Page 37 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

“Whoa, easy there,” Ludo says smoothly. He looks me up and down in a way that can only be described as judgmental. “You’re acting pretty defensive for someone who has no reason to be.”

“You called me a coward. Don’t know what else you were expecting.”

The door to the patio opens and shuts.

Ludo shrugs. “Seems like it’d be pretty easy to prove to me that you’re not one. Or…” He smiles, like he knows something I don’t. “To prove it to yourself.”

I bite back my retort, turning away from him. The last thing I want to do is give him the satisfaction of toying with me. He doesn’t actually care about me—he made that very clear when he left me wet and shivering in the snow.

“What are we proving?” Oliver comes up and slings his arm around my shoulder.

How the hell can he manage to be so cheerful around this asshole?

“Just how brave one could be,” Ludo says, still smiling. “Or not.”

The door opens again, and everyone else files into the condo. Aubrey gives me an apologetic grimace when she notices how close Ludo is standing to me.

“We’re gonna head out,” Elliot says, and I almost cry with relief. “Gotta get some rest before tomorrow.”

“It was lovely talking to you,” Aubrey says as she hugs me. “Have a good night.”

“You too. Thanks for the drink.”

As soon as we’re out of the house, I feel like I can breathe fully again. Based on the way Oliver relaxes, I think he’s experiencing something similar. He hasn’t stopped touching me in some way since he found me with Ludo. Right now, my hand is clasped tightly in his.

“Princess,” he asks as we walk back to the hotel, “are you okay?”

“Just overwhelmed, I think. Being that close to the water was… um. Hard.”

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs, squeezing my hand. “We shouldn’t’ve stayed that long.”

“I’ll be okay. Especially once we’re farther away.” I fail miserably at keeping the tiredness out of my voice.

He makes a concerned noise, picking up our pace so we can get back to the hotel sooner. I barely notice.

It’s cowardice that’s your problem.

With a scowl, I glance at the ocean one last time. The sight makes my heart rate spike, and I hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

My eyes are still glued to the ocean when I stop, forcing Oliver to pause as well.

“Hey.” His touch is gentle as his knuckles run across my cheekbone. “What are you thinking?”

Elliot and Rhett stop behind us, and in my peripheral vision, I see Oliver give them a confused glance.

“I’m going to get over this,” I say quietly. Then again, more forcefully. “I’m going to get over this. I’ll work through the fear for however long it takes, until I can be around water again without a second thought. I’m not a coward.”

I’m not.I refuse to be. And even more than that, I refuse to let a monster like Ludo Holloway be right about me.

Chapter eight

Rhett

Once we’re in the penthouse, none of us stay up for long. Oliver has to be at the condo by six since that’s when Ludo and his men are leaving. We’re only guarding Aubrey for the first three days of the trip, and only until mid-afternoon. The easiest way to split it up is one of us with her a day, and Oliver volunteered to take the first shift.

We might all end up together, though, considering how well Aubrey and Wren seemed to hit it off. I guess that depends on Wren, though. After her declaration outside, I was hoping she’d be able to sleep peacefully. But unfortunately,peacefulis the last word I’d use to describe her as she gets ready for bed.

She’s quiet, but she’s restless. While she brushes her teeth, she shifts from foot to foot. And once she emerges from the bathroom in her pajamas, she’s frowning.