Burn Me Once, Burn With Me novel Chapter 6

"Sorry, was that too much?"

Ruby hesitated, glancing at the mountain of baby supplies stacked on the counter. Hauling all this back would take several trips—was she asking too much of the staff?

She'd never worried about things like this before. But after her time in prison, she'd learned just how hard life could be for people at the bottom. Back then, she'd been the lowest of the low—a target for anyone, especially since Quinborough's richest man, Mr. Veyne, had given explicit orders: "Take good care of her." That made her an easy mark for everyone.

Now, she'd made it a rule never to inconvenience anyone, never to draw attention. She just wanted to get through life quietly, especially now...

Absentmindedly, Ruby touched her face beneath her mask. Through the layers, she could still feel the deep, jagged scars running across her skin—scars that had long since cut all the way to the bone.

Her fingers trembled, and she dropped her gaze in shame.

Meanwhile, the young sales clerk snapped out of her daze.

Jackpot! With this one sale, she'd hit her monthly target in a single night shift! She could work nights every week if they were all like this.

"No, it's not too much at all! Is there anything else you'd like? I can wrap it all up for you."

"That's all for now, thank you."

"Of course! How would you like to pay?"

"Card, please."

Ruby rummaged through her bag, past a mess of old documents, to find her gold-tinted bank card. As long as she had this card, she figured, Mira would never have to worry about food or shelter.

She ran her thumb over the raised numbers before handing it over.

"That'll be $1,245.95, Miss Grayson. One moment, please."

Beep.

The clerk's cheerful expression flickered with confusion. She tried again, and again, glancing up apologetically.

"Um, Miss Grayson, do you have another card? This one's declining—insufficient funds."

"What?"

A strange chill crept over Ruby. Something was wrong. She remembered how easily she'd found those cards in her bag—could it be...?

"Please try these," she said urgently, pulling out the rest of her cards.

If she remembered right, each one held thousands—bonuses from those headline-grabbing cases she'd cracked back in Quinborough.

Beep.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

A few minutes later, Ruby emerged from the store's family room. Mira was clean and dry, and the clerk handed her a large bag stuffed to the brim.

"There's a little of everything in here—diapers, wipes, formula samples. I even added a few tins of the formula we're promoting. Take it, please. For your baby."

Ruby wanted to refuse, but the clerk insisted it was for the child.

And it was true—she could go without, she could endure hunger and cold, but what about Mira? How could her baby survive?

"Thank you..."

Ruby's voice shook as her eyes filled with tears.

Cassian had driven her to the edge, yet a stranger could still offer a helping hand. She had loved the wrong person from the very start.

"Don't mention it," the clerk said, waving her off. "I haven't got kids, but I can't stand to see a baby cry. I can tell you love her very much. It's freezing out, so get home quick, okay?"

"No matter what you're going through, hang in there for your daughter, Miss Grayson."

The clerk guessed she must've had a big fight with her family. These rich folks, she thought—one argument and the husband freezes the wife's accounts just like that. What a jerk. Absolute scumbag.

Ruby hurried toward her apartment building, clutching the bag and her child. The clerk was right—the wind was biting cold, and Mira couldn't be exposed to it for long.

But with no income now, how would she and Mira survive?