Page 55 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. One (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #1)

Oliver

The drive from the airport to Evolve is only fifteen minutes, but it feels like an hour. I’m operating on a hunch, but if Ludo knows where Wren is—and I bet he does—then he might be our best bet to getting to her the fastest. The thought doesn’t do anything to soothe the anger expanding in my chest, though. Because if he knows where she is, then why the fuck hasn’t he given us a heads up yet?

By the time I’ve parked, I’ve imagined ten different ways to wring the information out of Ludo if he doesn’t volunteer it easily. I can’t do any of them—I’m not stupid—but I can at least pretend.

When I shove the doors to the club open, I come face to face with a large man dressed in all black.

“Sir, the club doesn’t open until much later tonight. Only staff members are allowed inside right now.”

“Where’s Holloway?” I snap, brushing past him.

“You can’t just barge in here—”

“Really? Because it sure looks like I did.”

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you—”

“Holloway,” I shout. “You get your ass down here right fucking now.”

“Already here,” a deep voice drawls from somewhere to my left. “Just enjoying the show.”

I whip around just as the guard grabs me. He tries to drag me back toward the entrance, but I shove him off me.

“Where is she?” I demand.

“Who?”

“Wren! Do you know where Jordan is keeping her? Because I swear to god, Ludo, if I find out you know where she is and you’re doing nothing, I’ll—”

“Careful, Oliver. Are you really about to say you’d kill the most powerful man in Philadelphia on camera?” Ludo gestures upward toward the security cameras. “Doesn’t sound like a smart move to me.”

“Do you know where he has her?” I grit out.

“Jordan. Jordan Williams?”

I nod.

Ludo shrugs. “Why would I? It’s not like we’re business partners or anything.”

“I saw the way you were watching Wren last weekend. Tell me you haven’t been keeping tabs on her. Go ahead. Lie to my face.”

With a sigh, Ludo slips his hands into the pockets of his red leather jacket. “I may be known as a lot of things, Moore. Ruthless, cruel, brilliant. But one thing you need to understand is that when I see a line, I think long and hard before I cross it. You following?”

“She’s ours.”

“Exactly. And I quite like having the three of you as my allies, regardless of whether your woman is my type or not. I haven’t touched her, I don’t plan on touching her, and I don’t know where she is.”

I’m not sure if I believe him, but I have no leverage to force an answer out of him. And, for now, we need to stay on Ludo’s good side. So I move to leave, but his voice stops me.

“Do you know what he wants?”

“Revenge.” I turn around again to look at him. “He figured out you ordered the kill on Edgar, but he’s too scared to come after you, so he took her instead. Or at least that’s our working theory.”

Ludo shrugs. “I’m sure he won’t kill her until he has you all there to watch.”

I can’t wait to rip you to shreds, you fucking monster.

“You know, if you’re so desperate to get to her, why don’t you get yourself kidnapped?”

“What?”

“If Jordan wants revenge, he’s probably got eyes on you at all times. It’s not like he doesn’t have the resources, what with inheriting everything from his uncle. So put yourself in a vulnerable position. Get yourself kidnapped. He’ll take you to wherever he’s keeping Wren. I’m sure your other lovers would find a way to save you both.”

“Rhett and Elliot would never go for that.”

Ludo rolls his eyes. “You three and your loyalty. So what? Do you want your girl back or not? You know the phrase—ask for forgiveness, not permission.”

With a parting nod, Ludo walks deeper into the club, whistling an eerie tune as he does. The guard reaches out for me again, but I slap his hand away.

“I’m going,” I grouse. “I’m going.”

***

If I make it out of this alive, Rhett and Ell are going to kill me.

Ludo fucking Holloway is the last person I ever thought I’d take advice from. But we’re running out of options. Jordan is holding her underwater longer each time. And considering how out of it she looked at the end of that last video, she won’t be able to make it much longer.

We’re coming, princess. I promise.

Back home, I pause in front of the closed door to Elliot’s office. I need to make sure they’re both distracted before I leave.

“He hung up on you?” Rhett says.

“He said that because we made him wait, he’s going to make us wait,” Elliot replies. “And that he won’t exchange us for her. He won’t stop until all four of us are dead.”

Fuck.

Rhett says something back, but I’m already moving away from the office. I head downstairs silently, pulling a bracelet out of my pocket and slipping it onto my wrist. It’s been a while since I’ve worn it—haven’t needed to—but it’ll work perfectly for this.

I stare at the black skull charm surrounded by black beads. Inside the skull is a GPS tracking device. It was something I got years back after a job went wrong and I almost got killed. Rhett and Elliot always being able to find me seemed to ease their worries, so I wore it all the time until we got better at what we do.

Now it’s the way they’ll be able to find me and Wren. I’d let them in on my plan, but they’d stop me, and we’re running out of time. Rhett is ready to start going after people Jordan cares about, and I can’t let him do that. Not when we don’t know what Jordan will do to Wren in return.

As I head to my car, I schedule a text to go out to both Rhett and Elliot, explaining where I went. By the time they’ll get it, I’ll be far away enough that they won’t be able to stop me.

It feels like a betrayal. I’m going to be scaring the shit out of both of them, but Ludo is right. My guess is that Jordan has had people keeping an eye on our house ever since he got his hands on Wren. So if I can get myself into a vulnerable enough position, his men will probably come for me.

The whole situation makes me think that Jordan’s timing is terribly off. Why kidnap her the night we left? Had he not realized yet that we were gone? Or did he do it on purpose to draw out Wren’s suffering?

Regardless, the whole plan seems stupid. It would’ve made more sense to get us all at once. Or at least all closer together. Jordan must not fully understand who he’s dealing with. Because now that we know Wren is in trouble, we’ll stop at nothing to get her back.

Rhett calls me multiple times while I’m driving, but I ignore him. I can’t explain anything until I’m far enough away. If they try to stop me, then this was all a waste of time.

I leave my car near an empty park. There’s plenty of snow for sledding and playing outside, but it’s too cold for most kids, so the place is deserted.

Before I get far, I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I pull it out and see Elliot’s face lit up on the screen. It’s past the time that I scheduled his text for, so he’s definitely read it. Guilt twists in my chest, but I don’t turn back. The park is a good place to catch me alone and off guard.

“I’m sorry,” I say when I take the call.

“Why are you doing this?”

The anguish in Elliot’s voice has my heart aching in a way I promised myself I’d never have to experience again. I close my eyes against the pain, but it doesn’t help at all.

“Why, Oliver?” he asks again.

The answer to his question is one I’ve been grappling with for a couple days. Ever since we took Wren to Evolve, really. It feels too fast, but I can’t deny the way I feel, even if it sounds na?ve or rash.

“Because I love her, Ell.”

For a suffocatingly long time, there’s silence on the other end of the line. Then Elliot sighs. “I know.”

“She needs us. You saw her in that last video. One of these times, Jordan is going to keep her under for too long, and she’s not gonna be able to hold out for long enough.”

“And what about what Jordan will do to you? What if he decides to kill you? Please don’t do this. We can find another—”

“I’m not waiting any longer.”

“O, you just got back on your meds. You can’t—”

“Then I guess you’d better come get me before it’s time to take my next pill.”

“Oliver!” His voice breaks in the telltale way that means he’s close to tears. And fuck, I haven’t seen Elliot cry in a long time.

“I’ll be okay,” I say gently.

“You don’t know that,” he pleads. “You did this without any planning, and you’re by yourself, and what if the bracelet falls off or they take it away or the tracker stops working, and—”

“Ell, it’ll all work out.”

“Why does it have to be you?” he shouts.

“You never would’ve gone for this. And I don’t want Wren to have to be alone. Just get us out as soon as you can.”

“What if we can’t find you?” he whispers.

“You will. I trust you.”

“Oliver…” The terrified desperation in his voice has tears pricking in my own eyes.

“I love you,” I manage. “Please tell Rhett I love him, too.”

“Ol-”

I hang up and shove my phone in my pocket. This is the right thing to do. We need to get to Wren as quickly as we possibly can, and if Rhett and Elliot follow closely enough, they could rescue me and Wren within a matter of hours.

That’s what I try to tell myself, anyway. But Elliot’s distressed voice echoes in my mind, and even though I’m doing this for Wren, I can’t help but hate myself a little for how this will affect Elliot and Rhett. There’s no doubt that this is bringing up memories we’d all rather forget about.

I’m so lost in thought that when I feel the cold barrel of a gun pressing against the back of my head, I actually am taken off guard.

“Get on your knees,” a gruff voice says from behind me.

Slowly, I do, raising my hands in surrender.

He huffs. “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that?”

I laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”