War of Hearts [Gang!Calum AU]

Part 6

Part 6

The sound of his fingers tapping against the leather steering wheel was rhythmic, relentless as he glared out the windshield. What was taking her so damn long? Calum had been waiting for ten minutes in his car outside of the building, waiting for Ruby to walk out. Normally he wouldn't care too much if she was late, but after receiving Ashton's text about the Sabers' shipment coming in, Calum had to move fast. He knew he could've just sent some other Rider to pick Ruby up, would've made a lot more sense if he'd done just that, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Needed to pick her up from work himself and needed to drop her off at the safehouse himself because he couldn't be there with her while he was out with practically everyone else.

Making absolute sure she would be safe was the least he could do.

His jaw tightened as he waited, going over the past few days. Ruby had been staying at his place for almost a week while his men gathered intel on the Sabers, finding out the location of the drop, as well as the day and time it would happen. Additionally, they also learned how many of Sabers' men would be there and while it wasn't nearly as much Calum had hoped, it was better than nothing. He just needed to make sure everything would go according to plan.

His agitation grew as he impatiently waited for Ruby to come out, wanting to be at the warehouse already. Having her stay with him had left Calum feeling a bit restless. After that night, after Lincoln's death, Calum couldn't keep it the fuck together for the life of him. His entire room was destroyed, just a small window into what was going on in his guilt, grief and anger ridden mind and twisting soul, and despite having that visual, it still made Calum's heart clench that Ruby had stayed the night with him.

The next morning, neither of them talked about what happened, nor did they talk about it the following days. Calum wasn't embarrassed that Ruby had seen him that way, had seen him sitting on the floor of his bedroom with his head in his hands in the middle of a tearless breakdown. He just wished that she'd never had to witness that in the first place. No matter the person, Calum hated showing vulnerability; it wasn't in his nature. If he had a blind spot, his enemies would no doubt use it against him, wouldn't hesitate in doing so, because God knows he's done the same. And while he knew Ruby was the last person to use something like that to get an advantage over him, it still unsettled him. It's not who he was.

But the sight of her still in his bed the next morning. . . There was a moment where he didn't give a fuck.

The woman had an effect on him, there was no point in denying that now. For the first time, with her laying in bed next to him, Calum didn't sleep with one hand holding the gun under his pillow.

After that night, things had been. . . Normal. Or, well, a slight improvement from normal because Ruby no longer seemed to feel as though she couldn't hold a conversation with Calum, and he definitely held back on the teasing comments he sometimes dropped. Mostly, that had to do with the fact that after losing five people, he justifiably had nothing else in mind except getting back at those who killed them. Though Ruby did sneak into his mind more often than not.

At the thought of the green eyed girl, Calum let out a sharp breath through his nose, already thinning patience completely disappearing as he finally threw the car door open, slamming it shut with his left hand since his right wasn't healed yet. His shoes clicked against the pavement as he stormed his way towards the building, wanting to see what was taking Ruby so fucking long, when the front doors opened and out she stepped with some guy right next to her.

Calum slowed to a stop, eyes narrowing and lips pursed as he watched her laugh at whatever the guy had said, wearing scrubs similar to Ruby's. He was familiar, and Calum knew he was one of her coworkers, though his name wasn't coming to Calum. But he watched, jaw tight, as Ruby and the guy laughed and chatted as if they'd been lifelong friends, ignoring the twist he felt at the sight of them. Ignoring the burn he felt in his blood that he knew too well because he'd rather be angry at the Sabers than jealous over whatever the fuck this was.