Rebel (Renegades #2)(99)
Author: Skye Jordan

“What is she doing?” Courtney started, trailing off when Rubi scoured the restaurant and her gaze landed on them. “All right, I’ll run with however you want to play this.”

Wes cut a look at the woman across the table. “This is not a f**king game.”

In his peripheral vision, Rubi swayed into view and stopped at the table. But Wes would have known she was there even if he hadn’t seen her walk in. He smelled her. The scent brought memories spilling back. And he had to clench his teeth to keep himself from going boneless and dropping his head on the table in defeat.

She would hate him when he found out what he’d planned.

“Who are you?” Rubi asked.

Courtney slowly tore her gaze from Wes’s and looked up at Rubi. She held out her hand. “Courtney-”

“Marshall. I know your name.” When she kept her arms crossed, Courtney lowered her hand. “That’s not what I want to know. I want to know who you are to Wes.”

Courtney just as slowly turned her gaze back to him. “I think I’ll let Wes field that.”

“I asked you.”

Against his will, Wes’s eyes fell closed in dread. At the same time, he gained the slightest sliver of sugary-sweet pleasure hearing her voice, smelling her scent, just having her near. This was why he’d come up with this stupid idea in the first place. He needed her back.

“Well,” Courtney said, “contrary to what you might believe, Ms. Russo, you don’t always get what you want.”

Holy. Fuck. Wes opened his eyes and shot a curt “Courtney,” at the woman.

Rubi chuckled, the sound knowing and placating. “You may not always get what you want,” she said, “But Wes knows I can get anything I set my wicked mind on. And I’m here to tell you that my mind is set on him.”

Wes cast a confused sidelong glance up at Rubi and instantly wished he hadn’t. It just made him want her. Miss her. And it made him realize her eyes were red from crying.

“Rubi-” he started.

“You were not invited into this conversation,” she said, her voice curt but her gaze filled with pain. “You will be in just a minute.”

He bit the inside of his cheek against a smile. A fierce shot of love streamed down his chest, so hot he felt the searing trail. Darting a glance around, he found every gaze in the restaurant on them.

“I’m just giving you a heads-up, Courtney,” Rubi said. “He loves me. And even if he didn’t, you’re not his type. I am. Whatever you think you have with him won’t last.”

Courtney grinned, the light of entertainment in her eyes. She leaned back and swung her arm over the back of the chair. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is. And you could never be me, so don’t even try.” Rubi crossed her arms and in that sexy, arrogant stance she used to create a cover of bravado, she stared down at Courtney. “And I love him, too. He’s mine. So. Back. Off.”

“I love him.”

The words ricocheted around his head like an echo. Burned through his chest. Wes leaned back and covered his face with both hands. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. What he wouldn’t give to rewind time. He would have stayed with her to finish talking about living together, hammered out her fears, reassured her that he wouldn’t just up and leave.

“Are you sure about that?” Courtney asked, eyes narrowed.

Rubi turned her gaze on Wes. “Dead sure.”

Her gaze traveled over his face, his chest…and froze. Her eyes narrowed. Fire erupted in Wes’s gut, and he leaned forward. Too late. Rubi grabbed the contract from his lap.

Wes tried to take it back, but she expertly snatched it away again, stepping back as her gaze traveled over the front page and silence filled the space.

“Well,” Courtney said, “I guess this meeting’s over. Call me, Wes.”

She started to stand. Rubi stepped in front of her as she turned to the second page. Then pressed a hand to Courtney’s shoulder without taking her gaze off the written words and pushed her back into her seat. “Oh no. This isn’t even close to over.”

“Rubi.” Wes stood. “We can talk about this alone.”

“Why?” She darted a look at Wes, matter-of-fact, open. “Isn’t she the one making the offer for my father? Have you had anyone look this over?”

“Not yet. I hired-”

“No need to pay anyone when there is no one more versed in my father’s contracts than me.” She waved Wes toward his seat. “Sit. Let’s just get this out of the way now.”

Rubi had never been so angry in her life. She hated her father beyond measure. She wasn’t sure what Wes was doing yet, but it didn’t matter. If her father was involved, he was always the guilty party.

She flipped through the contract, skimming the details, and choked on the licensing percentage. The sound that came from her throat was part scoff, part laugh.

“You’re taking fifty percent?” She sneered at Courtney. “Like hell.”

Rubi knew her type even if she didn’t know the woman. Her father always hired the same type.

A waitress came, and Rubi stepped aside to let her set the food down.

“Can I get you something?” she asked Rubi.

“No, thanks,” she said without taking her eyes off the contract, her tone dry. “I’m here for the entertainment.” And this contract was pure bullshit entertainment.

She turned until she found the royalty rate and exhaled heavily. This was so typical of her father-taking advantage of naivety or desperation.

She lifted her gaze to Courtney. “How do you work for a man this greedy?”

“This is business.”

Rubi shook her head on a disgusted laugh. “You’re just another parrot. Don’t you realize his unscrupulous ways will come back around on you?”

Courtney grinned, snide and superior. “Thanks for the advice.”

“Fine.” Rubi shrugged. “Don’t listen to someone with decades of experience on how the man works. But neither one of you is getting your greedy little hands on Wes’s rig. Not with a contract this f**ked up.”

She turned to the back of the papers, turning to the section where special provisions, if any existed, were outlined.

Wes stood and reached for the papers. Rubi didn’t move fast enough this time, and he caught hold of the top of the contract, but she didn’t let go. Their gazes clashed.

Courtney slipped from the booth. “That would be my cue to leave.” She hitched her bag on her shoulder. “Rubi, you’re everything your father said…and more.”