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“Then where is she?” he demands. He’s tried calling her multiple times, but she hasn’t answered
“I have tracked her to the Greyhound bus station. She is on a bus to Raleigh. It should be arriving soon. I will keep an eye on the cameras at the Raleigh station and will send you updates. She hasn’t turned her phone off, so you can still communicate with her,” Tex informs the men.
“I could if she would answer me,” Tank grumbles. He is on the move before Tex has finished giving his report. Hack is calling for Hawk and the others to follow. Hawk catches Tank before he can pull away. “Tank we can’t hold these men. They haven’t actually broken any laws. I have to let them go.”
“I know, Hawk. I hate it, but right now I need to find Ruby. She is on the run. I need to get her before she disappears for good. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Hawk nods and gives Tank his blessing. He will take care of covering his leave. He has plenty of time saved up.
38
RUBY
The bus pulling into the station at Raleigh wakes Ruby from a restless sleep. She is surprised she was even able to sleep, but she is emotionally and physically exhausted. As she disembarks from the bus, her phone dings. She’d almost forgotten she had it on her. She takes her phone out of her backpack and sees a message from Tank.
Tank-Hey, beautiful. Please tell me you’re, okay?
Ruby-I’m okay. I’m sorry I had to skip out on you tonight.
Tank-I know that something is going on with you. I wish you felt you could trust me enough to make it better for you. You know I would do anything for you.
Ruby-I know you would do anything for me, Tucker. I have never doubted it. It’s not that I don’t trust you; I do. It’s just I care about you too much to let my twisted past bring harm to you or the others.
Tank-Tell me where you are. I’ll come get you and we will figure this out together. Please, beautiful.
Ruby-I can’t take the risk. You mean too much to me. You made me care, Tucker. I never thought I would feel this way about anyone. It’s because I care that we can’t be together.
Tank-Don’t shut me out. I can’t let you go, not after I got a taste of you. I care about you, deeply. Please, baby, just tell me where you are.
Ruby-I’m so sorry. I should never have let this go on this long. I knew it couldn't last, but I was selfish. I had hoped we could have a little longer, but my past has come back to haunt me. I will never forget you, Tucker.
Ruby shuts the phone off. She can’t handle his pleas. She wants nothing more than to tell him where she is and let him come get her. She wants to be selfish and grab on to her heart’s desire, but she can’t if she truly loves him. He is more important than her needs. Ruby knows her father and brother will never stop until she is brought back into the fold. They want the evidence they believe she has against them and will stop at nothing to get it. Getting off the bus, Ruby heads to the ticket counter. She needs to get on another bus and keep moving.
At the ticket counter, she discovers that there aren’t any more buses leaving the station tonight. It will be six a.m. before the next bus leaves the station and it is headed back the way she came. She decides to find somewhere to spend the night. She will come back in the morning and get a ticket heading west. Ruby leaves the station. She turns the phone back on long enough to use the map app to find a local park. Once she knows where she is headed, she turns it back off. She feels guilty using the phone Tank got her, but it is very handy. It’s better she knows where she is going instead of wondering around like a tourist. It’s a sure way to get robbed.
Ruby finds the park she had seen on the map. She walks around the park looking for a safe place to try and catch some sleep. She finds a bench in a secluded part of the park. Using her backpack for a pillow, Ruby lays down on the bench and closes her eyes. She cries softly as she thinks about Tucker, Ellie, Jolene, Abigail, and everyone she has to leave behind. She hopes they will understand, but how can they? She left without any explanation. After a long while she finally cries herself to sleep.
Waking with a start, Ruby’s first thought is she’s so cold. A light rain has fallen while she’s been sleeping. Her next thought is she’s in serious trouble. Rough hands have pulled her from the bench and shoved her to the ground. Several men are around her. They have her hands behind her back before she is aware of what is happening. She struggles to get her hands free so she can get to the can of mace she always carries with her, but the men are too strong. She can’t get free. Her mind is racing, trying to think of anything that will keep the men from raping her as they’ve not tried to hide the fact that’s what they intend to do. One of the men kicks her, knocking the breath out of her. Then suddenly the weight on her back is gone. The men around her scattering like roaches when the lights come on.
Tank
Tank has driven like a madman from Jacksonville to Raleigh. He is thankful to his teammates that have readily followed him. Tex has assured him that Ruby is still in the city. There aren’t any buses that will leave Raleigh before six a.m. He’d pushed his luck when texting her. Trying to get her to tell him where she’s at, but he had to know if she is okay and let her know he will take care of her. He didn’t tell her he was coming for her. He knew she would bolt if she knew he was coming to get her. He knows her fear isn’t of him but of harm coming to him or their friends because of her connection to the mob.
Tex had reported he had seen her on a security camera, entering a city park. Tank heads straight for the park as he enters the city. He parks along the street near where Tex reports Ruby entered the park. His teammates pull in behind him. The men roll out of their vehicles. They split up and begin to search the park for her. As they move deeper into the park, Tank hears raised voices up ahead. He motions to Straw, Ace, and Hack. They fan out to surround the voices they hear coming from just up ahead.
“Come on girl. Don’t be that way. I promise I’ll make it good for you.” A male voice carries across the quite night. “You’re new here. You have to pay to sleep in our park, baby.”
“Look, asshole. I’m not paying you anything. Now fuck off, before I have to hurt you.” Ruby’s voice carries in the night air. Tank picks up the pace. If they have laid a finger on her, they are dead men walking. Tank rounds a corner, and his heart drops at the sight before him.
Ruby is on the ground next to a bench. Several large males are standing over her while another male is kneeling next to her. Ruby is struggling to get out of the man’s tight grip. He has her arms hauled up behind her back. He motions at one of the men to his right. Before Tank can react, the man has kicked Ruby in the side.
“Hold her down, dammit. I can’t hold her and fuck her,” The man on the ground with her yells at his friends. “You will all get a turn, but I go first. Now help me.” The man begins to fumble with the waistband of his pants as a couple of the other men hold Ruby’s arms. A whistle from behind them stops all the men’s movements. It’s a signal from Straw. He’s in position. Tank answers the call as the other men also answer. Everyone is in position. As a unit, they move in to overpower the men and secure Ruby.
Tank grabs the dickhead trying to rape his woman by his hair and the seat of his pants, jerking him back, and throwing him to the ground. Then with two quick punches to his face, the man is out. Tank would like to keep beating him, but he needs to get to his woman. Straw, Ace, and Hack have taken care of the other punks. Hurrying to her, Tank lifts her in his arms.
“Hey, beautiful. Are you hurt?” Tank runs his hands over her body, checking for injuries. She clings to him as if he is a dream she doesn’t want to wake up from. She buries her face into his shirt and breathes deeply. He growls liking that she’s taking in his scent.
“You are really here?” Ruby whispers as she places her hands on his face. “How did you find me?”
“Yeah, beautiful. I’m here,” Tank tells her. “I’ll always come for you whenever you need me.” He can’t resist adding his next statement. “You didn’t think you would get away from me that easily, did you?” She sucks in a breath at his statement, causing him to chuckle. He said those same words to her the first time they met. She stares at him in awe with her mouth agape. Tank leans down and kisses her. He makes love to her mouth. He has been so afraid he’d never see her again. He just has to reassure himself she is here, in his arms, safe and sound.
