How It Needed to Be Read online

  Slowly, he thawed, and turned. His eyes narrowed. “You’re Ruby.”

  She grinned and gave a nervous laugh. “Yes. Yes! I’m Ruby. I was trying to say hi because I recognized you. What are the odds, huh? That we would see each other the very next day after we met. And I know I’ve never seen you around here before. I would remember you. Small world, but also small town.” She laughed again because that was her nervous habit. “Everyone runs into everyone eventually.”

  He really hadn’t recognized her. She could tell, because he was staring at her in utter confusion.

  “I probably look different out of uniform. The jail is a whole different world. That’s the business me.” She gestured to her leggings and snow boots and pink fitted sweater under her flowing dove gray scarf. “This is just regular me.”

  “Regular you looks very girly.”

  “Thank you. I think.” She was beginning to shiver, so she rubbed her arms and looked longingly at the coffee shop. Her jacket and a lit fireplace were in there. “Doooo you want to grab a coffee? With me?”

  “Coffee tastes like roasted butthole.”

  She snorted, and covered it with a cough. “I also don’t enjoy coffee’s flavor, but they make a mean cup of hot chocolate.”

  “All of you people like coffee. You don’t have to try and relate to me.”

  Okay, he was a little rough around the edges and borderline rude. Was that red flag sexy to her? Yep. God, she was so damaged.

  “No, really. I have a cup of hot cocoa in there with half a blob of whip cream on the top and peppermint sprinkles, and also marshmallows. It’s probably cold by now, but I don’t waste food so it’ll get taken care of.”

  “You shouldn’t leave your drinks unattended. There are monsters everywhere.”

  “I don’t think anyone is going to roofie my hot chocolate.”

  The man arched his eyebrows.

  “Right. That’s probably how people get into trouble. Fine! I won’t drink it on one condition.” She gestured for him to lead the way to the front door.

  “That place has people in it.”

  The way he said ‘people’ with such derision made her giggle. She felt like that some days, too, after bad shifts at the jail. “Fair observation. Uuuuh…” She scrunched up her face. “Honestly, I come here on purpose. To feel normal.”

  The man’s bright silver eyes narrowed to slits, and he lifted his chin higher as he looked down his nose at her. “What do you mean?”

  “My job is stressful and makes me angry. It makes me feel numb, and makes me see the dark side of people. I come here on my mornings off to dress up and feel put-together, and to be around nice people.”

  “That’s why someone who doesn’t like coffee takes up an entire couch in a coffee shop,” he said low.

  “Yes.”

  His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. He jammed his hands into his pockets and nodded toward the coffee shop. “If any of these townies talk to me, I’m leaving.”

  He’d set her up, and now was her chance to charm him with her wit. “Technically, I’m a townie, and—”

  He’d walked past her and in three giant strides was already out of hearing range for her hilariousness, so okay. She trotted behind him and drifted inside as he held the door open for her. A poof of snow came in with them, and he pulled the door closed as she stomped slush off her boots on the Hidey Ho, We Love Snow mat just inside.

  “I’ll get you a hot chocolate. They are known for their donuts, too. There’s a nice lady that makes them in the mornings. Do you want one?”

  “I want a dozen.” He strode for the green velvet couch with the puffy white pillows, picked it up like it weighed absolutely nothing, and set it by the fireplace. Then he came back and did the same with the table. Her half empty hot cocoa didn’t even spill. “Please sit down. I don’t like when you shiver.”

  Aaaw, swoon!

  “It reminds me of how fragile you are and makes me want to chase you.”

  Like an imbecile, she stared at his receding back as he made his way to the counter. It took her a good few seconds to shake that one off and make the small journey to the couch. She was regretting the knock on the window. She probably should’ve just let this man go live his rude little life.

  She plopped down on the couch and dragged her favorite pillow to her chest to cuddle. She wanted to pout and tell him how un-sweet he was, but he brought her a new hot chocolate.

  She thanked him and took a sip.

  He sighed and rolled his eyes closed. “That was a test. You just took a drink from a complete stranger. Have you no survival instincts at all?”

  She dragged her tongue up the whipped cream. No point in looking cute for this one. He was too rough to be her type. “If you are dumb enough to roofie me in a coffee shop where I know the owner—” she lifted her hand and waved to Wendy behind the counter. “And you have to drag my ass out into the snow and four cars down the street, in front of a bustling Main Street full of witnesses, then it’ll be your own fault for ending up in my jail. I’ll make it miserable for you in there.” She grinned brightly. “Besides, I already took a picture of your license plate a few days ago and sent it to my boss. You’re the first place they’ll look when I go missing, so sorry, bub. You’re stuck being my friend, not my kidnapper.”

  A slow, impressed smile drifted across his handsome features, and oooh that smile made her heart stutter.

  “Good girl. You counted how many cars down my truck was parked. Why did you take the picture of my license plate?”

  “Because you kept purposefully parking out of the range of the camera on the left gate. By inches.”

  The man sat down in a chair across from her couch. “You aren’t boring. I’ll stay and talk.”

  She offered her hand for a shake. “I’m Ruby Daughtry.”

  His attention flickered to her hand, and his smile faded. “I’m Divar Stockton.”

  Oh. Right. No touching. She let her hand drift back to cup the hot mug. “Divar is a unique name. I like it.”

  “It’s not unique where I come from. Some of my people have very long names. Warrior names.”

  “What does your name mean?”

  “Where I come from, it means Wrong One.”

  She wanted answers immediately because this mystery boy was very interesting. This was like reading a book! But just then, Wendy set a plate stacked high with steaming donuts in between them.

  “Heated up like you requested,” she announced.

  “I appreciate it,” he said low.

  “I’ve been coming here for three years and never once thought to ask for hot donuts.”

  “You’ve missed out, and because you’ve missed out, I’ll let you have first pick.”

  She grinned and it felt so damn good. This week had been eternal. She picked up a chocolate frosted donut and placed it on a napkin next to her piping hot drink. “I’m not fragile, you know.” She didn’t know why she’d felt the need to defend herself. “I didn’t want you thinking I was. I’m tough.”

  Divar took a swig of water from a glass Wendy had given him and leaned back into his chair. He cocked his head and studied her. “Three years coming to this coffee shop. How long have you worked at the jail?”

  “Monday is my three-year anniversary at the job. I’ve ordered myself a cake.”

  “What kind?”

  “Plain-Jane white cake with buttercream frosting. I’m not even bringing it into work to share with the other guards. I’m picking it up tomorrow and keeping it at my house so I can eat it all by myself this weekend.”

  “An honest girl.”

  “Brutally honest. I got that from my dad.”

  “Mmmm. He’s still alive?”

  “Still kicking ass. He’s a lifer in the military. Dragged me everywhere when I was a kid, and I thought I hated it at the time.” A hundred memories assailed her, both good and bad. “Now I think I was lucky. I’m a daddy’s girl. I got to be with him and I got to live in a lot of diffe
rent places before I settled here. I know what’s out there, and I didn’t settle until I was good and ready. It makes me appreciate this place more.”

  “Your mom?” he asked. “Where is she?”

  “My mom and dad divorced when I was six, no big story there. She and my dad just weren’t a match. They couldn’t be happy unless they were apart, you know? If you need that much distance to enjoy someone, it’s not right. What about you?”

  “What about me?” He took a big bite of a glazed donut.

  “Why would your parents name you Wrong One?”

  “Because I wasn’t like their other sons.”

  “How many brothers do you have?”

  “Five. I am a triplet, and my parents had another set after us.”

  “Breeders!”

  He huffed a chuckle that reverberated straight through her. Oooh, she liked his deep laugh.

  “Certain people would love to know the things I just told you.”

  “What people?” she asked.

  He twitched his head at the big window, but all she saw through the lightly falling snow was a silver car with a crow sitting on top of the roof, staring at them.

  Ruby took a sip of her hot cocoa and set the cup down carefully. “Why do you stalk me, Divar?”

  She’d never witnessed a more genuine frown of confusion. “You’re the one who invited me in here.”

  “I mean at the jail.”

  Divar huffed a breath. “I think I should go.”

  “You’re not a runner. Stay. Why were you watching me?”

  “It’s not you I was watching. I was watching the animals you were releasing back into the wild.” He took one last drink of water and stood. “See ya when I see ya, Ruby.”

  “I know what you are.”

  Divar’s eyes flashed brighter. “What do you mean?”

  Ruby pulled her notepad and pen out of her purse. “If you would like to know how I know, and the reasons I’m not running away screaming, you can meet me at this address.” She slid her scribbled address across the table.

  “Is this where you live?”

  “It’s not a booty call. You don’t even have to come inside. I just need you there at ten o’clock tonight so you understand a few things about me. Not a minute later than ten.”

  Divar took a step back. “I don’t play games.”

  “That makes two of us. Ten o’clock, and then you’ll know why I’m bothering you. Chasing you down the street. Asking you to come in here with all these people.” She offered him a teasing smile. “I’m a friend.”

  He left the notebook paper with her address on the table and walked away. Without turning around, he said, “I don’t need a friend.”

  Chapter Three

  Divar had memorized the address, and now he was freezing his nuts off in the dark, snowy woods that surrounded a little cabin. A cabin that was apparently the den of Ruby Daughtry, daughter of Ron and Glenda Daughtry, who had a degree in criminal justice, and was pretty damn cute on social media. Not that he’d done an internet search on her. God, when had he become so creepy?

  Speaking of creepy, here he stood at nine forty-five at night, watching the confounding woman light a giant porch heater beside a pair of rocking chairs. She had a nice set up out here. Small, homey cabin with a big porch off the back of the home under an awning that kept it sheltered from the elements. The windows were all lit up with a soft gold glow and looked inviting against the snowy backdrop of the forest. This place belonged on some postcard in a gas station.

  “I know you’re out there,” she called as she pulled a pair of blankets from a wooden box near her back door. “Let’s go, chop chop, the show is about to start.” She placed a blanket on one of the rocking chairs, and then cuddled into the other chair under her own blanket as the flame in the heater flickered a soft illumination across her face.

  Pretty face. Much prettier than he’d realized all those nights she’d been hidden by her uniform hat.

  “Divaaaar,” she sang softly, scanning the woods. “You’re being a stalker again.”

  “I’m making sure you haven’t called the police to have me arrested or some dumb shit,” he grumbled as he tramped out of the shadows. It was annoying sometimes how observant she was. Humans were supposed to be dumb. At least that’s what he’d been told, but this one was making him think he’d been lied to.

  “You shouldn’t invite strangers to your house,” he muttered as he sat down in the empty rocking chair. The blanket was already warm from the heater. The chair was comfortable, too. He stretched one leg out and rocked gently as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “What do you need?”

  “Six weeks of vacation, a deep tissue massage, a million bucks, and someone to applaud me every time I do the slightest thing right.” Her teasing grin was pretty cute.

  “Why am I here?” he clarified.

  “I have a story to tell you. Are you ready?”

  “Sure,” he said in a dead tone.

  “Once upon a time, I had just failed the civil service exam. I had just left a relationship I thought was supposed to be my future, and I got destroyed. I couldn’t focus on the test and I failed. And instead of trying to test again, I decided to do an about-face and move to a little town I’d visited with my dad once. It’s where my grandparents were from and where my dad had grown up. We had visited the cemetery where they’re buried when I was ten. I rented a hotel here for a few weeks thinking it would center me. Thinking I could figure myself out and then I just…”

  “Never left.”

  “Yes. I never left. I got a job as a security guard at the jail and I liked the challenge. It was a different path than I’d been expecting my career to go, but I was trained for it, you know? On the third week there, an inmate named Vager Hoda was brought in. He was a big one. High profile for our small jail. We are a smaller facility and take in mostly theft, drug, and domestic violence charges, but this inmate had killed a man. When he was brought in, we were prepped for his history of violence. He was placed with a big inmate named Henry Davis. Henry was calm and hadn’t had any fights in the two years he’d been there. Just took each day as it came, and he was supposed to be a good match. Nothing ever rattled him. They got into a scuffle the first night and Henry didn’t even fight back. Just went down to his knees submissive and called for the guards. Just…screaming for us. I was on duty and was the first one there. Vager was in the back corner, repeating the same thing over and over. ‘I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I don’t want to.’”

  Chills rippled up Divar’s spine. “What color were his eyes?”

  “Bright gold. Too bright.”

  Divar sat up and rested his elbows on his knees. Ruby sure had his attention now.

  “He told me if I wanted to save everyone in the jail, I would give him three days in solitary and keep everyone out of there. He said it fast and with this desperation I didn’t understand. He said it quietly, just to me, and his eyes were begging me. Henry said something was really wrong with Vager, and that he was scared. Now, if an inmate ever admits he’s scared, something has really gone sideways.”

  “Did Vager end up killing him?” Divar asked softly.

  “No. I put in the paperwork and got him into solitary like he’d asked. It was the first time I’d ever put an inmate in solitary. And then I signed up to deliver food to solitary because he’d been begging me not to let anyone down there. I was scared. Terrified. Being down there the first time I heard the snarling?” Her pretty eyes drifted from the woods to Divar. “I didn’t know before then. Do you understand?”

  Divar nodded. He could imagine her terror walking down the hall alone, new at the job, realizing the inmates weren’t the only monsters who existed in this world.

  “You protected him?”

  She cuddled the blanket tighter around herself and her eyes got that faraway look again, gazing out toward the woods. “He became my friend.”

  What was this feeling? This piercing sensation that went righ
t through his heart? He didn’t do this—didn’t feel like this, especially about humans. It was probably just pity. Pity that she’d tried to befriend a shifter. “Did he ever hurt you?” he asked, because it seemed very important that Vager hadn’t touched her.

  “Never. He stayed as far away from me as he could, space wise. He was very thankful. He would stick up for me when the inmates went off and he’d make sure I was safe. He wasn’t supposed to be there, Divar.” Her voice trembled as she said the last sentence.

  “Yeah, we aren’t supposed to exist—”

  “That’s not what I meant. I meant, he shouldn’t have been in a cage like that.”

  “What happened to him?”

  Ruby chewed on the corner of her lip for a few moments and then said, “He was having more and more trouble with the mental part of it all. Pacing the bars. I got him into solitary when he couldn’t hold on much longer, but I had to be careful. He didn’t want anyone to find out what he was and I understood. After the first year, his pack would come visit.”

  “Wolves?” he asked.

  Ruby nodded. Fuck. Fuck shit fuck. Wolves were crazy. If Vager got out, Ruby would never be safe. His animal would’ve latched onto her in there.

  “His mom would come every time visitors were allowed. His brother visited sometimes, and the rest of his pack came on a rotation. Visitation wasn’t my area, and I was either off work or on duty somewhere else, but I would check the sign-in sheets just to make sure he got some relief. He seemed calmer for a few hours after he would see them. Like he got some peace.”

  “Is he free?” Divar asked.

  “Yes. I guess you can say he’s free. He hanged himself a year and a half in.” Ruby pursed her lips and leaned over to Divar, a note offered in her hand.

  With a frown, Divar took the folded notebook paper. Ruby’s name was handwritten across the top in block capital letters.

  He read it aloud. “Ruby, this is not your fault. If anything, you kept me around longer. You gave my family a chance to say goodbye. You protected my secret. You did everything you could.” Divar swallowed hard as the weight of the letter settled over his heart. “Thank you for everything. Vager.”