Wes grabbed her hand. “Let’s go. ”
She grumbled a, “Fine,” and changed into a pair of Lexi’s jeans and a long-sleeved V-necked shirt while Wes waited downstairs. When she met him at the front door, he’d pulled on jeans as well.
He stayed silent through the first ten minutes of the drive, which gave her time to get herself together after the jolt. Wes was either as patient as a saint or scared to ask her anything lest she bite off his head. But the longer Rubi had to think about Dolph’s latest betrayal, the further into her shell she curled. The more she second-guessed having men in her life at all. And after witnessing the mess she and Dolph called a relationship, Wes’s interest in her might just flatline, eliminating the problem of their developing relationship all together.
“I’ve never seen you angry. ” Wes’s voice finally pierced the hum of road noise in a thoughtful, relaxed tone.
“Not pretty, right?”
“Oh, you’re always pretty. Just not exactly…your style. I mean, you’ve always been composed to the point of self-possession. Self-confident but flippant and easygoing. Which”-his voice dropped-“is one reason I think I enjoy watching you come apart with me. ”
His sexual reference flooded her pelvis with heat, temporarily distracting her.
“Sure you’re not overreacting?” he asked.
A barb of annoyance prickled inside her. She didn’t need that pointed out. “Really? A real estate agent appears at my door at nine o’clock on a weekday night to show a house I didn’t know was for sale? A house I’ve offered to buy-from my father no less-and been ignored? I don’t know, Wes, am I overreacting?”
“I didn’t know you’d offered to buy it, but…maybe. A little. ”
Traffic on the 405 was light tonight, and Wes kept Lexi’s car at the speed limit, probably to give Rubi a chance to change her mind. Wouldn’t happen. She was calling that fucker on his blatant disregard. It might mean nothing to Dolph, but it meant something to Rubi. Confronting him was important for Rubi to do for herself.
“Maybe you should talk about it before we get there,” Wes suggested in his even tone. “You know…decompress a little. ”
“This has been building for twenty-five years,” Rubi said, simmering with something that had developed into complete disgust. Occasionally bordering pure hatred-like now. “I won’t decompress in ten minutes. ”
“Okay. What about giving me a little background so I know what we’re walking into. ”
“It would be better if you stayed in the car. ” She wasn’t trying to be bitchy, but she really worked better on her own. All this “help” only made her second-guess herself. Only made her more insecure.
“And let you strangle him with your bare hands?” he asked. “Sorry, baby, I wouldn’t survive living without you for fifteen to life. ”
A huff of laughter escaped her throat, but no humor resided there. Only irony. And a twist of discomfort at his insinuation that he needed her. Or that they’d be together for the long-term. She couldn’t go there now. She was way too messed up to think about what she had going with Wes.
Rubi laid her head back on the seat and kept her gaze out the window. She hated admitting it, but she did feel better having Wes with her. Stronger. Safer. More grounded. More rational. Which was how she usually felt with Lexi’s support. And the fact that Wes had become an influence similar to Lexi in just two months… That really tweaked her. She’d never been good at depending on others. Had always felt safest operating under her own control. Depending on only herself.
Then when people left, she wasn’t stranded-emotionally or physically.
So much betrayal lay between Rubi and Dolph, she couldn’t even begin to describe the damage to their relationship. Or, she realized-maybe for the first time with any clarity-fix the damn thing.
“I’ve offered to buy the house,” she said. “He’s always brushed me off. And before you ask, yes, I offered him market price. I never expected any favors. ”
“Why didn’t he sell it to you?”
“Anything related to money is a game for him. He’d never tell me why, just refused. Or ignored. He’s excellent at pretending I don’t exist. ”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Wes said, “but I’m curious. What is market value?”
“Last time I offered-about three months ago-fourteen million. ”
Wes whistled softly through his teeth. “That’s some big cash. I knew you made good money, like really good money, but I didn’t realize… I don’t know if I can afford all the work you’ve already done on the rig. ” He hummed, the sound worried and melodramatic. “I may have to pay it back in favors. ”
That made a smile lift her mouth. She knew what kind of favors he had in mind. But she was too disjointed to banter with him. “I told you, I’m charging you Jax’s rate. ”
“Yeah, but we never discussed what Jax’s rate is. ”
“I never let Jax pay for anything. ”
She rested her elbow on the door handle and rubbed her forehead. The futility of going to Dolph’s office was sinking in. She’d never get a real answer from him. She’d never be able to instill the concept of personal violation or common human decency he should have employed in this situation. She knew-knew-none of that worked with Dolph. Hadn’t worked for decades. Yet, she needed to go. Needed, one more time, to see his in-your-face disinterest firsthand.