Seventy Two

***Ruby***

As I woke up from my long sleep, I felt a tight grip around my wrists and ankles. It was hard for me to move, my entire body felt like it had been pulled into sudden stillness.

I finally opened my eyes which I had kept shut in order to ignore the crazy headache I was still having. It had magnified its effect, my head was practically about to burst at that point.

My opened eyes made me fully aware of the dangerous situation I was in. While my nose tried to get rid of the yucky smell the entire building was oozing, I saw the number of men that were guarding the entrance that led to where I was. The strong, weapon-carrying men looked so unforgiving, it would be hard for any uninvited individual to make his way in or out peacefully.

And… it would be harder for me to plot a possible escape.

I sighed, my mouth feeling somewhat heavy as my entire soul felt like breaking down and crying.

As I took another look around the tall building, its rusting machines and especially at the upper part where there was a gallery that stared right at a faded banner opposite it, I noticed a small door that was slightly open. A few seconds of intensely studying the exit made me conclude that place to be a suitable route.

The only problem was how I would get there.

I really had no hope.

But, despite having no hope, my mind set out to get me out of that nasty situation.
So, with eagle-like eyes, I searched for any object around me that could possibly serve as a weapon or a means to get me out of the ropes.

As I searched despite having no hope, I heard a small scuffle at the entrance. My heart almost skipped a beat but I caught myself when I realized the men were just opening the door for some people to come in.

And those people turned out to be my so called biological father, a middle-aged man wearing so many tattoos and… Mr. Bounce?

With confusion on my face, my fierce gaze questioned Mr. Bounce’s presence in that room. The man wore sunglasses, so I was unable to read his emotions properly but I couldn’t shake off the cocky vibe I was getting from the man I didn’t expect or think I would see in that very room.

“Is this the famous Ruby Powers?” The tattooed man said, a smirk on his face.

“Ruby Lumber,” Mark corrected. “She carries my blood, Matt.”

“Of course.” The man called Matt chuckled. “The blood that would get us the gift we have been waiting for. Ruby Lumber.” The man took steps towards me. I wore a sneer as his uneasy appearance moved closer and closer.
When he was finally in front of me, he held my chin and said, “She is very pretty. She’s got her mother’s face. Too bad we had to get rid of that woman, she would have been a useful card in this entire game.”

Mark Lumber scoffed where he stood, his arms folded. “Diane thought she was smart. She was going to ruin the entire plan, so, she had to be killed.”

I gasped loudly at the revelation. It wasn’t surprising to me that the gang killed her. The fact that the man that claims to be my father was part of the people that killed Diane was the shocking part.

“Why are you surprised child?” Matt asked, his brows lifting slowly as he wore amusement on his face. “Do you think all we do here is play ping pong with our enemies? Didn’t Adonis gist you?”
I frowned at the mention of Adonis. “We kill whoever stands in our way. As long as we get what we want, we’ll do anything.”

I was curious about Adonis’s relation to the man standing in front of me but I was yet to spit in Mark Lumber’s face for his involvement in Diane’s death. For heaven’s sake, she was my mother. I faced the bald man and said, “How could you do that to Diane?”

”Ruby…”

The grip Matt had on my chin became stronger but I still spoke. ”She was my mother.”

”You didn’t like her for a second. So, why are you sweating over her death? Besides, she never thought of you as a daughter. She remembered you after years because her father was going to give her his wealth if she brought you, his grandchild to him. Diane loved money more than you, Ruby. So don’t act like you guys have some kind of mother-daughter bond.”

“Is that what all this is about? An old man needs me to be beside him, in exchange, you get his wealth? Is that it? Is that why I am suddenly someone else’s daughter?”

“You are indeed my daughter, Ruby. There’s no mistaking that.”

”How then can you do this to me?” I was trying hard to avoid screaming. My head ached too much to be doing that. But the anger inside me was building up so much, I couldn’t hold it in for so long. “Are you like Diane? Do you love money more than you love me?”

“I-” I noticed a little change in his expression but I wasn’t going to fall for it. The man was a deceitful one, no doubt.

“Enough of this stupid talk. Can’t you see what she’s doing?” Matt spoke angrily. “She’s stalling. Maybe she thinks her beau, Adonis is coming for her.”
He yanked my chin in the direction he wanted and stared right into my face. His heavy breath irritated my skin as he said, “Sorry Princess, your beau is about to get killed. There is no way I’m letting that asshole get in my way of building my empire.”

”Don’t you dare do anything to Adonis,” I growled at him and the man chuckled.

Seconds later, he wore a frown and took out a gun. “You won’t learn easily, will you?” My breath shook as I maintained my glare, I didn’t want to seem scared. But my entire expression fell when the end of his gun furiously hit the side of my face.

My mouth was left agape as I struggled to come out of the loud ringing that had overpowered my body. My headache worsened by a tenfold and my entire body began to shake. I gave in so easily to the pain that enveloped me.

Matt gripped my face with his dirty hands and he had my body sitting upright again. “Stop running that filthy mouth of yours or I’ll do worse and shoot you in your legs.”

I finally let out the tears that had been hiding. There was no use hoping for anything or trying to find hope. My situation had been sealed. These men would do what they like with me and they’ll get away with it.

As I gave in, something within me told me that Adonis was probably going to get past the trap waiting for him but the lack of life within me excused that thought and I accepted my fate.

“Did you have to hit her that hard?” Mark Lumber asked Matt who took steps back to have a conversation with the men.

“She was talking too much and I didn’t even hit her that hard.”

Mark and I locked eyes as he glanced in my direction. “Can’t you see how crazy her shivering is?”

The tattooed man smacked his lips as he took another look at me. “She will be fine. She’s definitely not going to die. I won’t let that happen anyway. Mr. Bounce…” He faced the man whose presence stilled remained a mystery. “… you can ask her now.”

”Didn’t you find it on her?”

“We found her phone but we didn’t find what you’re looking for. So,” the man clapped his hands twice to hasten the man, “ask her your questions, the helicopter is almost here.”

Caitlin’s father took off his sunglasses and walked towards me. As I searched his eyes for answers to my earlier query, a solid slap landed on the side of my face. The slap did not only turn my head in a ninety degree direction, it magnified the pain I was already in.

“Why is he doing that?” I vaguely heard Mark Lumber argue angrily.

As I let my tears roll out without a struggle, Mr. Bounce held my lower jaw strongly. “You must really enjoy the thought of ruining me, Ruby. Where is the picture you took?”

I frowned. Picture? What picture?

He must have read my thoughts. Mr. Bounce asked me, his face wearing a sinister look. “Where is the picture you took of Caitlin and I on the rooftop?”

Oh my God! That’s why I am receiving hot slaps? Because of some stupid picture? A picture that I did not take?

Oh my God! A picture I did not take!

Abby was the one who took that picture. But he doesn’t know that.

“Will you answer me? I know you’ve hidden that picture somewhere. You must have been glad to have something to use to destroy me. So, where is it?”

”I don’t have it.” I could barely recognize my voice. I sounded so tired and frustrated. “I deleted the picture.”

”How dare you lie to me?” I watched as he lifted his hand to give me another slap. Someone stopped him. Mark Lumber did.

“That’s enough,” said Mark.

“She has to produce that picture. I am so sure she has kept it somewhere. Dominic Powers can have a good use of such a thing,anyone can. So she has to tell me where it was.”

I was becoming too tired. I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep again at that point. As my eyes struggled between staying open and shut, I caught a certain movement in the gallery.

As Mark Lumber and Mr. Bounce argued over the issue, I looked up and there he was… Jake.

Wait a minute… Jake?

All the sleep in my eyes disappeared.

How on earth was Jake there?

And how did he get a gun?

As I carefully studied his position, I noticed how poised he was as he laid down and pointed the gun towards one of the three men.

Instantly, I looked away. I finally found hope again and I didn’t want to ruin my chances of escape.

“Then ask your question reasonably, we will be leaving soon,” I heard Mark Lumber say to Mr. Bounce.

All my attention on the man who faced me, I said, “I deleted the picture because I have no use for it. I didn’t even know who you were until you came to settle an issue between young people. And I certainly don’t care who you might be. I only took that picture because I wanted to know who Bryan Lockwood really was and now that I know, I don’t have a use for your-”

”He is here!” One of the men at the entrance screamed.

“Adonis is freaking here!” A round of bullets accompanied the second scream and the hefty men all rushed towards the entrance, their guns fully cocked.

“How did that bastard make it? Anyway,” Matt prepared his gun as well, “I won’t let him get in my way this time. Mark, get that girl out of here. She needs to leave this place unscratched.”

Gunshots raided the building as the exchange became heated. I became really worried about Adonis and Jake, so I thought about headbutting Mark Lumber who was trying to untie me.
I didn’t get the chance to. I was too weak anyway. It was really hard for me to walk as the ropes came loose.

But Mark Lumber didn’t care, he grabbed my hand and rushed towards another exit.
And just like that, all my hope came crashing again.

Or maybe not, I thought as a clear gunshot came in my direction.

A bullet had hit Mark Lumber. It was a gunshot from Jake’s direction.
As I locked eyes with Jake, he motioned towards me to run out of the place.

I paused for a second but I soon realized that running out would be a better option for everyone who had come to save me. But my attempt to run was halted by Mark Lumber and as I struggled to get out of the tight grip he had on my leg, I noticed the shooting had ceased.

I looked back and Adonis was already surrounded. I looked up, Jake had been discovered.

Then, it walked out of the room, all the chances we had of escaping.
We were all helpless at that point.

But, as two men came to transport me to the middle of the mess, something within me still held on to my fluctuating hope.