Page 67 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. One

“Good.” That gives us more time.

Grabbing Adam’s gun from the floor where he dropped it, I eject the magazine and check the chamber. Both empty.What an idiot.

“I’ll watch the door,” Oliver says, grimacing at it. My kicking it down completely ruined itandthe doorjamb.

At least it was cathartic.

I grab Adam by his hair and drag him into the back of his house. The kitchen is tiled, so it’ll be easier for whoever has to clean up the blood than the wooden floors of the front room.

I haul him up, tossing him onto the counter. Dirty dishes clatter, and I hear a few break, but I don’t care. I rip off his belt, tying it around his arm. I didn’t drive all the way over here just for him to pass out from blood loss.

“Please don’t hurt me,” Adam sobs. “I have a girlfriend. Her name is Wren. She won’t be able to live without me, she’ll be so—”

I punch him in his stupid mouth, and his head slams into a cabinet. “You really don’t recognize me, do you?”

“No! I swear, I have no idea who you are or what you want. I’ll do anything. Do you want money? Drugs? I’ve got both upstairs.”

“I want you out of this city.”

“Please, man. I can’t leave. I’ve got family here.”

“Don’t care.” I punch him again, my fist connecting with his jaw, and he slumps to the floor.

He lets out a pathetic groan as I hear the first sirens.

I crouch next to him, grabbing his chin and pulling his face to mine. “I’ve decided to go easy on you tonight. But if you’re still here by the end of the week, I’ll make your life a living nightmare.”

“This is going easy?” he sputters. Blood is dripping from his mouth, and he coughs, spraying my face.

“You have no idea,” I grit out. The things I could do to this punk—but I can’t. Freddy’s power is limited, and he can only help us get away with so much.

“I’ll leave,” he croaks. “Just don’t hurt me anymore.”

I release him, and his head hits the ground when he doesn’t catch himself. With a disgusted glare, I kick him in the stomach once. And then again—for good measure.

I grab his keys from my pocket and throw them on the floor. I already wiped my prints off them and took Wren’s key off the ring.

Adam groans. “How did you get these? Who the fuck are you?”

I ignore both of his questions. “Good luck finding your car. Heard it got towed. Can’t remember where to, though.”

With that, I head back out front. Freddy is just stepping inside, the lights of his car flashing red and blue from the street.

“We were never here,” I tell him, and he nods. Then I grab Oliver, and we disappear out the back door.

***

When we get home, the kitchen light is on. The second I step through the garage door, I see Elliot sitting at the counter and Wren pacing the room in nothing but an oversized T-shirt.

She turns to me, and her eyes go wide. “Oh my god.”

Guess I didn’t get all the blood off my face.

For a moment, her feet are frozen to the floor, like she’s holding herself back from something. Then she’s running toward me, flinging her arms around my neck.

I grunt from the impact, wrapping my arms around her waist. “I’m okay, sweetheart.”

“Wait, where’s Oliver?!” she says in a panicked voice, pulling away and searching behind me. Her fingers grab onto my jacket, fisting the fabric tightly.