Page 79 of Velvet Corruption

But I wasn’t most people. I was the woman who let Kieran Callahan drive her to the hospital. The woman who let him touch her.

Shame crawled up my spine like static, and I pushed back from the table, grabbing my phone. My coffee was basically untouched, but I had to do something about this. Kieran…I’d let him play me like a fucking idiot.

And I was done with that.

“I’m supposed to meet with someone today,” I said in a rush. “Sorry to step out.”

Alek raised an eyebrow, but didn’t ask who. He had to know I was addressing this…and he was happy about it.

Because I was done playing defense.

I wasdoneletting Kieran win.

If he wanted to crawl back into my life, I needed leverage. I needed dirt.

And I knew exactly where to start looking.

Chapter Seventeen: Kieran

Iwasn’t going to stop following Ruby. I wasn’t going to stop looking after her, even if she didn’t want me to.

Not when my brother had all but threatened her life. If I had to protect her from Tristan myself…then fuck it. That was exactly what I was going to do.

I watched from across the street as Ruby's car pulled away from the courthouse. The smart thing would have been to let her go, then hit her up and…fuck. Do what I had told my brother I would do. But the smart thing wasn't my style, not when it came to her. I waited a beat, then turned the ignition and followed.

I expected her to pull into her usual spots—the campaign office, her house, anywhere that made sense. But the second she veered toward the docks, a knot formed in my gut. This wasn’t an accident. This wasn’t a wrong turn. She was meeting someone, and I needed to know who.

I eased up on the gas, keeping a careful distance as she parked near the water. The docks were quiet this time of day, the shadows stretching long, the air thick with salt and something heavier. Anticipation, maybe. I didn’t like it.

Her car slowed, and I eased up, watching her pull into an empty lot near the water. I parked where I could see her but she couldn't see me, my mind racing through the possibilities. The risks. The complications. For a split second, I considered turning back. But then I saw him.

A figure, waiting.

And I knew I had to see this through.

The longshoreman shifted from foot to foot, his unease visible even from a distance. I didn't recognize him, but I knew the type—low-level, nervous, the kind that spooked easily. Ruby was out of her car before I could think twice, moving toward him with a determination that made my chest tighten.

She was cautious, but not afraid. She should have been. I watched her approach the guy, the way she held herself like she was ready for anything. It was a quality I admired, even when it made me want to grab her by the shoulders and tell her to get the hell out of there.

I pulled out my phone, zooming in to catch what I could. The longshoreman seemed jittery, glancing around like he expected company. He wasn't wrong. I was there, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't the only one.

Ruby stopped in front of him, and I felt the familiar tug of wanting to protect her from herself.

I leaned forward, my grip on the wheel tightening as the pieces started to fall into place. This wasn’t about a case. This wasn’t about the campaign. She was digging for something bigger. Something that had her walking straight into Callahan territory like she belonged there.

I knew she was a liability, but she wasn’t making it easy to protect her, was she?

No. She was making me work for this.

Fuck.

I knew the guy now. He was small-time, someone who did just enough dirty work to keep his hands messy but not enough to be useful. If this had been official DA business, the longshoreman would’ve been arrested.

But no. She wasn’t just there to talk. She was there for information. She was there to make a fucking play against my family.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut—a slow, deep bruise spreading through my ribs. I watched the way she leaned in, her mouth tilted toward him, eyes focused. Curious. Calculating. She was fishing. And that meant this wasn’t just about ambition anymore. She was in it. She was coming for us.

For me.

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