Page 25 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

“Ruby?” Scott’s voice jolted me from the screen in front of me, to where he was standing staring at me. “What are you doing? Why are you on my laptop?” He took a step forward.

I stood, knocking over the chair I’d been sitting on. “You’ve been watching me, haven’t you?”

He started scratching his wrist, twitching, eyes bloodshot. “You don’t understand. I had to, but I promise, I promise I’m going to make it better, okay? I’m going to fix this.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I grabbed my phone from the couch, shaking my head, feeling sick to my stomach, violated. “I’m calling the cops.”

He dove at me suddenly, knocking the phone from my hand. I jumped back, skirting the couch, and dove for it. He did as well, but I beat him to it. He was blocking the door out of the apartment, so I ran for my room. I slammed the door shut behind me, throwing the little slide lock I’d put on when I first moved in. Scott started hammering on the door, screaming for me to open up, saying he’d fix it over and over again.

He wasn’t making any sense.

I was freaked—God, scared—and I’d hit Neco’s number before I knew what I was doing. It went straight to voice mail. A sob exploded past my lips. That’s when the door flew open and Scott stumbled through, wild eyed. He came at me, I tried to make a break for it, but he grabbed my wrist and wrenched the phone from my hand, flinging it on the bed before I could react. I cried out in pain when he twisted my arm and shoved me face first against the wall.

He leaned in, face close to mine. His pupils dilated, the black almost swallowing all the blue of his eyes. “I’ll fix this,” he said again. “I’ll keep you safe.”

I struggled, but he wouldn’t let me go, so I slammed my head back, connecting with his nose. He screamed in pain, momentarily letting me go. I made a break for it, but he dove at me again, catching me around the legs, knocking me down. My head collided with the floor, hard, pain exploding behind my eyes. He straddled me, and plowed his fist into my face before I had time to react, stunning me further, then he kept on hitting. I screamed in pain, in anger, and he kept coming at me, over and over again. I’d let him take me down, and after that hit to the head, I was too disoriented to fight him off.

“You’re making me do this,” he yelled. “I didn’t want to hurt you! Why are you making me hurt you!”

My ears started ringing, blood filling my eyes, my mouth. I could hear him sobbing, apologizing as he beat me.

“Scott, no . . .”

“I’m so sorry,” he said again. “But I don’t have time to fight you on this . . . you have to come with me.”

I kicked out, tried shove him off. But my eyes were already swelling, I felt nauseous, and my head was pounding. I was pretty sure I was concussed.

He jerked me to my feet suddenly. I tried to talk, but only a garbled sound came out of my mouth. He half carried, half dragged me to the door and out into the hall, then we were going down the stairs. I had no idea where he was taking me, but I knew I had to get away or, I decided in that moment, die trying. Somehow, I drew the last of my strength and shoved at him. He wasn’t expecting it, his hold not as tight. I spun, slamming the heal of my hand into his already mashed nose then, grabbing his shoulder, brought my knee up, slamming it into his nuts. He screeched, but didn’t let go of me. My head was spinning, pounding, and I lost my balance. We both tumbled down the last few steps, landing in a heap on the floor. I tried to crawl away, but Scott recovered faster, the drugs he was on more than likely dulling the pain of his injuries, then he had my arm and started dragging me across the ground and out the door. I tried to call for help, but still nothing would come out.

“It’s okay, Ruby,” I heard him say. “I know you’re angry at me now, but I’ll explain. It’s going to be okay now, I’ll look after you.”

He’d just beaten me senseless, and now he was talking about looking after me?

“Wait here while I get the car. Don’t move.” Then he took off around the corner.

Wait here?

Scott was so damn high, he had lost all grip on reality. Somehow, I managed to drag myself to my feet. I couldn’t see clearly, and my glasses had been knocked off in the apartment. It was late, but there had to be people around, someone that could get me help. A jogger rounded the corner. He had headphones on and didn’t hear me call out to him. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to stumble out in front of him . . . then collapsed on the ground.

Everything went dark after that.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Neco

“All right. I’m fucking coming,” I barked as I walked across my apartment. My head was pounding like hell, and the bastard trying to knock the door down wasn’t goddamn helping. Probably shouldn’t have finished that bottle of Jack Daniels last night. I didn’t usually drink like that, but it was either get wasted or hunt Ruby down and finish what we’d started in that elevator. Since the latter wasn’t something I could do, I’d gone with getting shit-faced.

I unbolted the door, snarling as I pulled it open. Jude stood in front of me, his mallet sized fist in the air, ready to pound on my door again.

I scowled. “This better be fucking good.”

Jude didn’t answer right away, his eyes meeting mine and locking on. What I saw behind them had me bracing before he opened his mouth.

“My mother?” I asked, a sick feeling swirling in my gut that had nothing to do with being hung over.

Jude shook his head. That’s when I noticed Hunter and Zeke. They’d closed in from either side, expressions on their faces like they were about to do battle with a wild animal.

I knew. I fucking knew instantly who this was about.