Page 42 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. Two (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #2)

Rhett

“I have to admit, you three had me fooled.”

Ludo’s voice is twisted with sick amusement.

“But, I suppose, I had you fooled as well.”

Panic slides through my veins. Based on what Elliot told us, Ludo sounded desperate to get Aubrey back. It made perfect sense. He couldn’t let it get out that his wife was taken from right under his nose. It didn’t even cross my mind that he could’ve been setting us up.

My hand twitches at my side. We’re surrounded. There’s no way we can fight our way out of here and survive. Even if we did, we can’t leave Andrew and Benny behind. Not now.

“I’d like you to know, Brooks, that your brother sold you out. Your own flesh and blood.”

Hearing that is like a stab to the gut, but I keep my eyes fixed on Ludo. He still doesn’t know that we ran into Andrew in Florida when he should’ve been in his room. If Ludo finds out, it might be the last straw before he decides he’s done with Andrew. Betrayal or not, I can’t stand to see any harm come to him.

“Brother?”

I croak.

“I only had a little sister.”

Ludo’s smile is smug and cruel, and for the first time, I realize I may never get a chance to wipe it off his face.

“That’s what you thought. But as it turns out, your father had two more sons after you.”

Ludo gestures for Andrew to step forward.

When our gazes meet, guilt washes over Andrew’s face, but it’s gone in a split second. I survey the rest of the room but don’t find who I’m looking for.

Where’s Benny? What’s Ludo done to him?

“How the hell do you know this?” I demand.

“I knew I’d need leverage on you three soon, and after Wren’s kidnapping, she’s barely left your sight. I wasn’t ready to take her at Jordan’s, so I resolved to find someone else to use.”

Holloway’s eyes slide to Oliver.

“I thought about your family, but there’s something about threatening a child that makes people bend to your will so much easier.”

“Motherfucker,”

Oliver mutters under his breath.

“Why do you need leverage?”

Elliot asks. His voice is calm, but underneath that cool exterior, I know he has to be panicking.

“You’ll find out soon.”

Ludo nods to a few of his men, who advance toward us.

“Just know that if you try anything, I’ll kill both your brothers without a moment’s hesitation.”

As the weight of the situation settles over us, we move closer to each other. It won’t do any good, but I’m not sure any of us do it consciously.

“Ell,”

Oliver whispers just as my fingers brush against his.

Don’t fight. Please, for the love of god, don’t fight.

“I’m sorry,”

Elliot says to us as two men grab him. He doesn’t resist.

“I should’ve—”

“Shut up,”

Ludo snaps.

“Unless you’re planning on telling me where Aubrey is—or where you’re keeping my hard drive—I don’t want to hear a word from you.”

“Aubrey already sold the drive,”

Elliot says, “and she didn’t tell us where she was going in case something like this happened.”

Ludo’s eyes flash.

“Who did she sell it to?”

“Don’t know,”

Elliot says.

“Our part of the deal was to help her get the drive and then help her get off the property. The rest was on Aubrey. You severely underestimated her.”

Please believe him.

“Maybe,”

Ludo says with his eyes narrowed, “but you all underestimated me, as well.”

I clench my jaw as two of his men search me. My eyes lock onto Andrew, who’s staring at the ground. How could he do this? He knows just how cruel Ludo can be. Still, I can’t let anything happen to them, so I don’t put up a fight as my phone, my weapons, and even my shoes are taken from me.

“Axel,”

Ludo says.

“I want them guarded at all times. Keep your best men on it.”

“Got it, boss.”

“And send a team to retrieve Wren once they can do so unnoticed.”

My stomach drops. Wren.

“No,”

Oliver shouts. He lunges for Ludo, but his guards catch him immediately and yank him back.

“Ol, don’t,”

Elliot says, and his voice is so reserved that any hope I have left vanishes.

“Don’t struggle.”

“They’ll kill her. They’ll—”

“Stop,”

Ludo shouts, and when we look back to him, his gun is aimed directly at Andrew.

“I already told you. Do exactly what I say, or Rhett’s brothers get hurt. Keep resisting, and maybe I will drag your family into this, Moore.”

Oliver freezes.

“If you didn’t want your loved ones to get hurt, then you should’ve thought twice before betraying me,”

Ludo snarls.

“And it was all for what? Some extra cash? I thought you three were smarter than that.”

My eyes narrow. He has to know. How could he not? He said he looked into our families, which means he learned about Sammy. Has he not put the pieces together? Does he not remember?

Ludo lowers his weapon.

“Get them out of my sight. Andrew, help take your brother.”

I almost say something—almost ask Holloway if he remembers killing my sister. But as Andrew plus another man drag me in the opposite direction of Elliot and Oliver, I bite my tongue. Maybe it’s to our advantage that he doesn’t know.

“Rhett,”

Oliver yells. He’s still struggling, even though he knows it’s useless.

“Where are you taking him? Rhett, I—”

One of the men holding Oliver elbows him in the back hard enough that he loses his breath.

“No talking.”

Elliot looks to me but doesn’t say anything. I’m not sure, but I’m pretty sure there are tears in his eyes.

He’s going to blame himself. He always does.

Andrew and his partner take me upstairs. Thanks to the blueprints we got, I know exactly where we are, and it doesn’t make any sense. When they open the door to Aubrey’s bedroom and shove me inside, my confusion only grows.

It looks like they’ve already cleaned the room of her things. The walk-in closet is empty, the bed is freshly made, and all the surfaces are free of any objects.

“What am I doing in here?” I ask.

“This is where you’re staying,”

Andrew’s partner replies.

Again, I look around. What? This room is fully furnished. There’s a balcony, for fuck’s sake. This isn’t the type of room you hold a prisoner in.

“It’s so Benny doesn’t get upset,”

Andrew adds.

I whip around to face them.

“Where is he?”

“Safe. That’s all that matters right now.”

Andrew’s partner backs toward the door.

“We should go.”

The look in Andrew’s eyes turns menacing.

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Come on, man. You know Ludo doesn’t want you alone with him.”

“What Ludo doesn’t know won’t hurt him,”

Andrew says with a shrug.

“I just want to give him a piece of my mind.”

With an eye roll, his partner turns to leave.

“Make it quick. I’m not getting in trouble over fucking family drama.”

The second we’re alone, Andrew’s whole demeanor changes. He steps closer, and his voice is pleading as he whispers, “Rhett, I’m so sorry. I never wanted this to happen.”

“Fuck you,”

I seethe.

“Save your bullshit. It won’t work on me.”

“I mean it. I was supposed to stay with Benny in his room, but he fell asleep, and it was boring as hell. I was just doing a little exploring.”

Even as I have to fight off the urge to punch Andrew, worry curls through me. He disobeyed direct orders again?

“I was across the hall from the billiard room when I heard a noise,”

Andrew says.

“I opened the door a crack, and when I saw Wren going inside, I didn’t know what else to do. I had to tell Ludo. But I didn’t think he’d—”

“Is it really that hard to keep your damn mouth shut?” I growl.

“Rhett, please. I was doing what I thought was best. Knowing his plan now, I was obviously wrong, but I didn’t know. You have to believe me.”

“What you thought was best?”

I spit out.

“What did you think Ludo would do, give us a lecture like we’re teenagers? He’s a cold-hearted murderer, Andrew. You knew. You fucking knew, and you didn’t care.”

“I swear, I had no idea,”

he insists.

“There’s been talk of a rat, and you didn’t seem to like that I’m working for him. So when I saw Wren, I thought maybe it was you four. I didn’t know who to trust—Ludo or you guys. And Ludo is the one who’s helping me get custody of Benny—or so I thought—so at the time, he seemed like the right option.”

“You almost got Wren killed.”

My chest squeezes painfully at the reminder that she still might die.

“I waited until you guys had already left,”

he says, his voice pleading.

“I did everything I could.”

“If she dies because of you,”

I say lowly, “there won’t be a single force on this planet strong enough to stop me from coming for you. If anything happens to Elliot or Oliver, I’ll tear you apart and feed you to the first pack of wild dogs I find. You understand?”

“I promise I didn’t mean for any of you to get hurt,”

he whispers.

“Save it for someone who cares.”

“Just tell me what to do. I have to get Benny out of here. I didn’t know Ludo was planning on using him like this. If he dies because of me—fuck, Rhett, I can’t let that happen.”

“Andrew,”

his partner calls through the door.

“Let’s go.”

“Fuck,”

Andrew hisses. He grabs his hair and pulls as he makes one last attempt.

“Rhett, I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you get out. I’m not sure how, but—”

“Don’t bother.”

“I can’t leave you here!”

“Just punch me.”

“W-what?”

“Punch me, Andrew. You told your partner that you were giving me a piece of your mind. So make it fucking look like it.”

“But you don’t believe me. You just threatened me. What the fuck, Rhett, you’re—”

“Just do it.”

The helpless look in Andrew’s eyes reminds me of another boy. One who lost almost everything. One who almost gave up. One who maybe should’ve given up.

When his fist connects with my face, my mind goes blank for a blissful moment. The taste of blood coats my tongue and tears sting my eyes, but I don’t care.

“I’m sorry,”

Andrew whispers hoarsely.

The irony of the situation isn’t lost on me. I got into this war to avenge one sibling, only to be betrayed by another.

“Get out.”

Andrew winces before crossing the room. He stops with his hand on the doorknob and doesn’t even look back as he asks, “I have a sister?”

My fingers ball into fists. “Had.”

“What happened to her?”

“Andrew,”

his partner calls before shoving the door open.

“Fucking move. You’re going to get caught.”

Finally, Andrew looks back with that question still shining in his eyes.

I don’t answer.

Once they’re gone, I move to the balcony doors and look out. I can see most of the yard from here. There’s a boy kicking around a ball near the entrance to a hedge maze that takes up a decent portion of the backyard, and my heart clenches when I realize who it is.

Benny.

My throat aches as I turn away.

I almost wish Ludo would’ve executed us. Not knowing where Elliot and Oliver are—or what’s being done to them—kills me almost as much as the cold, hard realization that there’s nothing I can do to help them.

I only know one thing, and it causes a cocktail of dread and fear to settle over me like a wet blanket.

Whatever Ludo has in store for us, it’ll be worse than hell.