Ruby and the Gangster

Chapter Four- The black Car

Mailstreet Apartments smelled like old cigarettes and regret.

Rain tapped softly against the windows while Detective Hughes sat on his couch

staring at the evidence spread across the table before him.

Pictures.

Names.

Dead bodies.

Drug routes.

Gang territories.

And right at the center—

Yerky.

Hughes rubbed tiredly at his eyes before taking another sip from the half-finished bottle beside him.

Three months suspension.

Because of one crooked cop.

His jaw tightened instantly.

“They protect their own,” he muttered bitterly.

His phone buzzed suddenly.

Unknown Number.

Hughes answered immediately.

“You got something for me?”

“Meet me at the usual spot.”

The line went dead.

Later that night, Hughes stepped inside a small rundown café near downtown.

Only two tables were occupied.

An old fan creaked loudly above while rainwater dripped outside.

A man wearing a hoodie sat quietly at the back.

Informant.

Hughes walked over and sat down opposite him.

“Well?” Hughes asked impatiently.

The man glanced around nervously before leaning

closer.

“I heard something strange.”

Hughes stayed silent.

“A cop was murdered years ago,” the informant continued quietly. “People say he knew where they hid some gold.”

Hughes frowned immediately.

“Gold?”

The man nodded.

“Government gold. Worth billions.”

Hughes leaned back slightly.

This sounded insane.

“The cop got greedy,” the informant whispered.

“Refused to tell them where it was hidden.”

“And?”

“They killed him.”

Silence.

Rain poured harder outside.

“They also killed his wife,” the man continued. “Burned the whole house down.”

Hughes’ expression darkened.

“But?”

The informant swallowed nervously.

“Rumor says the son survived.”

A strange feeling crawled into Hughes’ chest.

“Who was the cop?”

The man shook his head quickly.

“Nobody knows much anymore. The files disappeared years ago.”

Hughes leaned forward slowly.

“What does this have to do with Yerky?”

The informant hesitated.

Then—

“People around downtown saying Yerky’s connected somehow.”

Hughes’ eyes narrowed instantly.

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

The informant quickly raised both hands.

“I swear.”

Hughes studied him carefully.

Fear.

Real fear.

Interesting.

“But I do know one thing,”

the informant added quietly.

“Hm?”

“The warehouse shooting?”

Hughes’ jaw tightened.

“Yerky did it.”

Silence filled the table.

Then Hughes slowly stood up.

“If you’re lying to me—”

“I’m not.”

Hughes tossed money onto the table and walked away without another word.

Outside, rain drenched the streets heavily.

His mind raced.

Dead cop.

Missing gold.

Burned house.

Surviving son.

And somehow—

Yerky sat right in the middle of it.

But none of that mattered right now.

All Hughes wanted was proof.

Proof that Yerky Roberts murdered those two men in the warehouse.

And once he got it—

He was putting him behind bars.

Ruby POV

The hospital room smelled too clean.

Too quiet.

Dad was asleep when I walked in, his chest rising slowly beneath the blankets.

Bruises covered parts of his face.

Seeing him like that made my chest hurt.

I sat beside him quietly and held his hand gently.

“Who did this to you?” I whispered.

No response.

Only the soft beeping from the machines.

I sighed and rested my head beside him.

My phone buzzed suddenly.

Yerky.

My stomach flipped instantly.

HIM: You okay?

I smiled before typing back quickly.

RUBY: Yeah. At the hospital with my dad.

Three dots appeared immediately.

HIM: Need anything?

I stared at the message longer than I should have.

Why did that make me feel safe?

RUBY: No. Thank you though.

A few seconds later—

HIM: Get some rest, Rue.

Rue?

Heat rushed to my cheeks instantly.

I smiled like an i***t.

Then suddenly—

Dad moved slightly.

My smile disappeared immediately as I looked up.

His eyes slowly opened.

“Dad?”

He stared at me weakly for a moment.

Then fear crossed his face.

Real fear.

“Ruby…” he breathed painfully.

“I’m here.”

His grip tightened around my hand suddenly.

“They can never know about the boy.”

I froze instantly.

He said so yesterday when I first came to the hospital

“What boy?”

But his eyes had already closed again.

“Dad?”

Nothing.

Confusion twisted painfully inside my chest.

What boy?

And why did he sound terrified?

I slowly stood up and

walked toward the hospital window.

Rain poured heavily outside.

Then my stomach tightened.

Across the street—

A black car sat quietly beneath a flickering streetlight.

Watching.

My breathing slowed.

It looked familiar.

Too familiar.

The same car I saw near our house.

A strange chill crawled

down my spine.

Was somebody watching us?

Yerky POV

The city looked different at night.

More dangerous.

More honest.

I rested against my motorcycle outside a convenience store while lighting a cigarette.

My phone buzzed inside my pocket.

Roots.

I answered immediately.

“Talk.”

“You good?” Roots asked first.

“Why?”

“Because Don’s pissed.”

I exhaled smoke slowly.

“What else is new?”

“Nah, I’m serious this time,” Roots continued. “That warehouse s**t got everybody nervous.”

I stayed quiet.

Roots lowered his voice slightly.

“And now Hughes is involved.”

That name again.

Detective Hughes.

My chest tightened immediately

I flicked ash onto the wet pavement.

“I heard he got suspended.”

“He did,” Roots replied quickly.

“But that man doesn’t know how to let s**t go.

He’s been asking questions about the warehouse murders nonstop.”

I frowned slightly.

“What kind of questions?”

“Questions about you.”

I stayed silent.

Roots continued carefully.

“He visited downtown earlier.”

My expression hardened

immediately.

“Downtown where?”

“The old strip near Oaks.”

That wasn’t good.

Too many people there knew me.

“He asking about Don too?” I asked.

“Nah. Just you.”

I took another slow drag from the cigarette.

“Listen,” Roots muttered. “Don told me to warn you.”

“Hmm?”

“Lay low for awhile.”

I laughed softly.

“When don’t I?”

“I’m serious, Yerky.”

Something in his tone made me straighten slightly.

“Don thinks something bigger is happening.”

That got my attention.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know,” Roots admitted.

“But he’s been acting strange since the warehouse incident.”

Silence.

Then—

“He said the setup wasn’t random.”

My eyes narrowed instantly.

Goosebumps crawled slightly across my skin.

I had been thinking the same thing.

Nobody should’ve known about that drop.

Nobody.

“You think somebody inside leaked it?” I asked quietly.

Roots hesitated.

“I don't know"

“Don specifically told me to tell you this,” Roots continued carefully. “Stay away from unnecessary trouble. No shootings. No fights. No attention.”

I smirked faintly.

“When did Don become my father?”

“This ain’t funny.”

I stayed quiet.

Roots sighed heavily into the phone.

“Man… I’m serious. Something feels off.”

I looked across the street absentmindedly.

And that strange feeling returned immediately.

Like eyes were on me.

Watching.

Waiting.

Then I saw it.

A black car.

Parked quietly across the road.

My jaw tightened instantly.

The windows were too dark to see inside.

“Yerky?” Roots called through the

phone.

I didn’t answer.

Slowly—

The back window rolled down.

An older man sat inside smoking calmly.

Sharp eyes.

Cold expression.

Dangerous.

The man stared directly at me like he already knew me.

Then he spoke.

“You look just like your father.”

My blood ran cold.