Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 52

But in the very next moment, Cassian caught himself—he realized that the baby's features hadn't fully developed yet.

Besides, he and Ruby had only crossed the line once, that night she ended up in jail. What were the odds that she'd get pregnant from that one time?

And knowing how relentless Ruby could be, if she really were carrying his child, she wouldn't have sat quietly in prison. She would've begged him, pleaded for his help—used the baby as leverage to get herself out.

So if the baby wasn't his, then whose was it?

Morgan's?

Cassian clenched his fists, the little drum toy now buried deep in his pocket. He turned sharply, voice low and commanding as he barked at Bennett, "Find out whose number that was. And I want to know who fathered the baby she's holding."

Without waiting for a reply, Cassian yanked the curtains closed, blocking out the annoying sight of the man below.

"Miss Ruby, your grandmother left you a generous inheritance. Please come home soon to handle the legal matters."

No sooner had she hung up with her grandmother's attorney than Frieda's call came through.

"Since you're out of prison, you should come home."

Frieda never bothered with small talk.

In the little apartment, Ruby's hand paused around her phone.

The silence on the other end made Frieda uneasy. She glanced at the screen to make sure the call was still connected and snapped, "Ruby, are you even listening to me?"

A faint, almost inaudible laugh slipped from Ruby. "Yeah."

Frieda's frown deepened, her voice rising. "What's with that attitude? You can't pretend you had nothing to do with your grandmother's death last year! Her anniversary's coming up soon—you have to come back, at least for that!"

The familiar sound of scolding settled in Ruby's chest, leaving a bitter taste. Her fingers tightened around the phone, then relaxed.

This was the Frieda she knew. Anything less, and Ruby might have wondered if Ms. Grayson had been possessed by a ghost.

Her thoughts tumbled, looping back to the same conclusion.

"I'll come back," she said flatly.

Even as she spoke, Gennifer pressed on a tender spot at the base of Frieda's neck. Frieda shifted uncomfortably, but Gennifer paid it no mind, eager to ask, "So, is she really coming back?"

Frieda scoffed, "It's her grandmother's memorial. If she doesn't show, that's just plain ungrateful."

Meanwhile, Ruby had already packed her suitcase. But closing the zipper was the easy part—figuring out what to do with Mira was another story.

When Cameron Lockridge heard she was heading home for the memorial, he offered to hire a nanny to watch Mira for a few days. Ruby refused.

Instead, she hugged Mira close and took a cab back to the staff dorm where she'd once lived while working as a cleaner.

"Hi, I'm looking for Pamela."

"For Pamela? What's it about?"

Ruby approached a woman crouched in the corner, snacking on sunflower seeds. The woman brushed her off, not bothering to hide her impatience.

But then Mira's soft baby babble caught the woman's attention. She looked up—and met Ruby's gentle, smiling eyes.