Page 103 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. One

“We can’t show our faces here,” Elliot reminds him. “We don’t intervene unless she actually needs us. This may be our only chance to get Williams, and I don’t want to fuck it up.”

Rhett’s grip on his binoculars tightens so much I think they might snap in two. But he stays put, his shoulders bunched up.

I let out a worried sigh. Williams is at his table, so I split my time between keeping an eye on him and watching Wren. Everyone at her table seems tense, and she looks like she might explode—or burst into tears.

“I don’t like how close she is to him,” Rhett murmurs after a few minutes.

“What’s worrying me is how much she’s leaning away from the other guy,” Elliot says. “Don’t like that one bit.”

We keep an eye on her while both tables order and get their food. At some point, Adam places his hand on Wren’s arm, and she flinches.

“I’m going to kill him. Fuck forcing him out of town. I’m going to gut the guy.”

Elliot and I exchange a glance but keep our mouths shut. At this point, if Rhett wants to take out Adam, I’m not sure either of us would stop him.

Wren shoots out of her seat, and I’d be lying if I said the shocked looks on everyone’s faces aren’t funny. Then she storms out of the building, not even bothering to look back.

Which, I suppose, is why she doesn’t notice Adam getting up and following her.

Rhett swears. Then Elliot is tucking his binoculars away.

“Williams is leaving. Rhett, we have to get to the car. Oliver, make sure you don’t lose sight of him.”

“Got it.”

We exit the building, sticking to the shadows. But we all freeze when we hear a feminine voice shout, “Adam, let me GO.”

“Fuck,” Elliot mutters. From where we are, we can’t see Wren, but there’s no doubting it. That was her voice.

“I’ll get her,” I say. “I have a minute before Williams gets to his car, and then I’ll catch up.” I’m already on the move.

“Cover your face,” Rhett says gruffly. God, he’s pissed.

I don’t have to look at Elliot to know he hates this. Any deviation from the plan is a potential catastrophe. But this job cantechnicallybe done without me—as long as nothing goes wrong.

I cross the street, slipping on my ski mask, eyes darting over the empty sidewalk.

Where are you, princess?

“You.”Thud.“Are.”Thud.“SO.”Thud.“STUPID.”Thud.

I don’t realize I’m running toward her voice until I skid to a stop at the mouth of an alleyway. A few yards in, Adam is on the ground, scrambling to get up but slipping on the ice. Wren is standing over him, gripping a book in her hands and bringing it down on his head.

Adam grunts. He must give up on getting to his feet, because instead, he hooks an arm around her legs and yanks.

She falls on her ass. As she cries out, her book flies into the air and lands a few feet away.

I’m on Adam in an instant, pulling him away from Wren and throwing him to the ground. With a kick to his nuts, I leave him groaning, turning to Wren. She’s already up on her feet, snatching at her book and backing away.

“You stay the hell away from me,” she snaps.

Seriously? I just saved her.

Right. Ski mask. She probably thinks I’m going to mug her.

“This is why I don’t do the planning,” I grouse.

She narrows her eyes, tilting her head the way she does when she’s curious or on the verge of figuring something out.