Page 96 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

“I see you found some gems at the bookstore,” Oliver comments, picking up the pink book. “Oooh, this looks fun! It’s… ah. Poetry.”

Aubrey and I both burst into laughter at his disappointment. “I’m the author,” she manages to wheeze out.

Oliver’s eyes widen. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

She waves off his concern. “No worries. I’m well aware poetry isn’t for everyone. But your reaction? Whew! Priceless.”

Elliot checks the time on his phone before gathering all of us around the kitchen table. Rhett has already grabbed his laptop, and he’s frowning at the screen.

“Aubrey, I’m curious about the rest of your plans,” Elliot says. “I’m assuming you’re not telling us all this for shits and giggles.”

After catching Oliver up on everything Aubrey told us in the car, she gestures to me. “Like I told you a couple days ago, Ludo has severely underestimated me.” She pauses, then admits, “Okay, I gave him reason to not even consider me when it comes to business-related things. So I’m able to eavesdrop on a lot of his conversations, and I’ve even stolen some stuff off his computer. That’s what I’m giving Sparrow in exchange for helping me disappear. Information and secrets.”

Oliver perks up, and the hope in his eyes warms my heart. “So you could feed us information as well.”

“Better information than you’ll get from leaving a pair of sunglasses lying around.”

We all stare at her in silent shock.

“H…how?”Elliot asks.

Aubrey rolls her eyes. “You think I wouldn’t notice a pair of sunglasses lying around that aren’t mine? Besides, I saw Wren holding them, but I never saw her actually wear them. Suspicious, don’t you think?”

I groan and sink into my seat. “I knew I was gonna fuck this up somehow.”

“What? Oh, no, Ludo is completely unaware. You think he pays attention to what my sunglasses look like? He usually ignores me—and I do the same to him.”

“Fair point,” Elliot mutters.

“Here’s the thing, though. If I’m going to do this, then I—”

“Wait,” Rhett says. He looks up and nods to his laptop, his expression hardened. “We have a problem.”

Chapter nineteen

Elliot

“What do you mean, we have a problem?” I stand and circle the table so I can see what’s on Rhett’s screen. “What the… how did you gain access to these feeds?”

“Finn helped me. I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“Oh.” The word is steeped in disappointment, and I clear my throat in an attempt to sound normal. “Right, okay. So what’s the problem? Everything looks fine.”

Rhett points to one of the resort’s security camera feeds, which is currently recording two men who’re standing next to the private elevators that leads to the penthouses.

“They’re not guests,” Rhett says. “I’ve looked through a decent amount of the footage, and I don’t recognize them. As far as I know, no one is staying in the other penthouse, and I haven’t seen them check in.”

“Then how did they get a key card to the elevator?” Oliver asks.

Rhett’s jaw ticks. “They stopped in the lobby to speak with Andrew before heading straight for the elevator. I didn’t see him pass anything off, but it’s too late to go back and check again. We need to assume the worst.”

“They could just be Ludo’s men on their way to pick me up,” Aubrey says nervously. “Right?”

“He would’ve given us a heads up.” Rhett gestures for her to come closer before pointing at the screen. “You recognize them?”

“No, but he has a lot of employees. They can’t get in here, right?”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Oliver says. He’s already in motion, standing and pulling Wren from her seat. “You two, come with me. We need to get you out of the line of fire.”