Page 197 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. One

Keeping her in a tight embrace, he says, “I’m sorry it took us so long to get to you, love. Fuck. I’m so sorry, Wren.”

She doesn’t say anything, just locks her arms around him and lets out a sound that’s somewhere between a sob and a whimper. Elliot holds her for a minute while Rhett and I grab some blankets from an over-sized basket in the corner. Then he carries her to the couch, gently setting her down.

“Can we…” I hold up the blanket, not sure if she wants to be touched more.

“Yes,” she whispers, reaching out to me. “Yes. I just didn’t want to be looked at.”

“I understand, princess.” I unfold the blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders and placing a tender kiss to her forehead.

Rhett places another blanket over her lap, and then he uses another one in an attempt to dry her hair. She smiles up at him when he finishes, but he doesn’t return it. He just stares at her, trying to keep himself under control. The man looks ready to set the whole damn house on fire.

“F… fuck you.”

It comes from Jordan. His head is tilted heavily to one side, like he’s too out of it to keep it upright. Blood trickles from his nose, which is definitely broken.

“Goddammit,” Rhett says under his breath. He brushes his thumb over Wren’s cheek. Then he turns on his heel and stalks over to Jordan. Neither Elliot nor I move to stop him as he kicks Jordan in the face, the force causing his chair to fall back.

Jordan cries out as his head hits the floor. Rhett wastes no time in yanking the chair up. Then he punches him.

“You deserve this,” Rhett says, his voice dripping with a venom I’ve only ever heard when he’s talking about Ludo. “Howdareyou hurt her.”

“You killed my brother,” Jordan rasps.

“You think I give a flying fuck?” Rhett shouts. “You think that justifies hurting an innocent woman? Fuckyou, Jordan.” Another punch. And another. Just as he’s winding up for a third, I remember what Wren told me earlier.

“Rhett. Don’t kill him.”

The glare he gives me sends a chill straight to my bones. And when he delivers his next blow, I realize he has absolutely no intentions of listening to me. I grab him, and he tries to shove me off, but it’s a half-hearted attempt. Rhett’s angry, but he doesn’t want to hurt me. When I pull him away, Jordan is crying and barely conscious.

Elliot stands from where he was crouched next to Wren. “We’re nowhere near done with you, you miserable fuck.”

Goddammit. I can’t hold both of them off.

“Elliot,” Wren says, watching him.

“Don’t try to stop me, love. No one—and I meanno onehurts my family and gets away with it.”

“I wasn’t going to stop you.”

He pauses, reaching out and stroking her face. “What do you need?”

“I want to be the one who kills him,” she whispers, looking up at Elliot with a wide-eyed, sincere expression. There’s no doubt on her face. No fear. She fucking means it. Sheneedsit. “I want him to feel what I did. Every single thing.”

Something akin to pride blooms in Elliot’s eyes as he smiles down at her. “Of course. Whatever you need.”

“And I don’t want to watch while… while you torture the others. But I don’t want to be alone.”

Holding his hand out to her, Elliot says, “You don’t have to be. Ol, Rhett, can you two handle them?” He gestures to Jordan and his men.

“Absolutely,” Rhett replies. “We’ll leave Jordan for you, sweetheart.”

“I want to take him back with us.”

“Then we’ll do that.”

I brush my lips across Wren’s hairline. The fact that she’s telling us exactly what she wants without hesitation has a warm feeling spreading through my body. We’d do anything for her, and it’s important she knows it.

Still clutching her blankets, she moves to Rhett. His fists are clenched at his sides, his knuckles covered in blood, but he visibly relaxes when her lips meet his in a sweet, chaste kiss.