Page 61 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. One (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #1)

Oliver

After Elliot leaves to find Wren, I get up from my stool. “I’m gonna go check on Jordan. Make sure he’s not dying or something.”

“Not alone, you’re not,” Rhett says gruffly, moving to follow me.

We walk in miserable silence. It’s not often that I wish the floor would open up and swallow me whole, but right now is one of those times.

The way Rhett kissed me last night was so raw and pained that I’m still feeling the aftereffects over twelve hours later. And this morning, I woke up to him holding me—and then immediately leaving me. It was like a stab to the heart, realizing that he held me close while he slept and then pushed me away the second he woke up.

I understand he needs time. No one can turn their emotions on and off like a tap. They ebb and flow, intensify and fade. At this point, it’s a waiting game. I just wish it didn’t hurt so badly.

In Jordan’s room, we find him struggling against the ropes we used to tie him up. His face is bruised and swollen, and his clothes are stained with blood. It satisfies a dark part of me, seeing him like this. It looks like he’s in a lot of pain.

“Why are you making so much goddamn noise?” Rhett snaps.

“I have to pee.”

Rolling my eyes, I move to untie him, but Rhett grabs my shoulder.

“Don’t try anything,” he growls at Jordan.

Jordan stops struggling, eyeing Rhett cautiously. Then he mutters, “This is inhumane.”

I’ve known Rhett for fourteen years—four as one of his best friends, and ten as one of his partners. It takes a lot for me to find him intimidating or scary, mostly because I know he’d never willingly hurt me. But the laugh that leaves him is so hard, so callous, that it has me straightening my spine on instinct.

“Inhumane? Inhumane? Are you fucking serious?” Rhett yells.

Jordan cowers. “I’m sorry.”

“There you go,” I mutter. “Apologizing is the first smart thing you’ve done all weekend.”

That seems to make his temper flare. He kicks at the bed, pulling against the ropes. “You three think you’re so much better than I am. Look in the fucking mirror. How could you do this—”

The rest of Jordan’s sentence is cut off by Rhett slapping him across the face. It’s not that hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Jordan’s face is already such a mess that barely touching it is probably hellish.

We untie him, and Rhett shoves him toward the bathroom, not letting Jordan close the door. There’s a window, and there’s no chance we’re letting him escape.

Once Jordan has finished his business, he reluctantly steps out of the bathroom. Thankfully he doesn’t put up much of a fight as we re-secure him to the bed. He just sits there, seeming to have accepted his fate.

As we leave the room, I look back to find Jordan crying silently, his tears falling onto the bed. But I can’t find an ounce of pity for him. What he did to Wren is unforgivable.

In the kitchen, I go back to sitting at the counter while Rhett paces. I want to talk to him—no, I want him to talk to me—but I can’t force that. So I pretend to stare at the counter while secretly watching him in my peripheral vision.

“O,” Rhett says after a few minutes, stopping in the middle of the kitchen and turning to face me.

“Hmm?” I look up, clenching my fists in my lap where he can’t see.

Please tell me you understand.

“I shouldn’t’ve kissed you.”

The food in my stomach sours, and for a second I’m afraid I might actually throw up. I don’t know what to say, so I just nod, moving my gaze back to the counter.

It was painful to be close to him like that when he was upset with me, but at least he touched me. At least he was trying. Knowing that he wished it never happened hurts more than the kiss itself did.

“No—Oliver, I’m trying to apologize.” Rhett moves around the counter until he’s standing close enough to touch me. “It hurt you. I shouldn’t’ve done that. That’s what I’m trying to say.”

“Okay,” I mumble.

“And I’m sorry for running off. And I’m…” He sighs. “I shouldn’t’ve gotten so mad, O. I was scared and went straight to being angry instead of trying to understand. You were trying to make sure Wren made it out alive. I can’t fault you for that.”

The wave of emotions that crashes over me feels like it would’ve knocked me over if I wasn’t already sitting. Ever since I realized how upset Rhett was, it’s felt like someone has been slowly wringing my heart out like a sponge. Now all the tension in my body and mind is trying to leave at once.

I rest my head in my hands as tears fill my eyes. Yesterday, I apologized for what I could, but I stood my ground when I needed to. I was so worried that Rhett would never come around.

“I was afraid of losing you,” he murmurs, tentatively placing a hand on my shoulder. “It scared the shit out of me. But that’s not really an excuse. I’m sorry, O.”

As tears fall onto my cheeks, I raise my head to look up at him. He wipes away my tears, his expression turning worried when more replace them.

“You understand?” I croak.

He nods. “I’m sorry it took me so long to see things from your perspective. And I’m really fucking glad that you got us to Wren faster. And that you’re both safe.”

I grab his shirt, pulling him closer. He holds me and I cling to him as I’m surrounded by the scent of cedar and sage. It’s a calming smell, one that’s brought me so much comfort over the years. It does the same thing now, even as I soak Rhett’s shirt with my tears.

“I love you,” I say, holding him tighter when he flinches. “Please don’t say it back. Not like this. But I wanted you to know.”

“I’ve never doubted it. Not even once, Oliver.”

The urge to be as close to him as possible takes hold of me so strongly that I find myself stumbling to my feet without a second thought. I press my body into his, whispering, “Can I kiss you?”

Rhett nods, running a hand over my hair. There isn’t even a split second of hesitation on my part as I fit my mouth to his. This time he’s gentle with me, slowly moving his lips against mine in an almost reverent, worshipful way. More tears spill from my eyes, and it makes for a pretty wet kiss, but neither of us care.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Elliot says.

I break off the kiss, wiping at my soaked cheeks. Elliot and Wren are standing hand-in-hand at the edge of the kitchen. Wren smiles at me with an odd mix of relief and concern on her features.

“We’re okay, princess.”

Rhett is still holding onto me, and it couldn’t make me happier. I kiss his chest through his shirt before leaning against him. If I could get away with it, I’d never let go.

Elliot makes Wren an omelette, and she takes a couple small bites. Just as Elliot is about to take the frying pan to the sink, she stops him.

“Can you make another one?” she asks.

“I’ll make you as many omelettes as you want, love.”

“Not for me.”

He pauses, giving her a confused look. Then it dawns on him. “For… him?”

She nods.

Elliot doesn’t ask any questions or try to convince her otherwise. Rhett and I don’t, either. Whatever she wants to do to Jordan, we’ll let her. And if she decides she wants to feed him, then that’s what’s going to happen.

Once Wren finishes her breakfast, she takes the omelette and turns to us. “Where is he?”

“I’ll take you, princess.”

“He stays tied up,” Rhett says firmly.

She nods. “I’ll feed it to him.”

I lead her to Jordan’s room, unsure of what to say. Wren’s gripping the plate tightly, like maybe she doesn’t actually want to do this.

“Can you stay out here?” she says once we stop in front of the bedroom door.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“He’s tied up, right? I’ll call for you if I need you.”

“Princess…”

“I need to do this alone.”

“That’s the thing, Wren. You don’t have to do this. He didn’t feed you. You don’t owe him anything.”

“I need to do it for myself, O. Please let me.”

I don’t like it—in fact, I hate it—but Wren doesn’t look like she’s going to give in. So with a sigh, I unlock the door.

With a kiss on my cheek and a whispered thank you, she steps inside, gives me one last look, and closes the door.