Page 100 of On Your Knees

But then I look at the High Castle website and social media, and I see a single memorial post commemorating his long service and devotion to the church. It’s so sterile that there’s no misunderstanding the fact that High Castle is keeping Clifford’s death as quiet as possible.

But the quiet doesn’t last.

I don’t know it at first because I’ve stopped looking at the news. Ethan is gone, still working on his just-in-case plans, and I’m sitting on the couch getting ahead of him in the Tanith Lee series that he started reading with me. He sleeps so little that he’s mostly caught me, but I want to win. I’ve been teasing him about it, and it’s fun.

The doorbell rings, yanking me out of Tanith Lee’s strange, dark world. My heart jumps. My first thought is police. Then I think Patrick. Then I think police again.

Ethan said that if the police come, I shouldn’t answer the door. But I have to know at least. I put my Kindle aside and walk silently across the apartment in my socks. I go to the door and look out through the peephole.

It’s not the police.

It’s not Patrick.

It’s Ruby.

My eyes narrow. I’ve thought a lot about her over the past few days, and I have a lot to say. So I open the door.

Ruby, dressed as neatly as always, looks instantly annoyed. She demands, “Where’s Ethan?”

“You’re evil.”

“Excuse me? Never mind. Where’s Ethan? He’s not answering his phone.”

“He’s not answering you. Stop calling him. Stop bothering him. Stop reminding him that you exist.”

Ruby blinks and looks like she’s seeing me for the first time. “Jensen just published his article. Ethan must do damage control with me.”

“He doesn’t have to do anything with you.”

Her lips purse. “You know nothing about what’s going on.”

I feel a strange, wicked smile pull at my mouth.

Ruby recoils slightly, stepping back. “What’s wrong with you?”

I start walking toward her. She backs away. I keep moving, realizing that there isn’t actually all that much I care about saying. I just want her to leave and not return.

I prowl toward her, backing her all the way to the elevator. She’s fumbling for the button, looking very alarmed, when the doors slide open, revealing Ethan.

His expression darkens at the sight of Ruby, then he looks at me, and his eyebrows jump. I only see it at the edge of my vision because I can’t take my eyes off Ruby.

As Ethan steps out of the elevator, Ruby scrambles past him to get in.

“Psychopath!” she mutters, jabbing at the buttons.

The doors slide shut.

“Levi?”

My eyes jump to Ethan. He doesn’t look upset. He just looks perplexed.

I tell him, “I don’t want her talking to you.”

He huffs slightly. “What happened? And I don’t want her talking to you either. Why’d you even answer the door?”

I answer his questions in reverse order. “To get rid of her. And it’s different. And it doesn’t matter.”

The corner of his mouth tugs. He takes my hand. As we start walking back to the open door of the penthouse, I feel the viciousness fade from me.