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| ~This Week's Challenge~ |
This week's challenge for The Romantic Friday Writers is Lies! I thought I'd enter an excerpt from my soon to be released romantic suspense, Ruby Dawn.
The second book in the Shades of Hope series, Ruby Dawn introduces us to Ruby, a former foster kid, who reunites with her first love as they battle a vicious gang. Tom, now in the DEA, reappears in her life after going missing ten years ago bringing with him a secret Ruby thought was long hidden...
The second book in the Shades of Hope series, Ruby Dawn introduces us to Ruby, a former foster kid, who reunites with her first love as they battle a vicious gang. Tom, now in the DEA, reappears in her life after going missing ten years ago bringing with him a secret Ruby thought was long hidden...
Ruby Dawn ~
He stared, and then his face changed from concern to suspicion. “Y – You were there?”
He stared, and then his face changed from concern to suspicion. “Y – You were there?”
I nodded.
“What…how?”
“Let it go, Ben. It was a long time ago.”
Ben wrapped his hand around my arm and leaned forward.
“Ruby, this guy has brought nothing but destruction since he got here. What am I supposed to do, just let things fall apart?”
I pulled my arm away, irritated.
“That’s not fair. Tom didn’t do any of the damage. Antonio Llave got one of his boys to do it. It was the Culebra.”
“You’ve known all along who was behind the vandalism, they killed Dakota too.” It was a statement, not a question. Angry, he closed the file abruptly.
“Ben—”
“Does Tom know who did it?”
I nodded.
Ben’s expression hardened.
“I was afraid you’d go after him, Ben. He’s a dangerous guy. Antonio is with the Culebra street gang.”
Ben looked at me like I was a stranger. When he spoke, it was with bitterness. “I thought I was doing you a favor, Ruby, letting you know what you were getting into, but apparently you already know what kind of guy Tom is and don’t care.”
“He isn’t like that,” I argued and pushed the file away. “He…you don’t know the whole story.”
“Then enlighten me, Ruby. Explain how this kid, this killer, can turn into your white knight.”
“He’s not my white knight, Ben.”
“Then tell me you’re not in love with him.”
I hesitated, then looked out the window. “I…I can’t.”
Ben picked up the file and waved it. “I don’t know how you can justify what he did, Ruby. I don’t know how you can want to be with him.”
“Just because I have these old feelings for him resurfacing doesn’t mean I’m going to throw myself back into a relationship with him,” I spat. Guilt for leading Ben on and giving in to Tom’s magnetism burned in my gut.
“You love him, but you don’t want to be with him,” Ben looked at me with suspicion. “Explain that one.”
“Tom and I obviously have a complicated history,” I said quietly, fighting for control.
Ben’s gold-flecked eyes darkened. He waved the file at me again. “Explain how something like this doesn’t make you run the other direction.”
“You don’t understand what it was like, Ben.” My voiced hitched.
“Tell me, Ruby. What happened that night?”
There was no way I would talk about that. Not here, not anywhere. Ben wouldn’t understand.
“Fine.” Ben got up from the table, grabbed the file, and stalked out the front door. He never looked back. He just drove away, from me and the mess that was left of my life.
I hope you pop on over and check out the other excerpts and entries from my fellow Romantic Friday Writers. If you'd like to participate, sign up and join in the fun. Every Friday is a new challenge and new things to share.