| 014 | Ruby |

"Jameson wanted to hurt you, and for whatever distorted reason, he thought killing me and my son, would do it. I don't know what you did to him to make him lose the little sanity he had, but it's your fault that both me and my son were in danger, Rhyot. Do you know who that motherfucking count was?" I pointed to Mrs. Bell's corpse.

He clenched his jaw, "Jameson's people."

I couldn't help scoffing, anger taking over, "He's been tailing me since January, Rhyot. That woman," I pointed to her, "was Elizabeth Bell, or so she claimed, my son's math teacher, and that guy claimed to be Thomas Livingston, he was the barista of the book-café I visit weekly, five streets away from my home. They knew who I was, who my son was, where he studied, where I live, and God knows what else, and they infiltrated our life. My son was in danger, this bitch had her eyes on him for almost six months, and I was helpless, without knowing who the hell they were, because I had no idea what you were bloody up to, even less that your enemies would target me and my son, because, I didn't knew you were my son's father. Why? Because you fucking lied to me!" I screamed at him.

"Maybe it would have been different, if I knew I had a son with you," he yelled.

My jaw dropped, "Then you should have made it clear that the twin I had fallen in love with was you and not motherfucking Hayes, you bloody son of a bitch. How dare you even tell me that?" I threw my phone aside and punched his chest with both hands. "You watched me confess to him and be humiliated, and you said nothing, nothing. Even though you knew it wasn't him I had fallen for, you knew what we had done and still, you said nothing."

"Would telling you it was me had changed a thing?" He yelled but did nothing.

"I guess we'll never know, because you didn't have the guts to do you."

"You told me to act like it never happened, Ruby," he snapped, frustrated.

"And you listened to me?" I gasped. "You can just say you didn't give a shite."

"But I did," he yelled, holding me by my shoulders, making me stop moving.

I denied it, "I told you not to lie to me."

"I am not, lying," he growled, stressed.

"I don't believe you, all you've done was lie to me, Rhyot."

He clenched his jaw, "You hated me."

"I hated Hayes too, and look at what happened."

"You didn't love Hayes," he snapped.

"No, I loved you, but I never knew it was you, did I?"

"Ruby,"

"I'll ask you one thing, and you better not dare to lie to me, Rhyot!"

He narrowed his eyes on me, "I'll tell you anything."

"Are you from the mafia?" My question took him off guard, it was obvious.

"Who told you that?" He hissed defensively.

"Are you, from, the mafia of New England, Rhyot?" I asked again instead.

The fight in his face was obvious, "Who told you that?"

"Hah, you're as insufferable as always. Will you tell me or not?"

"Who, told you, that?" He pressed his side.

"Mum. As soon as she learned I was pregnant from one of you. Your turn."

He halted, "Why did she tell you that?"

"Seeing as you aren't denying it, I guess it was true."

"Ruby," he clenched his jaw.

"I already knew, but I wanted to hear it from you. You lied again. You said you would tell me anything, but didn't. You snapped my question with one of your own, just like you always did. I already expected this from you, but why is it that even then, I feel disappointed?" He froze at my words. "That is why I kept a secret. You must be asking yourself that. Why did I hide my pregnancy when I was pregnant of one of you, when your family was so-so-powerful? This is it. I've never been in contact with the mafia, but I know enough to understand that had I been that stupid to reach out, my son would be in constant danger, you being his father, Rhyot, only make it worse. Don't blame for prioritizing his safety."

"I would have protected you, Ruby."

"You were 17 when I got pregnant, Rhyot. 18, when he was born. You were in college. What the hell could you even do then?" Bitterness was all over my voice. "Nothing. Being with you then would have been humiliating to me, because everyone would know that you fooled me, you played me, and I was rejected by your brother because I thought that everything that happened between us, had happened between me and him instead. I didn't need your protection, I needed to stay away from you and your family, because that is how I would be protected, that was how I protected my son. He's always been safe, the first time his life was in danger was now, and now it was all your fault. That says a lot."

"I won't put you and our son,"

"My son!" I hissed defensively.

"You didn't make him with your fingers."

"It's not about making, Rhyot, it's about raising, sacrificing, and that's all I've done in the past ten years. I raised him, I sacrificed more than you can imagine for him, and he's everything I have. Mum helped me, but she couldn't do much, because he's always depended on me the most, he would sleep without me, and he would rather be with me in class quietly, than with someone else. That makes him my son. You may be his father, but you're not his dad, he doesn't need you."

He grabbed me by my chin, "If you think, I won't be around you now that I know you had my son, Ruby, you're wrong. I won't take him from you, I would never do that, but he deserves to have both his mother and his father with him. You can't blame me for losing 10 years of his life, when you hid your pregnancy from me. Now that I know, I won't turned my back on it, because you may not believe it, but I would have stayed with you had I known before. I would have moved to London to be with you, if that's what you wanted."

"You can't be bloody serious. You have to go back to US."

Rhyot chuckled mockingly, a chuckle I remember way too well, "Hell no. I can do whatever the fuck I want, and I will stay here. I will haunt your life, and be present on our son's, and you can't do anything about it. I'm as stubborn as you."

"I don't want you in my son's life," I hissed.

"Our son. That is not up to you."

"Yes, it is, because I have his full guardianship."

"And I won't fight for it, because I don't want to take him from you, Ruby. I just want to be part of your life, of his. As I should have, had I not lied to you then, had you not hidden your pregnancy from me then. We both made choices that brought us here. It's not just my fault."

"You represent danger to my son, Rhyot, I will not take it, and,"

"I'll cover you with a layer of protection. You both. I get you bodyguards, if you are scared of someone coming again. I'll make sure to keep you safe!"

"I don't need your protection," I snapped.

"It's not about need, it's about want. I want to protect you."

"I don't want it!"

"But our son needs it," he countered and I halted. "I came to you on time, didn't I? I was here. I didn't let him harm you, did I? Yes, I'm from the mafia, but so what? That may be dangerous, but it's safe at same time. I can and I will keep you safe, you wanting it or not, Ruby, for you and our son. I've learned my lesson, I won't listen to you ever again when you tell me to stay away, I've lost too much to listening to you. I'm willing to step up now that I know, to be our son's dad."

I want to but, "I don't believe you, Rhyot."

"Then let me prove it to you."