Page 62 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

“Smart woman,” Ludo replies. The grin that creeps onto his face is more predatory than amused. It’s all teeth and dead eyes. “I can see why they’re all attracted to you.”

Wren ignores his latter comment. “You don’t want them to trust you? It was a perfect opportunity. Save me from Jordan, earn their gratitude.”

At that, Ludo laughs. It’s a sound that’s haunted me since the first time I heard it. “Oh, Wren,” he drawls, “why would I grovel for their trust when they’re already so willing to do whatever I ask? Besides—I’m far from trustworthy, and you’d do well to learn that sooner than later.”

She doesn’t respond, just nods silently.

If they say anything else, I miss it. The chaotic clamor of my thoughts drowns out the world around me.

He was there. He was there, and he could’ve gotten her out sooner.

But the bastard didn’t. He was going to let her die.

And she didn’t even tell us.

My mind is going a mile a minute trying to think of a reasonable explanation. Something, anything. But I come up short.

She lied.

She fucking lied to us.

I’m already working through the different ways I can cause Ludo pain. What I can do tonight, or tomorrow. After this, I can’t wait any longer. He’s caused too much damage, put my family in danger one too many times.

I’m going to kill him.

Ludo walks away, whistling to himself, and Wren shudders in the water. Only once he’s out of the pool area does she move to the edge of the pool and hoist herself out of the water. She pads over to her stuff, glancing in his direction warily.

Stiffly, Wren dries off and puts her dress back on. After she gathers her stuff in her arms, she starts heading back inside.

She doesn’t make it, though. I step out of my hiding place, crossing my arms and blocking her path. Wren gasps, stumbling backward.

“Rhett?” As she takes me in, she doesn’t relax. And why would she when I know my face is clouded over with a thousand different emotions. “Rhett, I…”

My voice is gruff, and there’s no mistaking the anger in it as I say, “You’ve got some explaining to do, sweetheart.”

Chapter thirteen

Wren

If I had to choose between standing under Ludo’s chilling gaze or Rhett’s angry, disbelieving glare, I’d choose Ludo a thousand times over. Nothing he could ever say to me would hurt nearly as much as the look Rhett is giving me right now.

“What,” he grits out, “theactual hell.”

“I—”

He holds up his hand to silence me, his glare sharpening. “First, you come down here in the middle of the night by yourself. And then you get in the pool when you know very well that you could’ve panicked and drowned.”

With a sigh, I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the betrayed look on Rhett’s face to fall away. But when I glance at him again, it’s still there.

“And then,” Rhett continues, laughing bitterly, “it turns out that you’ve been keeping avitalpiece of information from us. Why would you do that, Wren? Fucking why?”

“I didn’t want…” Shifting from one foot to the other, I let my gaze drop to his hands. They’re clenched into fists at his sides.Fuck.How do I explain this to Rhett without him thinking I don’t trust him?

“I’m doing my best not to jump to conclusions here, Wren. But I’m struggling to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why you’d keep it to yourself thathewas there.” Rhett shakes his head, blowing out a harsh breath. “God, I’m going to kill him. I can’t believe he thought he could get away with this.”

Fuck. He shouldn’t be saying stuff like that out in the open.

“That’s why,” I say softly. Itake his hand, relieved when he doesn’t pull away, and guide him back into the hotel. The air conditioning is cold against my still-damp skin, and I want nothing more than to huddle into Rhett’s warmth, but I have a feeling he’d push me away if I tried.