
We all do. She’s a jinn.
A magical being from Sloan’s world that comes to visit on occasion.
Why?” She turned to look at him when he didn’t answer her. “Did she
give you something?”

Josh nodded and paused in mid-dress.
Ruby walked toward him slowly. He could see her concern and, to be
honest, he was sort of afraid himself. What had she given him? And
better yet, what was it going to do to him?

“
She said she was going to
give me a gift. That the wolf in me is like yours, wild.” Ruby
touched him but said nothing as he stood there. “She touched me,
and I felt it. It was like sex, and…and more sex.”

“
I have it too. It’s
magic.” He nodded, not sure what to say to that. He barely believed
that he could shift into a wolf. His friend was a vampire, and his
mate was going to have pups one day. “You’re freaking
out.”

“
I am.” He felt her
fingers over his body as she finished dressing him. He could have
done it for himself, but he was enjoying her taking care of him.
“What sort of magic will I have?”

“
I don’t know.” He didn’t
like that answer and nearly turned to her. “No, just let me finish
this. I need this too. She gave me something more a few weeks after
I graduated from college. I had been really stressed and was out on
a run when she came to me. Sneaky little shit, if you ask me.
Anyway, she asked me if she could give me the rest of my gift. I
was so out of it, exhausted, dealing with Cochran. I had this pile
of bills that were taking me under, so I sort of sarcastically told
her sure, lay it on me.”

He turned to look at her then and put
his tie on his neck. Josh decided that he wasn’t going to tie it,
but it gave his hands something to do. “What was it? What did she
do to you?”

“
It was power.” He nodded.
That was what he’d gotten too. Power, not just of his body, because
he knew that she’d done that, but of his mind as well. But there
was more. He’d bet his life on it. “I think it’s what makes it so I
can be a good surgeon.”

“
No. You
are
a good surgeon.”
He’d never seen her at work, but he’d bet that she could stand up
more and do more because of what she had gotten, but not that it
enhanced her abilities. “She made you a stronger being.”

Ruby nodded and kissed him. “I love
you. I know…I know you say you love me, but it might be because you
think—”

“
I love you.” Tears sprang
into her eyes, and he pulled her to him. “I love you so much, Ruby.
I want you to be my wife. Forever and ever.”

“
I will.” He pulled out
the ring he’d gotten several days ago and handed it to her. She
stared at it until he pulled her hand to his and slipped it on.
Then he kissed her again when she seemed to be speechless. “Can we
do this small?”

“
I’m sure we can try.” He
laughed when she poked him in the ribs. “I’m pretty sure your
family does nothing small. Especially not weddings.”

“
You might be right about
that.” He held her until she pulled away enough to look up at him.
“I’d also like to ask you a favor. Not a big one, but still I can
ask.”

“
Anything.” Then he
thought about it when she smiled. “Within reason. I have the right
to say no.”

“
That’s not fair.” He
kissed her on the nose and asked her what she needed. “I want to go
to Ireland. I’ve never been anywhere, and I want to go. We don’t
have to go for very long, just—”

“
We’ll go there for our
honeymoon.” He kissed her again and thought of showing her another
country. A lot of other countries. “We’ll make a month long trip of
it and have the time of our lives, okay?”

“
I love it. I love you.”
As she left his office, Josh pulled his shirt up again and looked
at the mark there. He’d noticed it before she came to him and
now…he could see now that it was darker than it had been before.
And now it looked like a wolf. He’d seen hers on her lower back
when she’d been dressing. It was a dead-on match. Josh shivered. He
wondered what the fuck was going on now.

Rubbing his hand over the
six-by-six-inch mark, he felt his wolf rumble at him, as if he were
resting and Josh had awakened him. Josh pulled his shirt down again
and closed his eyes. His wolf was standing there, as if he was
waiting.

“
We’re one.” The wolf
nodded, and Josh was afraid. “Are you…can you hurt me? Hurt
Ruby?”

For an answer, he lay down but watched
him. He rubbed his hand over the mark again and watched as his head
rose up, but he didn’t move. Josh wanted to ask him what this
meant, but couldn’t figure out how to have a conversation with
himself without feeling stupid.

I am wolf. You are
wolf
. Josh nodded this time when his wolf
seemed to speak to him in his mind.
We are
one, but we are not. I will protect you and her wolf, my mate, will
protect her
.

“
You’re saying that you’re
stronger than me?” The wolf nodded. “And this she-wolf, your mate,
she’s the one that attacked Blair that day?”

Alpha should not have come
to us. Mate was in control
. He wanted to
point out that Ruby had almost died then, but he seemed to
understand.
She would not have allowed it.
We are the protectors
.

“
And what are we?” The
wolf stood up then and stretched. He looked magnificent standing
there and for the briefest second, Josh envied him. “You didn’t
answer me.”

We are
one
. And with that, he turned his back on
him and seemed to fade away. But Josh had a feeling he wasn’t that
far away and if he needed him, either of them needed him, he was
there.

Chapter 16

Dwight held his breath as the doors to
the kitchen were opened for the first time. He had been
anticipating this for a week now, and he was nearly sick with worry
it would fail. A hand on his back nearly had him screaming, but he
turned to see Josh standing there. His family was at the food line
waiting for their first guest.

“
You did well.” Dwight
looked around the huge space and nodded. He told Josh that it was
all their doing. “You did it. We couldn’t have opened without
you.”

In addition to the long food line that
would serve a hot breakfast and dinner, it would also have a clinic
for them, showers to use, and beds. Plenty of beds to house over
three hundred men and women. There was even going to be someone in
to cut hair if they wanted, and a place to use computers and
phones. He’d even suggested that they put in a nice place for
people to get practice interviews for upcoming jobs. That had been
put in just yesterday, with a staff of five to help out.

“
The clothing bank is
going to be busy.” There was already a line of people waiting their
turn to see what there was. And there was plenty to go around. And
the Gems had gone out and got enough new underwear and sock
donations so that every person that showed up would get a new pair
weekly.

“
I think the place will
help more people than we thought.” Dwight nodded. He just hoped it
helped enough. “You’re going to be fine here, Dwight. This is a
good thing you’re doing.”

“
I should be in prison,
not here doing this.” He looked at his friend. “How did you manage
to kill me off like that? I was sure that when the police showed up
here last night for the grand opening, they were going to take me
away.”

“
It helps to have people
in high places.” Dwight looked at Sloan and Opal, the two most
terrifying people he’d come across. He had no idea why they
frightened him so much, but whenever either of them spoke to him,
he wanted to whimper, crawl into a ball, and suck his thumb. He
told that to Josh, who had simply laughed at him.

Dwight had a new name too. They all
still called him Dwight, of course, but for the public he was
simply D. Coldwell Wight. His grandmother’s maiden name and a play
on his first name.

“
Mr. Wight, there’s a
problem with the potatoes.” He looked at the young man and tried to
think what his name was. “It’s Shaun, sir. My mother is the cook
for Mr. Ewing.”

“
That’s right. I remember
now. It’s going to take me a few days to get you all straight.” And
Dwight would too. He was turning over a new leaf and being a better
person. “What’s wrong with the potatoes?”

“
Mr. Bart says they need
more salt. Mrs. Erickson says no. I think they’re going to get into
it again.” Dwight hid a smile. The boy sounded afraid. “If they get
into it again, I don’t think the food will make it to the hot
table.”

As Dwight followed Shaun
to the kitchen, he thought about his life up until this point. He
was lucky. More than lucky, he was
fucking
lucky. He could be dead or
in prison right now instead of running the largest soup kitchen in
the state. And he had friends, more than he’d had his entire life.
He entered the kitchen just as Josh went in ahead of him. He nearly
fell back when he saw all the people.

“
Surprise,” they all
shouted, just as Josh pulled him into the room. He looked around at
all the people and the friend he’d just been thinking about and
nearly cried. Instead, he hugged all that would let him, and some
that wouldn’t. Bart pulled him to him and held him the
longest.

“
You best be doing this
bang-up of a job every day. If not, I’m not gonna leave this place
nothing.” Dwight looked at the elderly man. “I’m getting too old
for this crap. My poor old body done wants the long
nap.”

“
Don’t say that. We need
you. Hell, I need you.” Bart nodded and looked around the room.
Dwight did as well. “They love you very much. I do as
well.”

“
I’ve grown fond of you
too. More’n I thought a man could again. Like…you been like a son
to me these last weeks.” Bart hugged him again. “You have to take
this here for me. Use it like I said.”

The envelope felt heavy in his hand,
and he started to ask him what it was, but looked into his eyes.
Bart looked…he looked tired and worn out. Dwight nodded, holding
hard onto the sorrow he felt. Bart was not long for this
world.

“
Are you staying here
tonight? There’s a bed here for you. All the time, and you’re to
use it.” Dwight knew that Bart had been asked to live with Rufus
and Bri, but he’d told them that he’d rather be out where he could
be free. But he’d been sleeping here since they’d put in his
bed.

“
You make sure that you
use it like I say.” Dwight nodded and felt the sadness of his
words. “Don’t you be acting like this. Hardest thing I’m doing
right now.”

“
I understand.” He did
too. Bart was telling him goodbye. And whatever was in the
envelope, he’d do whatever it said no matter the cost or time. “I’m
going to miss you.”

“
I’ll miss you too. Take
care of that girl for me. She’s not got the sense God gave a dog.
If’n you don’t keep an eye on her, she’ll be out every day bringing
folks in and making them eat.” Dwight nodded again. “And you’d
better listen to them boys too. They got you covered, and if you
fuck them, I’ll come back here for your ass.”

“
I’m not going to mess up
again.” Bart told him he’d better not. “Are you going to talk to
Bri?”

“
Can’t.” Dwight understood
this too. “You take care and don’t be messing with me in the
morning. I’m gonna have me a long, nice, warm nap. You remember
that.”

“
I will.” Bart walked away
and stood in line to get some food. Dwight wanted to go to him to
beg him not to leave him, but he didn’t. Instead, he stuffed the
envelope into his pocket for safe keeping and went to fill plates
or wherever else he was needed. Dwight was going to lose the best
father he’d ever had, and he didn’t know what to do.

~~~

Josh watched as the old man was taken
out. He’d died in his sleep as peacefully as possible. There was a
smile on his face, as if he’d seen something or someone he liked.
Josh knew that the man was in a better place. He looked over at
Dwight, who was talking to a strange woman. She smiled at Dwight
and shook his hand before leaving him. Dwight turned and looked
right at him, and Josh went to see him.

“
He left it to us.” Josh
asked him what. “Bart…Bartholomew Peter Winchester the ninth. That
was his name. Bart was some lord or something.”

“
Ruby and I figured it was
something other than him being a homeless man.” Dwight handed him
the envelope. “What’s this?”

“
Money.” Josh opened it
and saw the check and then the amount it was for. He staggered back
against the wall, just as Dwight started laughing. “That’s just
what I thought too. His lawyer showed up here just as the ambulance
did. She said he’d called her last night late and asked her to come
by with everything. There’s something there for your sister too. A
locket. I’m supposed to have you give it to her.” Josh nodded and
put the small heavy envelope in his pocket.

“
It’s made out to the
foundation you started. Christ, Dwight, you can do so much with
this.” Dwight nodded, and Josh noticed the tears. “He trusted you
with this. That is a hell of an honor.”