Page 195 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. One

What if they can’t get here in time?

“Jordan, please,” I say. “Please don’t kill her.”

A sadistic smile twists his mouth. “Maybe I should. Once I have the other two, I can just kill you in front of them.”

“No,” I shout.

Wren isn’t struggling anymore, and my only hope is that it’s because she’s trying to conserve energy.Just hold on a little longer, princess.

“She doesn’t deserve this. Let her up,” I beg.

Jordan’s eyes flash. “Tyler didn’t deserve—”

The door flies open. Elliot and Rhett barge into the room, and tears of relief fill my eyes.

Rhett grabs Jordan and yanks him off Wren. She slips to the floor, the tub obstructing her from my view, but I can hear her coughs and gasps.

She’s alive. She’s breathing. She’ll be okay.

Rhett throws Jordan to the ground and kicks him in the face. Then he rushes to Wren, dropping to his knees and trying to pull her into a sitting position. “Wren. Oh my god, Wren.”

“No,” she yells, kicking at him and trying to get away. “No more, you fucking asshole.”

“Wren. Sweetheart, it’s me. You’re okay. You’re safe now.” He leans over her, grimacing when she knees him in the stomach. But he’s able to push her hair out of her face, holding her head gently. “Look at me, Wren.”

It takes her eyes a second to focus, but once she’s staring at Rhett and actually comprehending who she’s looking at, she bursts into tears. “You found us,” she sobs.

“I told you we would,” he murmurs, pulling her up and into his lap. “Shit, your hands.”

He pulls his knife out of his pocket before reaching around her, cutting through the zip tie. Once her hands are free, she throws her arms around him.

“Rhett,” she whispers.

“You’re gonna be okay,” he says, rocking her back and forth. He holds her tightly, rubbing her back. “We’ve got you.”

Wren’s sobs turn into more coughs. Rhett holds her while she tries to catch her breath. His coat is absolutely drenched, but I don’t think he cares.

“Sick bastard,” Elliot says. When I turn to look at him, I see that he has a bloody-faced, unconscious Jordan tied up and on the ground. He glares at him for one more second before turning in my direction.

The second Elliot’s gaze lands on me, it feels like the whole world stops. Bursting into the room the way they did, I’m sure it was a hell of a sight—me tied up and shouting, and Wren half-drowned and unmoving. It was Elliot’s worst nightmare come true.

He works his jaw before turning to Rhett. “We’re not killing anyone else.”

Rhett’s nostrils flare. No doubt, he’s ready to raze the place to the fucking ground. “Why the hell not?”

Elliot looks at me again, tenderness and worry flashing in his eyes before an undying fury replaces them. “Because first, we’re going to make sure they suffer for what they’ve done.”

It only takes a few seconds for Elliot to cut through my zip ties, and then he’s pulling me to my feet and examining my body, looking for injuries.

“I’m fine, Ell.”

“This doesn’t lookfine,” Elliot grits out, pointing to the bruise on my torso. “Or this,” he continues, brushing his thumb over a cut on my cheek. “Christ, O.” Elliot runs a hand over my hair before pressing a shaky kiss to my forehead. “Fuck.”

I squeeze his hands. “We’re okay now.”

Elliot looks like he has a lot to say, but he keeps his mouth shut. The two of us move to Wren, joining her and Rhett on the floor. Gently, I place a hand on her back, and Elliot brushes his fingers down her arm.

Twisting in Rhett’s lap, she looks between the two of us. And somehow, she manages a smile. It may be tearful and shaky, but it’s still there.