Page 95 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

Instantly, my chest feels a thousand times lighter. “Oh,” I breathe out. “Wait. But you said you only wanted distance from your family. This is a lot more than that.”

“They’ll be in on it. And while I’m leaving Ludo immediately, I’m not faking my death right away. The plan is for me to go into hiding and start my new life as Isabella DuPont without anyone’s knowledge. My parents and Ludo won’t like it—I’m well aware—so once I’m safely out of reach, I’ll contact them and update them.

“The details aren’t relevant right now, but my plan is to make it look like I’m taking a year to travel—sometimes with Ludo, usually without. After that, I have a couple other ways to make our marriage look real without me actually having to be present. I already avoid existing in the public eye, so it won’t be too hard to fake.

“After about a year, that’s when we’re going to fake my death. A car crash in a small European town, I think. The familial tie will be established enough that everyone will think of my parents as being under Ludo’s protection, so they’ll be safe until they’re done working this case.”

“And you’ll be free to live as Isabella DuPont the whole time?”

She smiles. “Correct. That’s the thing about this deal—as long as itappearsthat I’m happily married to Ludo, my parents still get his protection, and he still gets their network.”

“But they have to be on board for it to all work, correct? Ludo and your parents?” I ask.

Aubrey nods. “They’ll get detailed instructions once I know they can’t find me. And trust me, they’ll go along with my plans. Otherwise, everything they’ve beenworking toward will go to shit. They can keep up the ruse of our marriage without me. They all lose if they don’t.”

In the passenger seat, Elliot turns to look at us. “Sorry to eavesdrop, but it’s impossible not to hear the two of you in here. Aubrey, I wish you the best, but how are you going to make sure Ludo can’t find you? You know he’ll try. This will be a huge hit to his pride, and he’ll hate that you disrespected him like this.”

“You haven’t put the pieces together?” Her voice carries a hint of surprise.

“No,” he says, frowning. “I don’t have enough information.”

“Who’s the best at making people disappear?” Aubrey asks, prompting him in the right direction.

For a moment, Elliot stays as lost as I am. But then his eyes light up, and he smacks his forehead with his palm. “How didn’t I see it before?” he groans. “Sparrow is helping you.”

“Bingo,” Aubrey says with a proud grin. “She’ll help me get a new identity and start my new life. As long as my parents and Ludo keep up with the lie and follow my instructions, everything should work perfectly.”

“When are you planning on doing this?” I ask.

“The night of the wedding.”

My jaw drops. “That soon?”

“I’m not putting my future on hold for anyone,” Aubrey says as we pull into a parking spot at the resort. “Not for my parents, anddefinitelynot for Ludo.”

We get out of the car, and Rhett takes my books again. For some reason, that simple action sets off butterflies in my stomach.

“You won’t miss your friends? And your parents?” I ask as we make our way across the lot.

“Oh, of course I will. Everyone who moves across the country does. But I also have lots of friends who know me as Isabella DuPont. Now I get to meet them and actuallybeher. And once I know my parents won’t try to stop me, we’ll find a way to see each other a couple times a year. Without Ludo knowing, of course.”

“I guess that’s a fair point.”

“And doesn’t it sound fun?” Aubrey’s eyes are full of wonder as she stretches her arms out like she’s trying to fit the whole sky between them. “Getting to start over, building your life from scratch, going on new adventures… ah, I can’t wait.”

“It does,” I say quietly, glancing at the guys. “I suppose, in a way, I am doing that. Minus the whole faking my death thing.”

“I’m glad,” she says, and her voice is sincere. “You deserve to find who you really are, and you owe it to yourself tobewho you really are. My only regret is that I won’t be around to watch you grow personally.”

“I think I’ll miss you,” I confess. We’ve known each other for a few days, but we’ve clicked so well.

“I’ll send you post cards, or letters.” She gasps. “Maybe even your own poems! But before then, we still have a couple weeks to hang out. You can even come to my wedding, if you’d like. Actually… I think it might benefit us all if you’re actuallyinmy wedding.”

“Let’s wait to continue this conversation,” Elliot says. “Aubrey, why don’t you come up to the penthouse with us. It offers the best privacy we’ll find here.”

As we get closer to the hotel building, I notice a familiar figure sitting on a bench. His long sleeves and pants hide his wounds, and his sunglasses obscure his face, but it’s definitely Andrew. As smoothly as I can, I look away, noticing that Rhett and Elliot are already staring straight ahead.

Once we’re upstairs, Oliver sweeps me into his arms and gives me a kiss hello before doing the same to Elliot and Rhett. When we left this morning, he was still sleeping. Rhett says Oliver was up late working, which had me worried, but he’s his usual cheerful self.