AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But how do you know? How do you know that Gina’s parents knew your father was abusing their daughter?”
“Gina had this friend. Marie Cooke. Marie came to me when I was a young officer right out of the academy. I’m not sure how she found me. She was one of the only people Gina confided in about what was going on, and even then, she wouldn’t go into any detail or name any names. But I knew exactly what she was talking about. Remember, my father tried to rape me. That’s why I left.
“Anyway, Marie said that Gina’s father had come to her and told her not to come around anymore. That she’d better stay away and not breathe a word of anything to anyone, or the same thing would happen to her.”
My mouth dropped open. “I suppose he could’ve been talking about something else entirely.”
“What else could he have been talking about? What else was going on? Gina was your patient for a while. Was there anything else going on that he might have been talking about?”
No, there wasn’t. And although I really couldn’t discuss what went on in my sessions with Gina with Ruby, it certainly didn’t hurt to say one thing. “No. She never gave me any indication of any other traumatic event in her life.”
“They’re terrible, terrible people. I wish I didn’t have their DNA.”
“Your DNA doesn’t define you, Ruby. Your choices and your actions do. You joined the police force. You’re one of the good guys.”
“I try to be. But let me tell you, confidentially. There are times when I want to whip out my gun and shoot some of those people.”
“Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. My parents were horrible and neglectful people, very verbally and emotionally abusive. But compared to Gina, I was lucky. I was at least never physically or sexually abused by anyone. I’ve always wondered if I had it in me to be a parent. My own parents were terrible, and I possess their DNA. But you know what? I think I would be a good mother. I think I would like to have a child someday.” I chuckled nervously, taking a sip of my wine. That was the first time I had ever thought it consciously—that I might like to be a mother. “Of course, my biological clock is ticking away.”
“No, not really. Lots of women in their forties are having children now.”
“True. But as a physician, I know the risks of a pregnancy in later years.”
“Sure, there are more risks, but the odds are still in your favor.”
I couldn’t help a smile. There was something about Ruby Lee that I liked. She had a cautious optimism that was unusual, given her circumstances. “Was Lee your mother’s last name?”
She shook her head. “The name on my birth certificate is Ruby Lee Thornbush. That was her maiden name. Her first name was Diamond, no lie. I guess that’s where I got my gem of a name.” She chuckled. “After she died and I went to live with my father, he had it legally changed to Mathias. Once I turned eighteen, I decided I needed a new start, free of both of them. So I took my middle name as my last name.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said.
“I almost changed my first name as well. I never wanted to be named after a stone. I mean, look at me. I’m sort of a tomboy. With the name Ruby.” She let out a raucous laugh.
“Actually, I think Ruby suits you. You have beautiful features.”
“Now, don’t you start trying to make me over too.”
“Oh, God, no. I would never do anything Brooke Bailey would.” Ruby had no way of knowing that I was intimately acquainted with Brooke Bailey and that she had come on to Jonah. I had no great love for the woman, but I did feel sorry for her. Her boyfriend was a complete psycho, and although they couldn’t prove it, Talon and Jonah both believed that Nico Kostas had tried to have Brooke killed for insurance money. She was still living in Talon’s home, recuperating from her severe accident.
“I suppose, as a cop, it’s easier to be taken seriously if you don’t dress like a froufrou woman.”
Ruby looked down and stared at her wine glass. “Yeah. That’s it.”
She was hiding something. Her mannerisms were feminine, even though she dressed like a tomboy. Something was off. It didn’t take my experiences as a psychotherapist to know that. There was more to Ruby Lee than met the eye, and I had a feeling that before this mystery was solved, I would know her quite well.
Chapter Eight
Jonah
Melanie was no longer at home—at least not at my home. I’d told her to leave, to go to Talon’s. So that’s where I was going. I didn’t deserve to see her, but I needed to.
The drive took an hour, and it was near midnight when I rolled toward Talon’s ranch house. I didn’t expect anyone to be up, but luckily, I could see through the front picture window that the light in the kitchen at the back of the house was on.
I knocked quietly.
Talon’s dog, Roger, appeared in the window, his goofy canine smile on his face. Talon followed and opened the door.
“Joe? What are you doing here this late?”
