Ruby in the Rough by Emily Shore

Author:Emily Shore [Shore, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ARK
Published: 2017-02-27T22:00:00+00:00

Ink looks a little roughed up between the bruises on the one side of his face to the skin razed right off his cheek.

“You didn’t have to hurt him,” I snarl at Big Sis, wanting nothing more than to barrel right into her, but I have a feeling she could ring my neck if she wanted to. Like cracking a sparrow’s neck in one move.

“We didn’t,” denies Big Sis, turning toward Ink, signaling them to come forward. “At least not intentionally. Fool was hanging onto the back of the truck when our roadside bomb hit it.”

I knead my brow. So, that was what caused the accident. As the girls holding Ink come closer, I pick up on his breath, how he’s wheezing.

“Ink, one of your ribs is broken.” I’m stating the obvious.

He raises his head and waves one hand, palm scraped raw from the accident. “I’ll be fine, Ruby.”

“Your reaction confirmed it,” Big Sis says, marching toward him. “First, I thought he was a sweeper in training or something. We were tracking him even while he was tracking you. But when he hitched a ride onto the back of the truck, it was easy to figure out he had more in mind than simply relieving the Brothers of their shipment. Pity no one told him chivalry has no place in today’s world.”

I say nothing. We both know she has me in a half-nelson. Whatever the Brothers or Sweepers would do to Ink, the Sisters are far worse. If they didn’t trick themselves out too, I’d almost have an ounce of respect for them. Almost.

I turn to Big Sis. “What do you want?”

“It’s not a matter of what I want but what I need,” she retorts, pulling her fingers into a conjoined fist and nudging her chin onto it.

“What do you need?”

“You don’t need the specifics. Suffice to say, it’s a little bigger than a breadbox, and once you’re inside, you can’t miss it.”

“Inside where? The Hotel?” I picture the enormous building, the one I’ve always wanted to climb. All the individual wrought iron balconies are the best hand and footholds one could ask for as well as all the elaborate stonework between each one. Similar to the Clock Tower but on a more grandiose level.

“The Penthouse as a matter of fact,” Big Sis clarifies while pausing at my side, her shadow just teasing mine. “Oh, and don’t get caught. It’d be a shame if I have to muck up your pretty boy’s face even more than it already is.”

“And do I get anything out of this deal? Climbing the Hotel to the Penthouse is a tall order.” I reach for more, nailing my eyes onto hers.

Her smile spreads like creeping ivy across her face. She knows I’m testing the waters, toying with my boundaries.

“If you are successful, let’s just say I won’t even need that pretty red hair of yours.” She thwacks one of my ends so it punches my cheek and then finishes, “I’ll have my own little trophy I can sell to the highest bidder.

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