All Chapters of The Knowing in Her Blood: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

I should have left.That was the first thing I thought after Ruby disappeared down the road with her brother.The second was that I wanted to follow her.The third was that wanting to follow her was exactly why I needed to get my head out of my ass.I stood beneath the weak yellow glow of the streetlight and watched Levi's taillights disappear around the corner.Ruby.Even her name was distracting.Red curls. Smart mouth. Five-foot-nothing worth of attitude stuffed into a woman who somehow managed to look vulnerable and dangerous at the same time.And those eyes.Those damn eyes.She'd looked at me tonight like she couldn't decide whether she wanted to get closer or run for her life.Then she'd told me I made her feel funny.I smiled before I could stop myself."Jesus Christ."I rubbed a hand over my face.I was getting sloppy.Really fucking sloppy.I'd been in town less than forty-eight hours, and I'd already broken half the rules I'd spent years learning not to break.Observe first

RubyI woke up angry with Levi.Which was convenient.Anger was easier than hurt.Anger got you out of bed.Hurt made you stare at the ceiling and replay your little brother's voice telling you he forbade you from doing something like you were sixteen years old and asking permission to sneak out a bedroom window.I rolled over and punched my pillow."I forbid."Even saying it out loud pissed me off.I punched the pillow again."Asshole."The pillow, having done absolutely nothing to deserve this abuse, accepted its fate quietly.I sat up.Sunlight was already pushing through the cheap blinds over my bedroom window.For one stupid second, before I remembered everything that had happened the night before, I smiled.Elias.Later?Later.The memory came back warm.His smile.Those stupid coffee-colored eyes.The way he'd looked genuinely relieved when I told him Levi was my brother.I smiled wider.Then caught myself."No."Absolutely not.I climbed out of bed.I was thirty-four years old

Ruby“I think I know where he is.”Dani stared at me.I stared back.Neither of us moved.Then she slowly set down the coffee mug she was holding.“No.”I blinked.“What?”“No.”“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”“You just said you magically know where a missing man is after seeing his bloody face inside your head.”She pointed at me.“I know exactly what you’re going to say.”“I didn’t say magically.”“Oh, forgive me. Psychically? Witchily? Should I grab a broom? What vocabulary are we comfortable with?”Despite everything, I almost laughed.“I hate you.”“No, you don’t.”She grabbed my shoulders.“And you are not walking out of this diner and following some spooky internal GPS into God knows where.”“It’s not GPS.”“Wonderful. That makes me feel so much better.”“Dani.”“Ruby.”“He’s hurt.”Her face changed.The humor disappeared.“You don’t know that.”“I saw him.”“You think you saw him.”“I felt it too.”“That is not helping your case.”I pulled away and paced the kit

Ruby“More than I ever told you.”For a second, I couldn't speak.I stood behind the diner with Dani beside me, staring at the phone like my mother had somehow crawled through it and slapped me.The buzzing beneath my skin was still there.Elias was still there.Somewhere.But suddenly there was something bigger than Elias.Something that had been waiting thirty-four years for an explanation.“What does that mean?”Mama didn't answer.“Mom.”“I should've told you a long time ago.”My stomach dropped.Dani watched my face.I turned away from her.“Told me what?”Another pause.Then Mama said quietly, “Grandma Mae was right.”Everything inside me stopped.Not slowed.Stopped.“What?”“About you.”I laughed.One sharp, ugly sound.“No.”“Ruby—”“No.”I started pacing.“No, you don't get to do that.”“Baby—”“Don't baby me.”Dani stepped closer.I held up a hand.Not now.I couldn't handle kindness right now.Not when rage was beginning to crawl up my spine.“You spent my entire life acti

RubyThere are moments in life when you realize you've made a terrible decision.Usually, those moments come after the decision.Mine came while Levi's phone was still ringing.I grabbed his wrist."Wait."He looked at me."What?""What exactly are you going to say?""That you came here.""I know that part.""And that you know Elias was at the warehouse.""I know that part too.""And that you're going there."I narrowed my eyes."I don't like that part.""That's literally the important part.""What if he asks where I am?""I'll lie.""Can you lie to him?"Levi looked offended."Ruby.""I'm serious.""So am I.""You're a terrible liar.""I am not.""You told Grandma you didn't eat her chocolate cake with icing on your nose.""I was seven.""You blamed the dog.""We had a dog.""The dog was outside.""I panicked."Dani leaned between us."I hate to interrupt this deeply relevant discussion, but isn't the murderous crime lord currently answering the phone?"We froze.Levi looked down.Th