All Through the Night (Liar's Web) (17 page)

“
Of course you do,” she reassured as a rush of emotion swept through her. She knew the strong pull of a sibling in trouble—it was the very reason she continued to bail Lenny out of every bad situation he found himself in. The ties that bound them together knew no limits.

“
She's my little sister,” he said gruffly. “It's a big brother's job to protect his little sister.”

A brother's duty. She understood now. It was the reason he'd flipped out on Lenny when he confronted him about sending her to the wharf that night. Jake felt a deep responsibility toward Ruby, and he couldn't fathom Lenny's reckless actions that had placed her in harm's way. Jake lived his life according to his own personal creed of honor. She had to respect him for that.

“
What does she do on the Reservation?”

“
She's a faith healer. She runs a clinic on the Rez. When she's not doing that she paints and makes jewelry. She sells it in town and at powwows.”

“
What exactly does that mean…faith healer?”

“
My sister uses herbs and spirituality to heal people. It's an alternative to modern medicine. It's been practiced by Native American tribes for generations.”

“
And she's successful at it?” she asked, curious about this type of alternative medicine.

“
People flock to her from miles around to get the opportunity to experience her healing hands.” Jake shrugged. “It's not for everybody, but for people in the Native American community, it works. What with the rates of poverty being so high on the Rez, most folks can't afford the rates of the docs at Trinity Hospital. Ruby gives them options.”

“
She sounds spectacular,” Darcel said with a smile, filled with admiration for a woman who saw a need in her community and ran her own clinic to fill that void. As a businesswoman herself, she gave Ruby much respect.

“
She's amazing,” he replied, his features showing the stress and strain of the current situation.

Jake grew quiet as a huge sign appeared welcoming them to Pine Creek Reservation. A Native American totem pole rising ten feet in the air stood next to the sign, a symbol of the cultural divide between the Reservation and the outside world. Darcel took a moment to take in the beauty of her surroundings. Wide open spaces lay before her, acres and acres of land that had been allocated to the Lakota Sioux after generations of denial about Native American land rights. Western Mesquite and Juniper trees dotted the landscape, along with horse pastures, a trading post and a sunflower farm.

Small children darted back and forth in front of their homes, chasing balls and playing baseball with makeshift bats. Some of the kids were without shoes, their feet dusty from the clay-colored dirt they were playing in. The poverty was obvious by the small, dilapidated houses and the ramshackle appearance of the children. She wondered if these houses even had running water.

Jake pulled up to a building located on the outskirts of the residential area. Although it was a small building made of brick, it was nicely maintained with an adobe walkway and lush, green holly bushes in front of the building. A cute ladybug mailbox sat in front of the property, lending it a folksy charm. A decorative sign hung on the building announcing Ruby's Clinic was open for business.

Jake practically jumped out of the car, his long legs carrying him to the front door in seconds. She trailed behind him, for all intents and purposes a stranger in a foreign land. Once they entered the clinic, there was a buzz of activity with a waiting room full of people—babies, children, pregnant women, and senior citizens. There was an older Native American woman at the reception desk who lit up like a Christmas tree the moment she spotted Jake. She reached for him, pulling him down to her level so she could plant a kiss on both cheeks.

“
Is she with somebody, Myra?” he asked, not pausing to make any introductions.

Myra smiled, showcasing a mouth full of broken, missing teeth. She shooed Jake in the direction of Ruby's office, sparing a moment to shoot Darcel a suspicious look.

Jake knocked on the office door, not bothering to wait for a reply before wrenching it open. Darcel's first glimpse at Ruby was in profile. She was standing in front of her office window, gazing outside with a dazed expression on her face. She turned toward them as the door opened, her face reflecting surprise and delight at seeing her brother. Ruby Trueblood was a rare beauty. With the exception of their copper skin color and hawkish noses, there was little or no resemblance between brother and sister.

She appeared to be in her early to mid-twenties with big brown eyes, dark lashes, and an expressive face. Her long dark hair reached all the way down to her waist. Brilliant crystal earrings sparkled in her ears. Despite her inner turmoil, the vibe she was giving off was serenity. Her presence radiated as the calm before the storm.

“
Jake, you shouldn't have come!” Ruby cried out, her voice light and airy.

“
Did you really think I would ignore that phone call?” he growled.

Jake pulled Ruby into his arms, his long arms wrapping her in a bear hug. “What the hell happened here?” he said the moment he released her. He held her face in his hands and seemed to be reading her face for clues.

Tears pooled in Ruby's espresso-colored eyes. “One of my patients died. She's been fighting breast cancer for two years.” Her slight shoulders heaved with emotion. “I was trying to prolong her life, but instead I killed her. I should have had her transported to Trinity, but she kept saying she wouldn't go.” She placed her head in her hands and blew out a deep breath. “People put so much faith in me…it's devastating when it doesn't pan out. When someone loses their life at my clinic, I feel responsible.”

“
You didn't kill her,” he said flatly. “That's not who you are. You're a healer, Ruby Red. Even when you were a kid, you used to try and fix up all the birds with broken wings.”

She smiled up at her big brother, chuckling through her tears. “I can't believe you remember that. Problem was, I never wanted to give those birds up after I patched them up. I tried to keep each and every one of them.” They both chuckled at the memory, their mutual affection evident in every loving word and gesture.

Ruby planted a big kiss on her brother's cheek. “You always manage to make me feel better.” She turned toward Darcel, her eyes full of curiosity as she gave her the once over from head to toe. “Now, who's this gorgeous friend of yours?”

“
This is Darcel Dawkins. Darcel, this is my sister, Ruby Trueblood.” Although Darcel offered her hand in greeting, Ruby turned toward her with her arms wide open. “Welcome, Darcel. It is wonderful to meet you.”

“
It's nice to meet you too. I really admire what you've done with your clinic.”

“
There's a lot of hard work involved,” she acknowledged, “but it's a labor of love.”

Although Jake didn't tell Ruby about her being in his protective custody or the fact that she'd been an eyewitness to murder, she sensed Ruby was aware something out of the ordinary was going on. Darcel noted she kept casting sympathetic glances in her direction, her coffee-colored eyes full of concern. She sensed Ruby was a person who cared deeply about others.

A frantic look came over Ruby's face as she blurted out, “Jake, there's something I need to tell—”

“
Well, look what the wind blew in.”

At the sound of a deep, masculine voice, Jake turned toward the door, his face hardening into granite as he came face-to-face with a man who was clearly a blood relation. Despite his craggy face, salt-and-pepper hair, and the ravages time had bestowed on him, the man standing in the doorway was the spitting image of Jake.

With a wide grin, the older man drawled, “Hello, son. It's been a long time.”

Chapter Nine

“
What the hell is he doing here?”

Jake spit the words out of his mouth as if they were poison. Nausea roiled through his stomach as beads of sweat began to gather on his forehead. He clenched his fists at his sides, resisting the impulse to lash out at the monster who'd given him life. All it would take, he reasoned, would be one solid punch square in the face. His father would go down like a ton of bricks.

As a kid he'd been no match for this brutal son-of-a-bitch who liked to hit women and terrorize children. But now, all these years later, his father would be no match against him. Age had kicked him in the ass, and he was now a wizened old man with a weak body to match his feeble mind.

Jake turned his back on his father and stared Ruby down, his anger rising at the thought of his sister making nice with the devil. It wasn't her mother he'd brutalized. It wasn't Ruby's mother who'd been led to her death like a lamb to the slaughter.

“
He's just passing through,” explained Ruby in a quiet voice. Her dark eyes implored him not to make trouble. She knew him better than anyone and she'd surely seen the signs of trouble brewing within him. After all, this wasn't the first time she'd seen them come face-to-face.

 
Out of the corner of his eye he saw his father walking toward Darcel, his hand outstretched in formal greeting. “I'm Kohana Trueblood.”

Jake's hand lashed out like quicksilver, slapping his father's arm down before he was able to make contact with Darcel. “Don't even think about it,” he said through clenched teeth. “This isn't a meet and greet.”

Darcel moved toward him and placed a restraining hand on his wrist. “Jake, it's not worth it.” She sent Kohana a pointed look. “He's not worth it.”

Kohana let loose a low chuckle. “I see my son has been telling tale tales again. What did he say this time? That I knocked him around a few times?”

Darcel looked at Kohana with disgust, her beautiful face twisting into a grimace as she stared his father down. If it hadn't been so deadly serious, Jake would've laughed at the murderous look in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to take Kohana down single handedly.

“
I told her the truth—that you're a wife-beater and a murderer,” he said, his voice as cold as ice.

“
You don't know what you're talking about,” Kohana snarled.

“
Don't I? ‘Cause I remember like it was yesterday, the way you used to beat the crap out of my mother.” It was brutal hearing the cold, hard facts laid out in the open. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and gazed back and forth between the two men, her face full of uncertainty.

“
Till my dying day, I'll remember all the black eyes and the bruises. I'll never forget how she died…getting behind the wheel with your drunken ass.”

Kohana's face twisted angrily in response to his son's allegations. “You're a born liar, just like your mother.”

Jake's hand darted out with the stealth of a rattlesnake, curling around Kohana's neck before he knew what had hit him. His father was struggling to breathe and clawing at his hand so he would release his choke hold. By this time both Darcel and Ruby were standing on either side of him, pulling at his arms and pleading with him to let go. Abruptly, he released his grip, watching dispassionately as the old man slumped to the ground, his breathing ragged and uneven.

“
Y-you're insane,” he declared, his eyes bulging with fear as he massaged his throat and gazed warily at his son.

“
Stay out of my way, old man. I'm not ten years old anymore. I can and will tear you apart. And I'll do it with a smile, you worthless piece of shit.” Without another word, he grabbed Darcel's hand and stalked out of the room, heading straight for the exit.

“
Jake! Wait.” Ruby called after him, her long black hair rippling as she ran toward them. Apologies tumbled out of her mouth, words he couldn't bear to listen to as long as Kohana was somewhere on the premises. He needed to get away fast. He couldn't stand being anywhere near such evil.

“
Don't!” Jake ground out. “I can't listen to this right now.” He held up both hands and deflected her attempts to explain why their father was walking around her clinic like he owned the joint. His head was throbbing; He needed to get out of there before he exploded. Darcel watched him warily, as if she feared the worst. There was a war going on inside of him, and he was doing everything in his control to win this battle.

In order to do so, he needed to get as far away from his father as humanly possible before he lost control. Because if he burst wide open and released all the years of fury and loss, he'd have violated the sacred code he lived by as a sheriff. And Kohana would be a dead man.

Once they got back in his truck, he gunned the engine and roared around the Reservation, his mind taking him in a million different directions as he tried to stabilize his mood. The image of his father standing in the doorway of Ruby's office looking as if he had every right to be there seared into his brain. He'd thought the bastard had left Texas for good years ago, dragging his dysfunction and his cruelty along with him. Clearly, he'd been mistaken.

Somewhere along the line, he'd returned to Liberty Creek and the Rez, no doubt to sponge off Ruby and whatever relatives were still speaking to him.