Chapter Four
Slade blinked a few times before looking back at Ruby, concerned that she might be upset by the remark, and assured her, "I'm sure that she didn't mean it, she is probably just over aught from travelling so far on foot. You know that that is no easy feet, especially in the high heels that she is wearing", hoping that that would pacify the situation although in his heart he knew that it was nothing of the kind that had caused that out burst.
From the second that he had seen Ebony he had known that she was not just some other woman and that she demanded both power and respect, that was why he couldn't fathom what had just occurred between then as there was no way that she was meant to be one of the mill or someone who got upset so easily.
Ruby rolled her eyes, "Slade I know that you are no fool and that you can not possibly believe what you are telling me. She meant what she said", she said with an almost hurt expression before she stopped and realised how she was acting.
She hated it when her anger got the better of her as she had always liked to think of herself as being quite a together person and as such couldn't stand showing that things riled her but in Ebony's case she could tell that this would happen many more times if she was not careful.
Trying to cover up her anger she said in a calmer tone, "Look Slade, I don't know what her problem is but maybe you better find out and keep her on a much shorter leash as she is going to get chucked out of Liberty if she keeps on acting like that and you can't always make excuses for her as that will bring you down too".
Slade looked down at his glass for a second in reflection, somewhere in his mind he knew that Ruby was right but at the time it felt like he would risk that for Ebony although he didn't know what the hell was wrong with her.
He sighed before draining his glass and looking up at Ruby, "It won't come to that", he said handing his glass back with an expression of thought.
"I hope that it doesn't, for your sake", Ruby said with a slight sad smile. She didn't know why she was doing this, she wanted Slade for herself and could not say that she had taken to Ebony but she knew that she would be able to live with herself if she didn't tell him to go for it.
"Slade you have been gone two days and I know that you have never been to the city before so whether you like her because you think that she is gorgeous or because sometime in those two days she said something unforgettable you have to either decide that she is someone that you just met and as such is nothing more than an acquaintance or that you see something special enough in her to go and find out what her problem is", she advised although she couldn't believe that she was doing so.
With a smile Slade admitted, "I haven't known her more than ten minutes, I just see something special in her. And you are right, it won't get that far I will find out what is wrong", he said getting up and walking over to the stairs before realising what it must have cost Ruby to give that advise.
Although he was sure that she understood that he did not like her in that way, after all hadn't she too said that the feeling was mutual? He was still cautious of her feelings and knew that it couldn't have been easy to see the man that she had so recently slept with going after another woman.
That was why he turned back for a moment and said, "Thanks for the advice Ruby", before heading the rest of the way up the stairs.
His words warmed Ruby a little to know that she had at least done something right although she could not help but wish that it was her that he wanted and not Ebony.
"Anytime", she whispered sadly.
Once upstairs Slade was glad of the foresight that he had had when he checked Ebony's room number and walked over to the room door and knocked gently seeing if she would let him in of her own free will.
Yet when after a few moments he received no invite he opened the door anyway and walked in. He looked around quickly but at first did not see her until his eyes settled on the bed where he sleeping form lay. He smiled as he thought about how utterly gorgeous she was when asleep yet decided not to wake her until he noticed that she was shacking slightly and began to roll around fitfully.
Overcome with worry Slade closed the door and walked quickly to her side, at first he had thought that she was just cold now he could see that she was in the midst of a night mare.
In Ebony's dream she walked down the hallways of the Saloon happily as she thought about the new life that she was to start and thought about the handsome man whom she had been talking with earlier however as she walked down the steps of the saloon she noticed Lex standing with an arm around Slade congratulating him on how he had handled Ebony.
She froze as hatred and sadness filling her body, there was no way that she could let it go what Lex had done to her, she was humiliated beyond belief and in that moment became convinced that there was no way that she could trust Slade as she was sure that he was just the same as Lex.
Yet before Ebony got the chance to yell at them in her dream she felt herself being pulled from the dream by two strong hands on her forearms.
Upon waking up she looked down to see those two hands once again and upon looking up to see who they belonged to she saw Slade.
"Perfect", an evil voice in her mind purred its poison into her mind.
Without waiting for him to say anything she was determined to show him just what she thought of him and his little games which at that moment she was sure were real.