Page 78 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

“I’ll be back home soon,” Andrew says. “I’m staying with Ludo, and he said my room is right next to Benny’s. It was the only thing I could do to get him out of there.”

The room feels like it’s tilting, or like I’m spinning out of control. Oliver’s hand rubbing up and down my spine does little to ground me. If anything, it’s making everything worse.

“What does Ludo get out of this deal?” Elliot asks.

At least one of us is able to keep this conversation on track.

“I work for him until I have custody,” Andrew says. “I don’t get paid much, but Benny stays safe, and we have a place to live.”

Oliver shoots me a skeptical look. “That’s it?”

“What do you mean,that’s it?This shit’s hard.” Andrew holds out his bare arms, showcasing his wounds. “And painful.”

“Doesn’t sound like Ludo gets much out of this deal. He’s not one to have a heart of gold,” Elliot says. “And he’s not known for being generous, either.”

“Maybe not to you.” Andrew crosses his arms and arches his brow, like he actually knows more than us in this situation. Like he knows anything at all.

He killed your sister.I almost say it out loud, but I catch myself at the last moment. Currently, Andrew’s loyalties don’t lie with us. It doesn’t matter that he’s my brother. We can’t trust him.

“Okay, fine.” Elliot shrugs. “He’s doing this out of the goodness of his heart, then. What are you going to be doing for him?”

“Whatever he asks. Why do you want specifics? What’s it to you?”

“Because you’re my brother,” I say firmly, meeting his glare with a steady, hopefully convincing gaze. “And you’re entering into a highly dangerous—and also illegal—field of work. We may not have known that the other existed, but that doesn’t change that I care about you.”

Andrew rolls his eyes. “You just tried to kill me fifteen minutes ago.”

“It was a momentary lapse of judgment. I’d like to keep you alive, and you getting into this line of work is worrying.”

“We’re practically strangers. Blood doesn’t matter. You can’t have a bleeding heart in this world, Rhett. Everyone has a sob story, but that doesn’t mean you can help everyone. Suck it up, move on, and let me live my life.”

My muscles go rigid in an effort not to cringe. For someone who’s trying to get away from our dad, Andrew sure sounds a lot like him. “Andrew…”

“I think what Rhett is trying to say is that you might be in over your head,” Oliver says. “Do you even know the full scope of Ludo’s businesses?”

“Don’t underestimate me.” Andrew’s tone is full of spite, like he’s had to prove his worth his entire life and he’s sick of it. Considering my own upbringing, that’s a likely possibility.

“No one’s underestimating you,” Wren says. “But working for Ludo is dangerous.”

Andrew shrugs. “Working for Jordan was dangerous. I managed just fine.”

Shit, that’s right. I forgot that’s how Andrew even got tangled up with Ludo in the first place. “How did you get involved with the Williams family?”

“I started out working at one of their restaurants. Ended up hearing some conversations I shouldn’t’ve, and when they found out, they were gonna kill me. I volunteered to work for them instead.” Andrew spreads his hands. “Everything with Jordan went to shit, Ludo took me in, and now here I am.”

He’s not thinking this through. Of course he doesn’t realize it—he’s nineteen with no knowledge of how the world works. The problem is, it’s going to get him and Benny killed.

“Do you have a picture of him?”

Andrew’s face twists in confusion. “Of Ludo?”

“Of Benny,” I say, my voice gruffer than I’d like.

“Oh, yeah.” Andrew pulls out his phone and goes through some pictures before handing it to me. “Here.”

The second I look down at the photo, my throat closes up. Benny looks so much like Sammy, right down to the sparkling eyes and goofy smile. It’s like being transported back in time.Fuck, I miss you so much, Sam.

There’s a woman in the picture with Benny. His and Andrew’s mother, maybe? My mom was still alive when Andrew was born, but he’s definitely not hers. Andrewis too close in age to how old Sammy would be if she were still alive. And again—I’d remember him.