Chapter 5: Unhinged Desire
1073 Words
A week had passed, but it felt like a lifetime to Kaleb.
Ever since the night at the café, he hadn’t tried to see Ruby. He hadn’t checked in. But not because he didn’t care—he cared far too much. That was the problem.
He sat in his office, the windows darkened, shadows creeping in like the thoughts in his head. He’d told himself he’d feel nothing. That she was just a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time. But every time he blinked, he saw the fear in her eyes, the red print on her cheek, the tremble in her voice when she told the Don no.
And he’d done nothing.
Seven restless days during which Kaleb, the feared Mafia King, had deliberately kept his distance. Not because he wanted to, but because the tangled storm inside him demanded space. He didn’t dare reach out, didn’t dare let the walls he built so carefully around his heart crumble—especially not for a girl he barely knew but already cared for more than he was willing to admit.
His mind was consumed by one thought: the Don of the Butchers group. That arrogant brute had touched Ruby—hurt her—and for that, Kaleb’s wrath simmered dangerously beneath his calm facade. He crafted silent plans in the dark corners of his mind, vowing punishments to make the Don pay, not just for disrespecting him, but for daring to harm someone who unknowingly claimed his heart the moment he saw her.
That evening, unable to stand the gnawing worry, Kaleb found himself back at the café. His sharp eyes scanned every corner, but Ruby was nowhere to be found. The empty space where she should have been made his chest tighten with unease.
"Joe," he muttered, staring at the city lights across the street he stood, just outside the Cafe.
"Yes, boss?" Joe responded from behind.
"Find her address. Ruby's."
Joe blinked. "Ruby… from the café?"
Kaleb gave him a look that said don’t question me. Minutes later, Kaleb had the address. A small neighborhood on the city’s edge.
***
The car pulled up near a modest apartment block. A quiet place, with fading paint and worn fences. Kaleb stepped out, dressed in black as always, his presence like a shadow against the streetlights.
Ruby’s mother, Femi, opened the door. She looked tired but composed, her eyes narrowing slightly when she saw the unfamiliar man on her doorstep.
"Good evening, ma’am. I’m Kaleb. I came to see Ruby," he said, tone respectful, though his eyes were scanning the space behind her.
Femi gave him a long look, then stepped aside slowly. "She’s out back, in the small playground with her brother."
Kaleb walked in and caught sight of Ruby. She was sitting on the edge of a plastic bench, watching Jayden play. The moment she saw Kaleb, her entire body went still.
He approached cautiously. “Ruby.”
Her jaw tightened. “Why are you here?”
“To see you,” he said simply. “To say what I should’ve said that night.”
She stood, motioning for him to follow her. They walked a short distance to the quiet end of the playground and sat on a wooden bench, shadows dancing across the grass.
“I didn’t expect you to show up at my door,” she said, arms folded.
“I didn’t expect to care this much,” Kaleb said, almost to himself.
She scoffed. “You left me. After I was slapped by that monster, you walked away like I meant nothing.”
His jaw flexed. “I know.”
“Do you?” she snapped, voice breaking slightly. “Because it sure felt like I was just another nobody to you.”
Kaleb sat on the bench beside Ruby, his hands clasped loosely, but tension clung to his every movement. She kept her arms folded, eyes on Jayden playing in the distance.
He looked at her, his voice deep. “That's not it, I didn't even know what to do and that's why I walked away. I’ve been losing my mind thinking about you. And I don’t lose control—not over anyone.”
She blinked, not expecting that.
“When he touched you… when he laid a hand on your face, I wanted to tear him apart piece by piece,” Kaleb said, voice low and dangerous. “But then I remembered who I am. What I’ve built. I don’t feel. I don’t care. But you—” He broke off, shaking his head. “You ruin that.”
Ruby tried to mask her reaction, but her breath hitched.
He turned toward her fully, voice dipping darker. “I don’t know what you did to me, Ruby. But ever since you walked into that café, my world hasn’t been the same. And I hate that. I hate how I find myself thinking about your voice, your eyes, even the way your hands tremble when you’re scared.”
She shifted, visibly shaken.
“I didn’t come here to win your heart with flowers and promises,” Kaleb added, voice velvet-wrapped steel. “I came to claim what’s already mine. You.”
Ruby’s eyes widened. “I’m not something to be claimed.”
He smirked faintly. “Maybe. But I’ll protect you like you are.”
“You don’t even know me,” she murmured.
“I don’t need to,” he said. “I feel it in my blood. I’ve killed men for less than the way he looked at you. I don’t share, I don’t back down, and I don’t lose. If I have to become your shadow to make sure no one lays a finger on you again—I will.”
Ruby’s throat tightened. Her mind screamed run, but her heart whispered stay.
“I’m not perfect,” Kaleb said, leaning slightly closer. “I’m broken in more ways than I care to admit. But if you’ll let me, I’ll ruin every man who ever made you cry—and build a world where you never have to flinch again.”
Ruby exhaled slowly, every wall she’d built trembling.
She looked away. “I still haven’t forgiven you.”
Kaleb nodded. “Then I’ll wait. But know this…” He paused, voice low and intimate. “I’m not leaving again.”
And for the first time, Ruby didn’t want him to.
- Writer
