Page 34 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. Two (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #2)

Elliot

Sometimes, irony strikes at the oddest moments.

I’ve never seen a wedding as beautiful as Aubrey’s and Ludo’s. Every detail is attended to, every moment thought out to the fullest extent. The lights, the music, the color scheme—it’s all perfect.

And also entirely fake.

Having the wedding ceremony in the library seemed like an odd idea until we entered the room. It’s the perfect spot, considering it’s already beautiful on its own. Rows and rows of old volumes and ornate bookshelves line the walls, and it creates an intimate, warm environment. It’s exactly what Aubrey and Ludo need—the feeling of closeness.

Oliver adjusts his tie as we take our seats.

“Axel is watching us.”

“Then he’ll be disappointed,”

Rhett says as he slips his left arm around Oliver’s shoulders and his right one around me.

“We’re just three guys here for the wedding of two of our friends.”

Inwardly, I cringe at the thought of Ludo as our friend. I’d rather stab myself than utter those words, but I nod.

“No reason to suspect us at all.”

Our plan is to stay in plain sight all evening. If Axel is suspicious of us, then he’ll be watching us extra closely. And if he’s watching us, then his eyes will be off our girl.

Wren. For a brief moment, my fist clenches, but Rhett squeezes my shoulder, and I force myself to relax. Since my panic attack a couple weeks ago, I’ve managed to get my anxiety under control. Mostly, anyway. Watching Wren dedicate herself to her training has soothed it some. She’s come a long way in the past few weeks, and she’s much more ready now.

The conversation between Ludo and Axel that Oliver overheard has helped, too. It’s currently what I’m clinging to. Even if she’s caught in the wrong hallway, she can feign confusion. It’s a large enough mansion that I’m sure Ludo and his men are used to their guests getting turned around. And since they don’t see Wren as a threat, everything will be fine.

She’s safe. She’s safe. She’s safe.

I repeat those two words in my head until the ceremony starts. All the bridesmaids look nice, but once Wren walks down the aisle, I can’t take my eyes off her. Neither can Rhett or Oliver.

“It’s not fair,”

Oliver whispers, “that she looks so pretty but she’s all the way over there.”

I smile. I wish Wren was with us too, but I’m glad she got to spend today with Aubrey. Fake wedding or not, this is still an important day.

Wren must feel our gazes on her because she looks our way. She doesn’t even seem surprised by the fact that all three of us are staring at her. Oliver blows her a kiss, and her smile widens just as the music changes.

Everyone stands, and we all turn to face the back of the room. Aubrey steps through the doors with her arm looped through her father’s. She looks beautiful with her hair up, except for a few curls to frame her face. The tiara sitting on top of her head sparkles in the sunlight.

“What a gorgeous dress,”

someone murmurs.

I’m almost inclined to disagree. Gorgeous doesn’t fully encompass just how beautiful it is or how well it suits Aubrey. The bodice is covered in delicate lace that turns into sleeves that extend all the way to her wrists. As for her skirt, it’s layer upon layer of white tulle and more lace, all positioned to look like a cascade of graceful fabric.

The moment Aubrey’s eyes land on Ludo, her expression goes from happy to ecstatic. It’d be touching if I didn’t know it was all an act.

Once Aubrey is in front of Ludo, she hands her bouquet to one of her bridesmaids and immediately grabs both of Ludo’s hands. His smile is genuine—or at least it looks that way—as he mouths I love you to her.

It makes my stomach churn.

Thankfully, the ceremony doesn’t last for more than twenty minutes. I spend most of it watching Wren. She’s doing an excellent part of playing the enthusiastic bridesmaid, and I’m proud of her. The guys and I may have more pent-up hate toward Ludo than Wren does, but she’s still disgusted by him.

Once the bridal party has exited, we follow the crowd to the ballroom. I catch Axel watching us from the corner of my eye. Good. We have nothing to hide tonight. It’s all on Wren.

There doesn’t seem to be assigned seating, which is a relief. Between the large amount of people here and the fact that we’re in Ludo’s home, I’m sure Rhett’s about to burst. He’s doing an excellent job hiding it, but I know him well enough to not fall for his perfectly crafted mask of composure.

We find an empty table and claim some seats. Hopefully no one else will join us. Almost the second we’re seated, the DJ starts announcing the bridal party and groomsmen. It’s faster-paced than other receptions I’ve been to, but I’m not complaining. I forgot to grab a snack before leaving home, so the sooner we get to eat, the happier I’ll be.

Wren walks in with the same man she walked down the aisle with, followed by other members of the bridal party, and then finally Aubrey and Ludo. They still appear to be as happy as ever, and the look of adoration on Aubrey’s face has me frowning into my glass of water.

This is the only way Aubrey could secure her parents’ safety, but she shouldn’t’ve had to do this. It’s not fair. At least she doesn’t have to endure being Ludo’s wife for much longer.

When our meal is served, Rhett barely touches his plate, while Oliver finishes his food in record time. It’s a perfect picture of their differences—Rhett tends to lose his appetite when he’s upset, and Oliver has always been a little bit of a stress eater.

“You guys okay?”

I ask before popping another bite of food into my mouth.

“Perfect,”

Rhett replies lowly.

“I’m still hungry,”

Oliver says, eyeing Rhett’s plate.

“You gonna eat?”

With a shake of his head, Rhett pushes his food in front of Oliver.

“Have at it. But slow down. You’re going to give yourself a stomach ache.”

“Joke’s on you, I’ve had one for the past two hours,”

Oliver quips. Neither of us laugh, so he sighs.

“Axel is still watching us. We have to act happy, or he’ll suspect something.”

“Fair point.”

I lean in, press my lips to his cheek for a moment, and then smile.

“How’s that?”

“If I keep getting kisses out of this, then much better.”

Rhett rolls his eyes, but the tiniest smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“I sense an ulterior motive.”

“What?”

Oliver places a hand over his chest in mock shock.

“Me? Trying to finagle affection from you? I’d never! How dare you accuse me like this.”

Rhett’s smile widens ever so slightly before he leans toward Oliver.

“So you won’t be disappointed if I don’t kiss you?”

Oliver smirks.

“We’ll never know, will we?”

Again, Rhett rolls his eyes, but he kisses Oliver on the cheek anyway. Oliver practically glows, and then he gasps with delight as he notices Wren heading our way.

“You three look like you’re having fun.”

She drapes her arms around me from behind, and I inhale deeply. As that sweet, floral scent of hers fills my lungs, she nuzzles her nose against my cheek.

“It’d be better with you here,”

Oliver replies.

“You having a good time?”

“Mmhmm. We had a blast getting ready together. Aubrey’s friends seem nice.”

She straightens and moves toward Oliver, and I immediately miss her warmth.

“You look nice, O.”

Oliver smiles as she takes his hands in hers to look more closely at his rings. He painted his fingernails black, and that combined with his rolled-up sleeves keeps Wren staring for a moment longer than necessary.

“Do Rhett and Ell not look nice, princess?”

Oliver asks with glittering eyes.

“What? Oh! No, you all look nice, I—Oliver is just…”

“It’s okay,”

he says with a grin.

“You can say I’m the hottest.”

“Ugh, you know that’s not what I meant! It’s just that—well, the rings. And the bracelets, and your… hands.”

Her voice gets a little breathy at the end, and I can’t help my chuckle.

“I’m the hottest,”

Oliver says confidently.

“I think you all think so.”

Wren groans.

“You’re really not helping his ego, sweetheart,”

Rhett says with a smirk.

“I’m not ranking you all by hotness,”

Wren says with a jab to Oliver’s shoulder.

“You wouldn’t rank me, Ell, and Rhett by hotness, would you?”

“Mmm. I suppose not. But I can definitely say you’re the prettiest.”

She rolls her eyes but doesn’t resist when he pulls her down for a quick kiss.

“Have you guys already done pictures?”

I ask.

“I was expecting a longer wait time between the ceremony and the reception kicking off.”

“Oh, yeah, pictures have been done for hours. God, it was freezing. This dress wasn’t meant to be worn outside in the winter. At least it’s fairly pretty for a bridesmaid’s dress.”

Wren smooths her hands over the skirt of her dress as she looks down at the dusty pink material.

“I think it looks beautiful on you, princess,”

Oliver tells her.

“Don’t you agree, Rhett?”

Slowly, Rhett’s gaze travels up and down Wren’s body.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart. The dress… It’ll look much better on my bedroom floor.”

“Rhett,”

she gasps.

“Someone is going to hear you.”

With an uncaring shrug, he pulls her into him until she loses her balance and falls directly into his lap.

“You have a problem with everyone knowing who you belong to? Because I want to make it very, very clear.”

Wren stutters as she tries to find a reply. It doesn’t matter, though, because Rhett cuts her off with a kiss. He keeps it short, but if the dazed smile on Wren’s face is any indicator, it still has the desired effect.

“We, um.”

She gives her head a little shake to clear her mind.

“Aubrey and Ludo are gonna have their first dance soon. And then the bridal party is supposed to join them on the floor. The guy I’m paired with would prefer to dance with his girlfriend, and I’d prefer to dance with one of you, so—”

“Oh, it should be Elliot. His suit matches the groomsmen’s the best.”

Oliver traces a finger down Wren’s arm.

“You doing okay so far?”

She nods.

“I’ve been distracted enough that I haven’t been able to worry. This is the first moment I’ve been able to step away all day, and I should probably get back so I can finish my food before the dancing starts.”

“You can have my food,”

Oliver volunteers. Standing, he pulls out his chair and steps to the side.

“I guess it’s Rhett’s, really, but he doesn’t want it.”

Wren looks reluctant to leave Rhett’s lap, but she slides into Oliver’s chair anyway.

“You’re not hungry?”

“I’ll eat later,”

Rhett replies.

“Have as much as you want.”

Wren hesitates for a second, but when Rhett gives her a reassuring nod, she takes a few bites. I’m glad she’s doing okay. It seems that her and Rhett fall into similar patterns when they’re stressed, so it’s a relief that she’s eating.

As Oliver lowers himself into the chair on the other side of Rhett, the DJ announces Aubrey and Ludo’s first dance. Wren groans and starts to eat faster. She’s able to finish a decent amount of the food before the DJ asks the bridal party to join them.

“Jesus, that was fast.”

Wren takes a couple gulps of water, dabs at her mouth with a napkin, and then stands. “Ready?”

“Whenever you are, love.”

As we pass by Oliver, Wren leans down and whispers something in his ear. Whatever it is, it makes him sit with a little more confidence. He kisses her cheek and watches with a proud look on his face as Wren takes my hand.

“What was that about?”

I ask as she wraps her arms around my neck. My hands rest on her hips as we match the pace of the other couples on the floor.

With a quick glance toward our table, Wren says, “I just told him a couple of the bridesmaids think his makeup is hot. Did he put it on by himself? Or did one of you make him?”

“He did it all on his own.”

I spin her around.

“Although I helped him get one of his bracelets on. Damn clasp was so tiny. But I didn’t have to tell him to change or anything like that.”

“Really?”

she whispers as her eyes flare with hope.

“Yeah,”

I say softly.

“I’m happy for him. Proud, too.”

Wren nods in agreement before settling her head against my chest.

I dip my head down and keep my voice low as I say, “Ludo’s right-hand man has been watching us all evening. He’s keeping most of his focus on me and the guys, so you should be in the clear, but keep an eye out for him, okay?”

Her arms tighten around my neck. “Got it.”

I hate that I’m scaring her, but she needs to know.

“If you see him following you, the plan is off, okay? You get the makeup bag and give it to Aubrey. Forget about the safe.”

“Ell—”

“We’ll keep him away from you.”

My lips brush against her hairline.

“But you need to look out for him in case we can’t.”

“I will.”

The song comes to an end too soon, and the dance finishes with Ludo kissing Aubrey with a level of sweetness that I didn’t know he was capable of.

“She’s probably fantasizing about stabbing him right now,”

Wren whispers.

“She told me that’s what she does any time she has to touch him because it puts a genuine smile on her face.”

“It’d put a genuine smile on mine, too,” I mutter.

“I should go be with the other bridesmaids,”

Wren says reluctantly.

“I’ll see you… after.”

After.

My chest tightens.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. And I’ll be okay. Promise.”

She squeezes my hand before we head our separate ways.

Everyone dances to a couple more songs, and Oliver pulls me back onto the floor when one of his favorites comes on. I try to ignore my mounting anxiety. The plan is for Aubrey to ask Wren to grab her makeup bag after cake is served, and that should be soon.

Aubrey and Ludo have started making their rounds, and I notice that they spend extra time with the Stallard’s’ political connections. It’s exactly what I expected them to do.

As for Axel, he’s divided his attention between watching us and watching Ludo. He’s not being subtle, but I suppose he has no reason to be. He probably thinks the simple fact that we’re being watched will deter us from trying anything tonight.

When the cake is served, I force myself to take a few bites. Out of the habit of always searching for her when we’re in a room together, my eyes lock on Wren. She’s sitting at her table, surrounded by bridesmaids and laughing. When Aubrey gets up and makes her way down the table, Wren’s smile momentarily wavers. But just as quickly, it’s back in place, and she nods enthusiastically when Aubrey says something to her.

This is it.

None of us watch Wren as she exits the ballroom. It’d be far too obvious, and we can’t draw any extra attention to her. Instead, we focus on keeping our conversation light.

“God,”

Oliver groans once he’s halfway done with his cake.

“I love raspberry filling.”

Without a word, Rhett slides his plate toward Oliver. His expression is grim, which is fairly normal for him when we get this far into a large event. Normally he would’ve stepped outside at least once or twice by now.

As if on cue, Rhett stands abruptly.

“I need to get some air.”

With a sigh, I say, “Just don’t go too far.”

He nods silently before walking off.

Oliver and I eat our cake as we watch everyone on the dance floor. He’s nodding his head to the music, and I’m leaning back in my chair with a nonchalant expression on my face. By looking at us, no one would suspect what our partner is doing upstairs. It doesn’t matter if I’m falling apart inside with worry.

After a song or two, Oliver reaches over and takes my hand.

“I’m gonna head to the restroom.”

Even though I try to stop it, I wince.

“You’ll come right back?”

“No more going off on my own.”

Oliver lifts my hand to his mouth and presses a kiss to my knuckles.

“I promised you, Ell, and I meant it.”

Exhaling slowly, I nod.

“Thank you.”

As I watch Oliver cross the ballroom, dread creeps through my veins. Axel is watching him suspiciously, and even once Oliver is in the bathroom, his expression stays hardened. It shouldn’t be a problem—I fully believe Oliver will stick to his promise—but I don’t like it.

Still, if Axel is focused on Oliver, then it means he’s far away from Wren. It’s the best-case scenario at the moment, even if I wish Axel’s attention was elsewhere.

In case someone is watching me, I don’t want to look like I’m nervously waiting for something to happen. So I pull out my phone and type a message.

Elliot: You okay?

Rhett: Just got overwhelmed. Is Wren back yet?

Elliot: No.

Rhett: If she’s not back in a couple minutes, we have a problem.

Elliot: I know.

Glancing at the clock on my phone, I frown. It’s already been fifteen minutes. The safe cracker takes some time, but not too much.

Where are you, love?

“Ell.”

I look up to see Oliver striding toward me with a worried expression on his face. A quick glance around the ballroom, and I realize why.

“Where the hell is Axel?”