Page 77 of Ruthless Desires, Vol. Two (Ruthless Desires Series Extended Editions #2)

Wren

In the morning, I wake up next to Elliot. When I roll away from him to stretch out, he grabs my waist and pulls me back.

I let out a laugh. “Elliot!”

“No,”

he mumbles, nuzzling my neck.

“Stay with me.”

“I was just getting more comfortable.”

Moving onto my side so I’m facing him, I caress his cheek with the backs of my fingers.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

With a content sigh, he closes his eyes and relaxes. He keeps an arm draped over my side while he drifts off again. After a couple minutes, I roll over and grab my phone from my nightstand.

Over the past couple days, I’ve been texting with Ava more and more. I’ve been trying to figure out how to explain things to her, but it’s difficult over messages. I was waiting until things calmed down here to get together with her, and I think we’re at a good point now.

Wren: Are you free at all this week?

I don’t expect an immediate reply since she’s probably at work, as long as her schedule is the same as it was when I left.

Eventually, I hear a door open and softly shut in the hallway. Oliver slept in Rhett’s room last night. Based on the time, I’m sure he’s still asleep, but I’m not surprised that Rhett is awake.

“Hey,”

I whisper, nudging Elliot gently.

He groans.

“Time to get up?”

“Mmhmm.”

We both use the bathroom and brush our teeth. While we get dressed, I watch Elliot pull a shirt over his head. The morning sunlight makes him look mouth-wateringly good.

When he catches me staring, Elliot smirks. Heat rushes through my body as I quickly avert my eyes, remembering the way he tied me up and fucked me with Oliver the other day.

“You don’t have to look away,”

he tells me, sauntering over to me and pinning me against my dresser.

“I like it when you watch me.”

“It doesn’t make you uncomfortable?”

He shakes his head, his lips just barely touching mine.

“Never. Watch me however often you want, love.”

I fit my mouth to his, reveling in the softness of his lips. He leans down and cradles my face in his hands. It always makes me feel so cherished when he does that.

“How’s your head?”

he asks when we reluctantly pull away.

“Doesn’t hurt unless I touch it.”

At that, he smiles and slides my hand into his.

“Good. That’s improvement.”

Downstairs, Rhett is in the kitchen. An array of ingredients litter the counter. He doesn’t notice us at first because he’s running the mixer, but when he shuts it off and turns, he smiles at us.

“Morning. Coffee?”

“I’ve got it.”

Rounding the island, Elliot slips his arms around Rhett and kisses his neck.

“What’re you making?”

“Cinnamon rolls. Figured we should celebrate somehow.”

Elliot frowns.

“If we’re celebrating, we’ve gotta do more than just cinnamon rolls.”

But then he leans over, taking a look in the mixer and licking his lips.

“Although this is a good start.”

Chuckling, Rhett smacks Elliot’s ass as he moves toward the coffee pot.

“You two sleep okay?”

“Yeah,”

Elliot says. “You?”

“Really well, actually. I feel good.”

And he looks it, too. Rhett’s steps are lighter, and he seems more well-rested than I’ve ever seen him. It makes me happy to see him like this.

We pitch in to help Rhett finish up the cinnamon rolls. While they’re in the oven, we make more coffee. Oliver will probably be awake soon, and Elliot wants more, too.

“I was downstairs earlier, and I noticed what you left in Ludo’s cell,”

Rhett says to Elliot, leaning against the counter. His hands are resting on top of it, but the relaxed position doesn’t cover up the unspoken questions in his eyes.

“What made you decide to go with a cattle prod?”

Elliot takes a long, slow sip of his coffee.

“I’m not sure it’s my place to say.”

“Oliver doesn’t want to talk about it. Asked me to ask you.”

Grimacing, Elliot sets his mug on the counter.

“Sounds like you’ve pieced it together.”

“What happened?” I ask.

Elliot hangs his head.

“I snuck into O’s room a couple times. Climbed out of my window and inched across a ledge. The first time, I held him while he fell asleep. The second time… I fell asleep, too.”

“And they found you,”

Rhett says.

Nodding, Elliot rubs at his face.

“I should’ve been the one Ludo punished. It should’ve been me. But his men dragged us downstairs, and he forced me to watch while he hurt Oliver.”

Elliot shakes his head.

“I begged to take his place, but Ludo ignored me.”

I thought I noticed something off between Elliot and Oliver, but I wasn’t sure. Elliot has seemed avoidant, almost guilty, while Oliver has just seemed sad. Now I know why, I guess.

“He doesn’t blame you,”

I say, resting my hand on Elliot’s arm. I haven’t talked to Oliver about it, but I know there’s no way he would.

“You know that, right?”

With his eyes closed, Elliot nods.

“But that doesn’t change that it’s my fault.”

At that, Rhett’s hands curl into fists.

“No. There’s been enough of that, Ell. We all know who’s at fault here, and it’s not any of us.”

“But—”

“All of this lies squarely on Holloway’s shoulders,”

Rhett says firmly.

“He’s the one who killed Sammy. He’s the one who locked us up. He’s the one who tortured O. No one else is to blame but him.”

“I just—”

“No. This isn’t your fault, Ell.”

“Fine,”

he sighs.

“What made you break Holloway’s legs?”

It’s a blatant attempt to change the subject, but it works.

“I had a nightmare about Ludo escaping and killing us,” I say.

“I didn’t even want there to be a question in her mind,”

Rhett adds.

“I know there wasn’t,”

I tell Elliot quickly.

“There’s no way he could’ve gotten out, even before. But I just…”

Elliot leans over and brushes his lips across my cheek.

“You don’t have to explain, love. You feel safer?”

I nod.

“That’s what’s important.”

The oven beeps, and Rhett pulls out the cinnamon rolls.

“Ohhh, those smell amazing!”

Oliver says as he walks into the kitchen. He grins at me, planting a happy kiss on my lips before doing the same to Ell.

“How’re you feeling, Rhett?”

“A lot better.”

Rhett grabs onto Oliver and kisses him deeply, not letting him pull away until he’s had his fill.

“I’m glad.”

Oliver reaches for one of the cinnamon rolls.

Rhett slaps his hand away.

“You’re going to burn yourself. Get some coffee and sit down.”

With a playful roll of his eyes, Oliver does so.

“What are our plans today?”

“Not much, as far as I’m concerned. We have to play the waiting game to get the boys back home until after the funeral, so…”

Elliot shrugs.

“Check on Ludo, I guess. But that’s it.”

“I figure I’ll head down there sometime before lunch.”

Rhett is holding the icing bowl, but he sets it down, and his eyes travel over us until they land on Oliver.

“I think you should come with me.”

“No.”

“Oliver—”

“I don’t want to see him,”

Oliver says flatly.

“I think it would help you.”

Rhett hasn’t looked away from him, and his voice is quiet but determined.

“Help? Are you fucking kidding me? Just looking at him would…”

Shuddering, Oliver turns away.

“He’s not the same,”

Rhett says.

“He’s broken, O. He can’t even move without crying.”

That gets Oliver to pause, but he still doesn’t look at Rhett.

“I don’t want the most potent memory you have of him to be what he did to you,”

Rhett continues.

“Replace it with something else.”

Oliver bites his lip while we sit in silence for a second. I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever reply when he says, “I’ll think on it, but I’m not making any promises. Anyone else have other plans for today?”

He looks to me.

“Ava and I are trying to get together. I’m not sure when—probably later this week. If it’s too soon, I can try to push it back, but she’s pretty worried.”

Elliot shakes his head.

“It’s not too soon. But… what are you going to tell her?”

“I’m not sure. She deserves as much of an explanation as I can give her, but obviously she can’t know all of it.”

“Do you trust her?”

Oliver asks.

“I do. But I can’t tell her you’re hitmen, or that we’ve killed anyone, so… I’m kinda at a loss.”

Elliot runs his thumb along his bottom lip as he thinks.

“To be honest, it looks like your best bet is to tell her that there’s a lot you simply can’t talk about. It’s for her own protection. Letting her in on what you’ve actually been doing would be incriminating her.”

“You think that’d work?”

“That’s what we told you when we first got together,”

Oliver points out.

“You went along with it.”

“I did, didn’t I?”

I let out a small laugh.

“That was a little naive.”

Oliver shrugs.

“Or you knew deep down it was the right choice.”

I smile.

“Maybe so.”

Rhett serves up the cinnamon rolls, now doused in icing. We all dig in. Just as I’m wondering when the boys will be up, my phone vibrates.

Ava: I’m pretty busy this week, but I’m free this afternoon if that works for you?

Wren: That sounds perfect!

“I’ll go with you,”

Oliver volunteers after we pick out where we’re going to meet.

“Getting out for a bit sounds nice.”

I smile. It’s their policy—they rarely ever leave home alone. Besides, I don’t really want to be without them. Maybe it’s silly, but I just got them back. I’m not ready to leave them, even if it’s just to visit Ava.

Currently, I think we’re trying to avoid going out much. It’s not fair to Andrew and Benny since they can’t be seen in public. This is an exception, and there probably won’t be many more until they’re back to living with Corinne.

Eventually, the boys come out, and we make a real breakfast while they eat their cinnamon rolls. We keep the conversation light, although I don’t pay close attention. My mind is already on later.

It’s been forever since I’ve last seen Ava. It’s not like I’ve been intentionally avoiding her. We’ve just been so caught up in getting revenge and then saving the guys that literally everything else has fallen to the back burner.

She’ll understand, right?

Guilt winds its way through me. Throughout all of this, Ava has done her best to be there for me. She has no clue what’s going on or why I’ve dropped out of her life, but she’s consistently checked in on me. She even told my mom off for me, for fuck’s sake.

As the guys laugh around me, I make up my mind to change that. I’ve missed Ava, and she deserves better from me. Sure, I’ve been trying to make sure none of us died, but we’re safe now.

As long as Ava can accept my non-explanation, I want to do my best to prioritize our friendship. Now that I’m not working at the coffee shop anymore, we can’t just catch up and talk at work. I’d like to do the same with Aubrey, although it’ll look different, I’m sure.

A warm hand presses against my back, and I smile at the light scent of sandalwood and oranges. Elliot nuzzles my neck gently.

“You okay, love?”

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

“About?”

I turn around so I’m facing him and slip my arms around his neck.

“The future.”

Our future.

The one I wasn’t sure we’d get to have—and that I’ll always be eternally grateful for.

***

“Wren! Over here!”

Ava waves from where she’s sitting at a picnic table shrouded by trees.

We decided to meet at a small park so we could get outside and enjoy the fresh air. The sun is out today, and it’s getting warm enough that we can sit outside without freezing our asses off.

Kissing my cheek, Oliver slips his hand from mine.

“I’ll wait over there.”

He nods to a bench that’s out of earshot of the picnic table.

“Take however much time you need, princess.”

“Thanks.”

As I approach, Ava jumps up from her seat, and we throw our arms around each other immediately. It feels good to see her again.

“How’ve you been?”

I ask.

“How’re things going with Liz?”

Ava grins.

“Amazingly. We’ve talked every single day since the ball. She got sick last week, so I made her soup and brought her some meds and tissues and stuff like that. Aaaaand then I got sick because she looked miserable, so I hung around to try to cheer her up. But I’m all better now.”

I laugh. That’s classic for Ava.

“But tell me about you,”

she says.

“What’s been going on? Are the guys somehow connected to your kidnapping? Is there more going on here than you told the police?”

“Yes, but… not in the way you think.”

“Are you in danger?”

she asks, worry creeping into her voice.

“No,”

I say quickly.

“Not anymore.”

Her eyes go wide.

“Anymore? Girl, what the hell is going on?”

I fidget with the sleeve of my jacket.

“A lot. I… I want to start off by saying I’m sorry. I basically dropped off the face of the earth after the ball, and then even more so after I quit. It wasn’t fair to you—you deserved more of an explanation, and I’m sorry.”

A soft smile appears on Ava’s features, and she reaches across the table and takes my hands.

“I know you, Wren. You wouldn’t do this on purpose. You’re, like, the opposite of a bitch. Well, usually.”

That makes me laugh, and I squeeze her hands in return.

“Emphasis on the usually.”

Her expression grows serious.

“So what happened?”

“Well, first off, when I got kidnapped, I actually didn’t.”

“Wait, what?”

“But I did get kidnapped a week or so later.”

“What?!”

“The first time around, I disappeared, but I was with the guys, and I was perfectly safe. Adam attacked me after I had dinner with him and our parents, and then Thomas was there too—”

“That motherfucker,”

Ava grumbles, and I’m not sure if she’s talking about one of them or both of them.

“But then Oliver saved me, but he was wearing a mask, so to Adam and Thomas, it kinda… looked like I got kidnapped. They got the police involved, and when I turned up again, it was easier to let them go with the story they already had.”

Ava narrows her eyes.

“Why not just tell them the truth?”

“Because of other things that are… sort of connected. Things that the police can never know—things I can’t tell you, either.”

“Why not?”

“It could… lead to trouble. For you and for us.”

“Are the guys spies or something?”

she asks suspiciously.

“Part of a secret government operation?”

“No, not really, but… maybe spy-adjacent?”

She frowns.

“Spy-adjacent?”

“I really can’t tell you, Ava. I wish I could, but it could backfire and end up hurting you.”

“Jesus. You’re serious, aren’t you?”

I nod, relieved she seems to be taking this okay so far.

“So where were you, then?”

Ava asks.

“Can you at least tell me that?”

I giggle.

“Getting railed by my three boyfriends in a cabin in the woods.”

At first, her jaw drops, but then she rolls her eyes.

“Oh my god, of course you were. Considering how this all started, it should’ve been my first guess. They’re obsessed with you, aren’t they?”

A familiar warmth spreads through my body.

“At this point, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all obsessed with each other.”

“And they’re good for you?”

she asks cautiously.

“They are. The past couple months have been stressful, don’t get me wrong. But the guys have been there for me through it all. They’re more supportive than anyone I’ve ever been with.”

Ava’s expression goes soft.

“Tell me about your actual kidnapping.”

“The guys had to leave for a business trip of sorts, and while they were gone, one of their… rivals kidnapped me. I almost died a couple times.”

“Oh my god,”

she murmurs.

“It was terrifying, but they found me and got me out of there.”

“Wren, I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine what that would be like.”

My throat aches, and as my eyes begin to sting, I glance away. Oliver is scrolling on his phone, but the second he feels my gaze on him, he looks up. At my expression, his face falls, and he sits up straighter.

He’s always so attentive—all of them are. It eases the pain in my heart, and so does Ava rubbing her thumb over the back of my hand.

Giving Oliver a reassuring smile, I blink back my tears and return my attention to Ava.

“After they rescued me, things were hectic for a while, and… well, then they got kidnapped.”

A line forms in between Ava’s eyebrows.

“It sounds like their jobs are really dangerous.”

“They were.”

“Were?”

I nod.

“Obviously, we were able to rescue the guys.”

I gesture to Oliver.

“And I think things are going to be different from here on out. They got into their profession for a personal reason, and that’s been dealt with, so I think they’re done.”

“You guys haven’t talked about it?”

“We have, a bit. There’s been a lot to go over, and we’re still wrapping up some things. Conversations about the future will come when we’re ready.”

“Fair enough.”

Ava pauses, watching me carefully for a second.

“So you think this is it? You think they’re it?”

“I know they’re it,”

I whisper, and this time, the tears in my eyes aren’t from pain or sadness.

“I love them all so much, Ava.”

“Then I’m happy for you.”

She smiles, and while her tone is teasing, I know she means what she’s saying.

“But if you get kidnapped again, I’m killing them.”

“It won’t happen again, trust me. There’s a reason I’m not here alone. They’ve been protective from day one, and I don’t think that’s going to change—ever.”

“That’s sweet,”

Ava says, pressing a hand over her heart.

“I’m glad you found them, Wren.”

We keep chatting, only stopping when Ava’s stomach growls and we realize we’ve been sitting here for hours. After one last hug, we go our separate ways, promising to get together soon. I feel better now that I’ve explained things to her as much as I can.

On the way home, I hold one of Oliver’s hands while he uses the other to steer. Piece by piece, everything seems to be falling into place. The guys’ revenge plans are coming to fruition, I’ve dealt with Patricia and Thomas, and now Richard is dead. Once we get the boys back to Corinne, there’s only one big thing left to do.

I sneak a glance at Oliver when he makes a turn. However much I agree with Rhett, I don’t want to force him to see Ludo one last time if he doesn’t want to. But at the same time, I think it’ll help. When Elliot told me what Holloway did to Oliver, it broke my heart. I can’t even imagine what he went through, so I know I wouldn’t want to relive it.

No matter what, though, we’ll be there for him. I won’t judge him if he decides not to see Ludo again. I’ll never know what he went through, and I’ll never fully understand his thoughts and feelings.

All I can do is support him as he tries to move on. It’s what he’s done for me, and it’s what all three guys will continue doing for me.

“You’re worried about me,”

Oliver says, and I realize I’m staring at him.

“Maybe a little,” I admit.

“Ell told you what happened?”

“Yeah.”

“So you… understand why I don’t want to go down there?”

“I do,”

I say softly, only hesitating for a split second.

“But you agree with Rhett.”

“I’m not sure. The best comparison I have is my fear of water. But… well, it’s different. I can’t avoid water forever. After a bit, though, you’ll never have to worry about seeing Ludo again.”

“Except in my head,”

he mutters.

I nod. The same is true for me. Thomas, Tyler, Jordan—hell, even Adam. They all flit through my head daily, leaving me unsettled. Finding a distraction has been easy these days, and I’m sure the memories will fade eventually. For now, though, they’re potent enough that they keep me up at night sometimes.

“I’m still thinking about what he said,”

Oliver tells me.

“I just… I want to be sure.”

“I understand that. I think waiting until you know is smart.”

Blowing out a breath, he says, “I feel like it could be a good idea for me to see him all broken and beat up. But at the same time, what happens if I go down there and freak out? How pathetic would that be, to be terrified of a man who’s in so much pain that he can’t even move?”

“It wouldn’t be pathetic,”

I tell him gently.

He sighs.

“I know that. I guess I just don’t feel it. And the last thing I want to do is give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared of him.”

“Are you scared of him?”

“I don’t think so. But… I don’t know. I don’t think I will until I see him. And by then, it’d be too late.”

“I won’t judge you if you don’t go down,” I say.

“I know, princess. I just don’t want to regret my decision.”

He pauses before adding, “Either way.”

Humming in agreement, I rub the back of his hand with my thumb. I’m not in a position to tell him what to do—none of us are. He’ll make up his mind when he’s ready. The only thing I can do is make sure I’m there during the aftermath.