Page 63 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

The thought breaks my heart.

“I don’t understand,” Rhett says, frowning at me.

Keeping my voice down just in case someone can hear us, I say, “I didn’t tell you guys that Ludo was there—that he easily could’ve saved me but didn’t—because ofyou.”

The second we’re closed into the elevator, Rhett drops my hand. “That doesn’t make sense. I should’ve been one of the first people you told. But instead, you hid the fact that he was there. That doesn’t look good for you, Wren.”

I let out an exasperated noise as I turn to face him. “Rhett! Just look at yourself. When you find out that someone you care about has been hurt, your first instinct is to find the person who harmed them and hurt them back. You did it with Adam. And if he’d been a little bit more knowledgeable about the gun that was in his hand, he could’ve killed you.”

“He didn’t though.”

“It could’ve been Oliver,” I remind him gently. “It almost was.”

His nostrils flare.

“And don’t insult my intelligence by pretending I don’t know you want to do something to Thomas, too.”

Rhett opens his mouth to protest before snapping his jaw shut.

“I understand you’re angry at Ludo—for lots of reasons. But going off without a plan over this one thing likely would’ve gotten you hurt, if not killed. It would’ve ruined your overarching plan as well. I was going to tell you. Just not yet.”

The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors open. Neither of us move. His expression goes from pissed to understanding to irate in a matter of seconds.

“You thought that’s what I’d do,” he says flatly. “That I’d ruin everything we’ve spent a decade working on, for you.”

“I wasn’t one hundred percent sure,” I whisper, watching him shake his head. “I didn’twant—”

“You severely underestimate how much avenging Sammy’s murder means to me,” he says, and his voice is so icy and scathing at the same time that it has the hair on the back of my neck standing up.

The elevator doors start closing. Rhett jerks his arm out, stopping them, and they slide open again.

“Go to bed, Wren.”

“But—”

“Now.”

The finality in his voice sends a wave of dread through my system. I step off the elevator, swallowing down the need to ask him where he’s going. I hold his gaze as the doors shut, even though he’s looking at me with so much disappointment it makes my throat feel like it’s closing in on itself.

Was I wrong to worry about what Rhett’s reaction would be? To assume I meant more to Rhett than I do? The thought causes a tangible, painful weight to press down on my chest.

Inside the penthouse, I shut the door quietly, frowning. Some of the lights are on.

“Wren?” Elliot calls. “Rhett?” He comes into view, shirtless and in sweatpants.

With the windows framing the dark ocean behind him, Elliot looks larger than life, like something out of a movie. If things were different, I’d probably enjoy staring at him right now. As it is, though, I’m fighting to do anything but burst into tears.

“There you are. I thought I heard someone leave.” As he moves closer to me, he narrows his eyes. “Were you swimming?”

“Yeah. Rhett followed me down.”

Elliot glances behind me. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

This would be a good time to explain everything to Elliot, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Having him look at me the same way Rhett was mere seconds ago would be too much. I can’t handle disappointing both of them in one night.

I try to move past Elliot, but he grabs my arm and tugs me back.