Page 60 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. One (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #1)

Elliot

The mattress moves violently, waking me from the light sleep I just found.

What the hell?

When I open my eyes slightly, I’m just able to make out Wren. She’s scrambling into a sitting position, looking at me and Oliver. And then she turns to where Rhett was earlier.

The commotion wakes Oliver. Groggily, he sits up, rubbing his eyes and trying to make sense of what’s going on.

“No,” Wren whispers, patting the mattress like she’ll somehow find Rhett among the folds of the blankets. “Rhett,” she cries. “No, no no no. Rhett!”

“Hey. Hey, it’s okay. Princess, you’re okay.” Oliver wraps his arms around her, gently tugging her into his lap.

Rhett has already stood from the armchair in the corner, and now he’s moving to the edge of the bed. “Sweetheart, I’m right here.”

She doesn’t hear him. “How did you survive? Why didn’t he?”

“Wren, we’re all here. It was just a nightmare.” Oliver strokes her back, keeping his voice calm.

Rhett crawls onto the bed. “Hey. I’m here.”

When he comes into her view, she sags in relief. “You’re alive,” she whispers, reaching out to him. “You’re here.”

“Have been all night, sweetheart.” Rhett snakes his arms around Wren and takes her from Oliver, cradling her body to his.

“But you weren’t in bed. Where… where did you go?”

“I was in the chair, that’s all. We weren’t fitting on the bed. You and I are both sprawlers, and Ell is a blanket hog.”

“Hey! So are you,” I say, inching closer to Wren. “What was your dream, love? What happened?”

She shudders, wrapping her arms tightly around Rhett’s waist. “You all died. You all died trying to protect me, and then Jordan took me into the cellar, and he forced me underwater for so long that I couldn’t hold on for any longer. And then I breathed in the water, and it was horrible and it hurt and I couldn’t do anything, but I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

“Fuck,” Oliver mutters. He rubs Wren’s back, his fingers hitting Rhett’s arm where he’s holding her, but neither shy away from the touch. “We’re not going to let that happen, princess. You’re safe.”

She whimpers, obviously trying to hold back tears.

“I won’t leave again,” Rhett reassures her. “I’ll stay in bed.”

That seems to calm her down. She nestles her head against his chest, taking in a shaky breath. “Thank you.”

Watching Wren try to get herself together brings a question to the front of my mind. “Love. Did you have nightmares last night?”

She nods.

With a sigh, I move closer, my arms coming around her and Rhett. When I see Oliver hesitating to join, I pull him in so all three of us are surrounding her.

“I’m so sorry, Wren,” I mutter.

“I’m okay now,” she whispers.

But it’s pretty damn evident she’s not. She’s traumatized—rightly so. The memories of the past day or so are going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

We never should’ve left her alone.

I kiss Wren on the forehead. Her eyes are scrunched shut, and she’s clutching Rhett tightly. When I glance between him and Oliver, I find my thoughts reflected in their expressions. We can’t let something like this happen ever again.

“Lie back down, sweetheart,” Rhett says. “You need to sleep.”

We all move to give her some space, settling back into bed quietly. I end up spooning Oliver, and Rhett does the same to Wren. Silently, she finds Oliver’s hands and interlocks their fingers. He murmurs something in her ear that I don’t catch, but whatever it is, it helps her to fully relax.

She’s out in a matter of minutes, and eventually I hear Rhett’s breathing even out as well. Slowly, Oliver shifts so he’s on his back, still holding Wren’s hands. I can barely make out his face in the dark.

“Ell,” he murmurs.

“Yes?”

After letting out a long breath, he says, “I know it’s hard to understand why I did what I did. But I just didn’t want her to be there for a second longer than she needed to be.”

“Ol, trust me, I get it,” I say in a hushed tone. “It got us to her sooner. And we… we almost went to the wrong house. If we had, who knows how long it would’ve taken us to find her.”

“Shit,” he whispers.

“I guess what I’m saying is thank you. But please don’t do it again.”

“I won’t,” he says quietly. “Because we’re never letting Wren out of our sight. This can’t happen again, Ell.”

“Agreed.”

We sit in silence for a moment before he says, “I don’t regret it. But I am sorry. I didn’t want to make you relive what happened all those years ago. But I couldn’t let her suffer, either.”

“I know.”

And really, that’s all I can ask of him. Oliver has always been the first to throw himself in danger’s way for me and Rhett. Of course he’d do the same for Wren—he loves her, too. It may scare the shit out of me, but it makes me proud of him, too.

“I love you, Ell,” he whispers.

“I love you too,” I whisper back, kissing his shoulder.

And then we drift to sleep silently, hoping for a better day tomorrow.

***

In the morning, I wake before everyone else. It’s nice to have all four of us together, even if it’s a little cramped. When Wren asked if we could all sleep in the same bed, I was skeptical that it would be comfortable, but I wasn’t about to deny her what she needed. Backache be damned, we made it work.

Carefully, I untangle myself from Oliver. He moans but doesn’t wake, and I smile when I see that Wren is still holding his hands.

Downstairs, I make a pot of coffee and pour myself a mug. Then I head to the room we’re keeping Jordan in. He’s awake, although his face is so bruised he can barely get one of his eyes open.

When he sees the mug in his hands, he recoils. “I don’t want any of that shit.”

“Wasn’t offering.” I lean against the dresser that’s directly in his view, sipping from the mug. I don’t say anything else, choosing to stare at him silently.

He squirms. “What are you going to do to me?”

Whatever Wren wants.

But I don’t say anything out loud.

The longer I stare at Jordan, the more panicked he gets. It’s probably cruel of me to pull this shit, but I can’t find it in me to care.

“I’m hungry,” he says eventually.

“Did you feed Wren?”

I already know the answer.

Jordan presses his lips into a thin line while he contemplates a response. He must know that lying is a terrible idea—I’d never believe his word over Wren’s—and the truth is probably too uncomfortable for him to speak out loud.

“You’re a real piece of shit, you know that?” I say.

“I was getting justice for my brother,” he snarls.

I laugh bitterly. “Right. Justice for a man who didn’t see any value in human life. That’s the only way he could willingly take over your uncle’s businesses. How many people die at Williams factories every year? How many more can’t feed their families?”

“You’re a fucking hitman! Don’t talk to me about the value of life.”

I shrug. “Never said I was perfect.”

Jordan rolls his eyes. “You can’t stand there and tell me you killed my uncle and my brother because of their ethics. You did it because it paid well.”

“Was damn good money, I’ll tell you that.”

Watching Jordan’s face light up with fury has me hiding my smile behind my mug. He’s wrong, of course. We didn’t take the Williams job for money. We did it to earn more of Ludo’s trust. Taking out two exploitative assholes at the same time was an added bonus.

“So this is your twisted sense of justice?” Jordan says. “Torturing and killing my men in front of me? And then doing the same to me?”

“No,” I say with a petty smile. “It’s yours.”

Jordan shifts uncomfortably as he thinks my statement through. And then he sags against the headboard when he finds nothing but truth.

He’s the one who was going to torture Wren and kill her in front of us.

He’s the one who kept her locked up in an empty room without food or anything to keep her warm.

He’s the one who nearly drowned her five times.

“Your treatment of Wren proves that you’re cut from the same cloth as your family. She had nothing to do with their deaths. Nothing. Yet look what you put her through. You deserve whatever she decides to do, Jordan. Every single thing.”

“Bullshit!”

I down the rest of my coffee. Then I smile. “I can’t wait to watch you die.”

“Fuck you,” he spits out.

The longer I stay in here, the harder it’s getting to resist the need to strangle him. Wren deserves to have that satisfaction. So I don’t bother replying, leaving him alone again and locking the door.

In the kitchen, I make more coffee and pour it into four mugs. I load them all onto a tray and carry them upstairs.

Opening the door to my bedroom is tricky, but I manage it without spilling any coffee. I set the tray on my dresser just as Wren comes out of the bathroom.

She stops when she sees me. “Ell.”

I love that she’s calling me that.

Without hesitation, she runs to me, circling her arms around my waist and pressing her face into my chest. She inhales deeply before letting out a satisfied noise.

“Morning, love.” I kiss the top of her head, smiling into her hair.

Wren’s always been so openly affectionate toward us. Not only is it endearing, but it’s also a relief. New relationships can be awkward, especially when you’re still trying to figure out where you stand with each other. But she’s rarely backed down from showing us she cares—or from asking for what she needs.

Never be afraid to take, love. Because we’ll always give you more.

“You brought us coffee?” she says once she notices the tray on the dresser.

“Yeah. You can have one of the ones with cream.”

She wrinkles her nose. “I wouldn’t want one of the others.”

Chuckling, I say, “You and Oliver both.”

She takes a long sip of her coffee before turning back to the bed. Her expression softens when her gaze lands on Rhett and Oliver. They’re both wrapped up in each other, a mess of arms and legs and unresolved pain.

“They found each other almost immediately after I got out of bed,” she says, twining her fingers with mine.

“I’m not surprised.”

She glances at me, a hesitant concern shining in her eyes. “They’ll be okay, right?”

I squeeze her hand. “Yeah. We never let our arguments fester for long. It’s too miserable. Rhett just needs a little more time, and then they’ll be fine.”

Our conversation must be too loud, because Rhett groans. His arms tighten around Oliver before he opens his eyes. When he sees who he’s holding, his body goes rigid. But then he sighs, pressing his face into Oliver’s neck. Oliver stirs, and after another second, Rhett releases him and crawls out of bed.

When Rhett spots us, I already have his coffee in my hands. He takes it groggily, his fingers lingering against mine. Then he touches Wren’s shoulder in what’s probably supposed to be a soft caress but ends up being closer to a clumsy pat.

She giggles. “Drink your coffee. You need it.”

He mumbles something entirely unintelligible, downing half his mug in one go. Grimacing, he rubs his throat. “Hot.”

Wren grabs Oliver’s mug and brings it to the bed, lowering herself onto the edge of the mattress. “Good morning, handsome.”

He gives her a sleepy grin, although I don’t miss the extra second it takes for him to find it. “Hi, princess.”

Rhett kisses my temple. “I’ll meet you guys downstairs for breakfast.” Then he leaves, probably heading to his room to get ready for the day.

Oliver slurps his coffee loudly, making Wren smile. The sight warms my heart. Her smiles and laughs may not be as exorbitant, but that’s to be expected. As we’re able to put more distance and time in between the events of this weekend, hopefully that’ll change.

It’s sweet to see Oliver trying to make her laugh. I know yesterday took its toll on him, too. And until he and Rhett resolve their issues, he won’t be able to get back to being his normal self. But that shouldn’t take more than a day or two.

Downstairs, I whip up a quick breakfast of cheesy omelettes and more coffee. Everyone makes quiet conversation, mostly asking the usual, “How did you sleep?”

Apparently, everyone slept as shittily as I did. And if the stiff way Rhett is walking is any indication, staying in bed for most of the night probably left him sore and aching, too.

“Lesson learned,” I say, rubbing my lower back. “It was nice to wake up with all of you, but my body can’t take it agai-”

I pause when we hear a yell coming from the part of the house where we’re keeping Jordan. Wren’s smile fades, and her posture goes from open and relaxed to closed off and tense. She hugs herself, chewing on the inside of her lip.

“You okay, love?”

“I forgot he was here.”

I set an omelette in front of her, but she doesn’t touch it. At some point, we’ll have to deal with Jordan. I think all of us would prefer for that time to be soon. But ultimately, the decision is up to Wren. Whenever she’s ready.

She stares at her omelette like it’s going to jump up and attack her. Then she slips off the stool. “I just need a minute.”

The sheer willpower it takes for all three of us not to stop her is astronomical. But we let her go. If she needs a moment to herself, that’s understandable. She hasn’t gotten one since we brought her home.

My guess is she’s heading back to my room. It’s in the opposite direction of where Jordan is, and with the distance, she probably won’t be able to hear him yelling.

“We need to change things,” Rhett says gruffly. He takes a swig of coffee before setting it on the counter harder than he needs to.

“Meaning?” I ask.

“We’re not leaving her again. And I don’t like the idea of two of us going on long distance jobs while one of us stays with her, either. We work best as a team.”

Oliver nods in agreement. “I think she should have a say in what jobs we take. You said it yourself last night, Ell. She’s part of our family. And being a part of us means being part of the decision-making process.”

“I think we should take it a step further,” I say, watching both of them. “Wren can’t protect herself. We can teach her to, but it’ll take time. So even if we stick with local jobs, I think she should be able to tell us not to take one if it makes her feel unsafe. No questions asked, we drop it. Just like that.” I snap my fingers.

Normally, if one of us has a problem with a job that gets sent our way, we talk it through before making a decision. This is similar to that, but it gives Wren slightly more power. And considering she’s the one who doesn’t have the ability to keep herself safe, I think it’s fair.

“I have no problems with that,” Rhett says.

Oliver nods. “Same. Whatever she needs.”

We eat breakfast in silence. When Wren hasn’t come down by the time we’ve finished the dishes, I set out to find her.

Upstairs, my bedroom door is open. The curtains are still drawn, blocking out the sunlight, but the bedside lamp is on. Wren is sitting on top of the crumpled sheets, leaning back on her hands. The glow of the lamp caresses her skin, wrapping her in warmth.

Since she didn’t hear me step into the room, I let myself watch her for a moment. Her eyes are closed, her breathing slow and even. I feel like I’m intruding on a private moment. One filled with the safety of being alone, of knowing no one’s watching you. One in which you don’t have to perform for anyone.

I knock lightly on the doorframe. “Hey.”

She looks at me. The hollowness in her eyes is like a punch in the gut. “Hey.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” she says softly.

I wish you wouldn’t lie to me.

Easing onto the bed next to her, I take her hands in mine. “Wren, the past couple weeks have been a lot. It’s—”

“I’m fine.”

I shake my head. “You’re not.”

She looks away.

“Talk to me, love.”

I run my thumbs across the backs of her hands as we sit in silence. I’m not sure if she’s trying to figure out what to say or if she’s refusing to talk. It doesn’t matter. I’d sit with her in silence for years if that’s what she wanted from me.

“What if you were right?” she whispers eventually.

“About what?” I ask, but I already know, and it causes my mouth to instantly go dry. The mournful look Wren gives me has my heart twisting painfully, and I release her hands.

“The three of you have changed my life for the better in so many ways,” she says. “It’s barely been two weeks, but it’s true. I’ve come to care for you more than I…” She trails off, shaking her head. “A lot. I care for you a lot. But what if it’s too dangerous?”

“Please don’t,” is all I can manage to get out. It’s like my throat is closing in on itself, like my body is attacking the very notion of what she’s saying and leaving me spiraling out of control.

“I can’t go through that again, Ell. I didn’t think I’d make it that last time. Everything was starting to slow down, and it felt like I was two seconds from losing consciousness. From…” She stops, swallowing hard. “You said before that you’ve made a lot of enemies. Which ones will do worse? Which ones will kill me on the spot?”

“No. No, this won’t happen again, Wren.”

“You can’t guarantee that, and you know it.”

“We can.”

“You can’t!”

“Love.” Gently, I take her face in my hands, tilting it so she has to look at me. “The three of us have already discussed it. We’re not taking any more jobs that take us away from you for the foreseeable future. Not until you’re able to protect yourself. And not until we’ve killed Ludo and neutralized anyone who’s a threat to you. To any of us.”

She blinks slowly, frowning. “You’d do that?”

“Of course.”

“But… you don’t have to work?”

“We mostly take jobs for networking purposes and to get closer to Ludo. So no. Money is the least of our concerns. From now on, we won’t take any jobs without your personal stamp of approval. We’ll run everything by you. And if you’re not comfortable with something, all you have to do is say so.”

Her hands cover mine as she processes. “You… you mean it?”

“Absolutely,” I whisper. “We just talked about it, and we’re all on the same page.”

She inhales deeply, letting her eyes slide closed again. “Thank you.”

I kiss her softly in response. Wren sighs into my mouth as I pull her into my lap. Her legs end up wrapped around my waist, her hands running up and down my arms. When we pull away, she rests her forehead against mine.

“I almost got away,” she says quietly.

I rub her back, hoping to bring her some sense of reassurance or comfort. “Oliver told me. How did you manage?”

She brushes the tip of her nose against mine. “I tried to think like you do. Oliver says you’re always thinking ten moves ahead. So I tried to do that. And I almost made it. I was literally in a car, and I was halfway down the driveway. I just didn’t anticipate Jordan and his men coming back with Oliver at that exact moment.

“Maybe it was for the best. If they came back and I was already gone, who knows what they would’ve done to Oliver. But I was so angry and scared. Jordan was going to kill me. I think he took me escaping as a personal insult to his intelligence. And I understand he’s upset because his brother is dead, but that’s not my fault.”

“I know,” I murmur.

“Is it horrible of me?” she whispers. “To want to put him through what he did to me? Does it make me like him? Because I don’t want that.”

“I don’t think so, love. But my moral compass is a little broken.”

She lets out a small laugh. “That’s fine with me.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

Finally, she opens her eyes, pulling away so she can take in my whole face. “Because it means you’ll stop at nothing to protect me. I’ve never had someone like that in my life. Not even my mom. It makes me feel safe. Cared for.”

“I’m glad you know it,” I say.

As I hold Wren in my arms, my mind starts going over the past two weeks. There’s a lot we still don’t know about her, but there’s one commonality in every situation we’ve faced with her. For some reason, there’s an undying resilience that lies just beneath her consciousness. Based on past conversations, I’m pretty sure she doesn’t even see it, but it’s there.

It’s everywhere—in how she’s dealt with her family and Adam, in how she handled the Williams job last week, and in how she refused to give up this weekend even when everything looked hopeless. Her strength doesn’t mean she’s not hurting, I know that. But I’m damn proud of her.

Wren’s stomach growls. She didn’t eat a lot last night because she felt sick, so I’d imagine she could eat an entire pantry’s-worth of food right now.

“Let’s get you some breakfast,” I say. “I don’t want you to go any longer without food. I also may have left Oliver and Rhett alone together, and we should probably make sure they haven’t killed each other.”

She nods. And then we head downstairs together, her hand clasped in mine.