Page 95 of Rules

Holly was quiet for a half second and I almost thought this was a butt dial. "There's been a break-in." She said in a voice that told me there was more.

I sat up leaning my legs over the side of the bed.

"Oh Tobias, it was at Blossoms."

My heart stopped. "Ruth?"

"I don't know, the ambulance took her to the hospital. Joey too, John rushed him to the emergency vet. It sounds bad, Tobias. She was working late, on her own. She called as soon as she came too. Luckily she woke up before the guy did."

"What guy?" I snarled as I put my pants on.

"She knocked out one of the three men. That's all I know. I haven't heard anything else from John or Sang."

Working late on her own. I closed my eyes and took a breath. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Ruth and Joey were hurt because I wasn't there. Because I'd pushed her away instead of staying close. Because I'd chosen control over connection.

"I'm on my way," I said, throwing things into my bag. "I'll call from the road."

Starting my truck, I gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "Michael, you asshole, you just got yourself your worst nightmare."

Chapter 32

Ruth

Tobias's warnings echoing in my head, his sexy but stern face, brow furrowed, those dark eyes intense with concern about me working late. But sometimes stubbornness overrides good sense. I didn't get time today to do the wedding quotes and I was already late getting them back to the brides. So, like it or not, I had to get these done.

And I don't appreciate my head constantly showing me his face as a reminder to me being here. I know what he said but that doesn't mean I have to obey. I can do what I want. Plus, after the last event, I'm not listening to anything he says. The big jerk.

The shop had been quiet for hours. Joey curled up on his cushion in the corner of my office, occasionally lifting his headwhen I moved around too much, then settling back to sleep. The only sounds were the hum of the coolers, the occasional drip from the sink, and me paging through catalogs.

I glanced at the clock, it read eleven seventeen. I'd promised myself I'd leave by ten. So much for that. It couldn't be helped, two of the weddings were complicated and it took me longer to finish their quotes.

"I'm trying to hurry, I only have this small one left," I said softly to Joey. He thumped his tail twice without opening his eyes.

I flipped through the floral catalog looking for arch holders when a sound froze every cell in my body in place. An explosion so sudden, so violent, so loud that for a moment I couldn't process what was happening. The floor trembled beneath my feet. I heard glass hitting the floor. Joey leapt up, ears alert, the hair on the back of his neck rising. He ran to me and I scooped him up. A tiny growl rising in his throat.

"Shh," I hissed, terror freezing me in place. "What the fuck was that?" I stood straining to listen, what I heard was even more terrifying. Heavy footsteps crushing glass and male voices.

"Spread out. Make it look good."

"Don't forget the register."

"Doesn't matter. Just wreck the fucking place."

Joey's growl turned into barking. I put my hand over his mouth but he wiggled and turned so much I couldn't hold him. When he landed on the top of my desk he took off. I lunged for him, but he was already charging toward the swinging door that led to the main shop, barking ferociously. The force of the initial explosion had caused the door to swing open slightly, and Joey squeezed through before I could grab him.

"Joey, no!" I whispered desperately, but he was gone, his frantic barking joined by startled exclamations from the intruders.

"What the hell?"

"Is that a giant rat?"

"Yeah, numb nut's ‘cause rats bark. Come here pooch, come here."

My heart lodged in my throat. I couldn't let them get Joey. Frantically, I looked around this back room, no exit, no weapon. Shit. I had no choice but to go out and try to save my dog.

I grabbed the heaviest object within reach, a small ceramic flower pot. Grabbing it I pushed through the swinging door.

The scene that greeted me was out of a horror movie and I felt like the girl going down the basement stairs to check on a noise. Everything was dark, the room illuminated only by my two coolers. Most of the shop's front windows were shattered on the floor. The glass shimmered and was almost pretty in a stained glass sort of way. Three muscle bound men dressed in black, faces covered with ski masks, stood amid the wreckage of my shop. All three turned their attention from the furry one darting between them. To me standing there wide eyed and terrified.

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