Page 18 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. Two (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #2)

Wren

“What about this one?”

Aubrey holds up a book.

“Yup.”

Aubrey groans.

“What haven’t you read?”

I grin, taking the book and putting it back on the shelf.

“I don’t read a lot of nonfiction.”

“Okay, perfect.”

She drags me to the history section of the bookstore.

“How about… this one?”

She pulls a particularly thick book off the shelf.

“Okay, I should’ve said I don’t read nonfiction—except for history.”

“You…”

Aubrey flicks her eyes between me and the book with disbelief.

“You read this whole thing? It’s huge.”

“Yep. Took me a whole weekend to finish it.”

“Damn,”

she mutters under her breath.

“One more try.”

Scanning the shelves behind us labeled Money & Finance, she slides out a book I’ve never seen before. It’s titled Protecting Your Investments by Karek Brezk.

“You got me,”

I say with a giggle.

“Too many numbers for my taste.”

“Oh, I feel that.”

She puts the book back.

“What about poetry? You said the other day you’ve been meaning to pick it up again.”

“Yeah! I used to read it a lot when I was in college.”

I move toward the poetry section.

“I’m not sure what to go with, but…”

I spot a book with a light pink cover.

“Hey! Don’t you have this one?”

She tries to hide her smile, although I’m not sure why.

“I do, yeah. I know the author, sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“Really well, actually.”

Her grin is huge now, as if she can’t hold it back.

“You could say I know her better than anyone.”

I laugh.

“How can you sort of know someone while also knowing them better than anyone else?”

Aubrey shrugs, and her eyes sparkle with delight.

“Some people hardly know themselves at all.”

“What—oh.”

My eyes must go wide, because Aubrey throws her head back and laughs at my reaction.

“You—you’re—this book is a bestseller!”

I point to the sign right above the shelf that indicates it.

“I know,”

she says, still giggling.

“I have the royalties checks to prove it.”

“It’s under a pen name,”

I say, staring at the cover.

“Isabella DuPont.”

“I thought it sounded pretty.”

“It does,”

I murmur, opening up the book and flipping through the pages.

“No one knows it’s me,”

she says quietly.

“You’re quite literally the only person I’ve told. Ludo can never know.”

My eyes flit to Elliot and Rhett, who’re standing near the door.

“I don’t want to keep things from them.”

“Oh, they can know.”

She waves her hand in dismissal.

“They won’t tell Ludo.”

“How are you so sure you can trust us?”

My voice holds a level of disbelief, but also a smidge of curiosity. Aubrey has trusted me openly since first meeting me, and I need to know if it’s her personality or if it’s because she knows more than she’s letting on.

“A little bird told me I could.”

She winks at me before turning away, signaling that she’s not going to give away anything else.

What’s she getting at? This woman is so full of mysteries.

We browse for a little longer. Aubrey was right—they have a wonderful fantasy section, and I have to stop myself from grabbing every new book with a pretty cover on it. I end up deciding to buy two, and I take pictures of the rest so I can add them to my never-ending list of books to read.

Once we’re done looking around, I go to check out, bringing Aubrey’s book of poems as well. The cashier tells me my total, and I stare at my wallet. Elliot’s card is nestled in the slot right above my own, but I’m not sure what to do. Will he say something if I don’t use his card? Will he say something if I do?

I glance behind me, to where Elliot and Rhett are hanging out by the door. My hope is that he won’t be paying attention, but I find them both watching me. Quickly, I turn around and pull out my own card. But just as I’m about to swipe it, I feel a warm, hard body press up against mine.

Elliot’s hand covers my own and pulls it back from the counter.

“What’re you doing, love?”

“Paying for my books.”

My voice comes out all nervous, like a kid who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

“Not with that, you’re not.”

He plucks my card from my hand, slides it back into my wallet, and pulls out his own.

I gulp.

“Ell, I can pay for them.”

“So can I.”

Aubrey snickers beside me, and when I give her a pleading look, she just shrugs.

“Spend his money, babe.”

“But these are just for fun. I don’t want to waste—”

“You think something has to be practical for me to buy it for you? Oh, absolutely not, love.”

“I—well, you see—”

My voice falters because I don’t really have a good excuse.

The cashier gives me a bewildered look.

“You have someone willing to fund your reading habit, and you’re saying no? Honey, do you know how expensive books are?”

They gesture to my books on the counter.

“Especially hardcovers.”

My whole body feels like it’s on fire. I gulp in air as I look to Elliot.

“You’re sure?”

Elliot places his card in between my fingers and guides my hand to the credit card reader.

“Swipe it.”

I’m so used to obeying whatever he says that I do it without thinking.

He places his lips right next to my ear and murmurs, “Good girl.”

I swear my knees go weak. If it wasn’t for the counter in front of me and Elliot behind me, I’m pretty sure I’d be a puddle on the floor right now. Thankfully, Elliot said that quietly enough that only I heard.

Rhett eases my books out of my hands and carries them for me. My head feels a little light, so when Elliot takes my hand, I let him guide me out of the store. It’s not until I’m in the backseat of our rental with Aubrey that I truly process everything that happened inside.

“So you’re a poet.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Do you not like being a lawyer?”

Aubrey wrinkles her nose in disgust.

“Oh god no. It’s what my parents wanted for me, and at the time I was deciding my career, I didn’t know what I wanted. It took me until a year or two after I graduated to figure it out, honestly.”

“But your parents don’t know.”

“They’ll find out when the time is right.”

When the time is right. There she goes again, hinting at something bigger. Something more.

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s quite simple, really,”

she says.

“Or, I suppose, not at all. Have you ever wanted to escape your life? Start over again with a new name, new friends, new everything?”

“I used to wonder if I could. But it was more of an escapist fantasy than anything else.”

“That’s how it started for me, too. But then I realized I could make it my reality. At first I thought about just moving away. I’ve always wanted to live somewhere on the west coast, close to the ocean. I wouldn’t mind the space from my parents. I love them, of course, but sometimes distance is good. Helps you grow into your own person.”

“But you decided to do more?”

“She inspired me.”

Aubrey taps the cover of her book, which is now sitting in my lap.

“The woman I found as I poured my heart out onto paper. I realized I could actually disappear. Being a Stallard comes with built-in enemies and a lot of social pressure to be perfect. A ruined reputation could hurt the family business. But being Isabella DuPont offers nothing but freedom and a clean slate.”

“So you’re going to start over?”

“Completely.”

Tilting my head, I try to work through a way to make that happen.

“I don’t understand. How are you going to do it if you’re marrying Ludo?”

“I’m going to die.”

My stomach sinks.

“What? Aubrey, no. Why—”

“Oh, not literally, silly. I’m going to fake my death.”

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 it appears that 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 been working 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, and definitely not 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 actually be her. 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 to be who 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 actually in my 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.

“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.”