Page 28 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two
Her eyes meet mine. “Does it bug you? Knowing we’ll be this close to him?”
“Some. But I’ve learned to refocus my energy on other things.”
“Like?”
Getting closer to killing him.
Tearing him apart limb from limb.
Making him beg for mercy, and then refusing to give it to him.
I force a smile, not wanting to ruin the moment. “Like you three.”
A larger wave hits our feet. This one reaches my ankles, soaking the bottoms of my pants. Wren shifts from foot to foot.
“You okay?” I ask.
She nods, but I’m not sure I believe her.
“Sweetheart…”
“Kiss me,” she whispers, tugging my head down until my lips are mere inches from hers.
She doesn’t have to ask twice. My arms wrap around her waist to hold her steady, and I close the distance between us. If a distraction is what she needs, I’ll happily give her one.
The kiss lacks urgency. It’s an act of affection, not desperation, or at least that’s how it feels. Still, I keep a tight hold on Wren, just in case she loses her balance.
With a contented sigh, Wren pulls away first. She keeps her eyes closed, and I use the moment to look at her. As I do, I realize she seems less worn down. It seems like she’s been sleeping well, minus her usual nightmares. I hope we’ll be able to quell those soon, too.
“We should head back,” I say eventually. “Ell and O are probably already working on dinner.”
Her hand slides into mine. “Okay.”
After retrieving our shoes, we start meandering back to the hotel. It’s too hot to go fast, and I think we’re both enjoying the time together anyway. I know I am, especially since the pleasurable part of this trip is about to end.
As we near the end of the beach, I glance back at the condos one more time. Ludo will be here soon, if he and Aubrey haven’t already arrived. My skin crawls at the thought of them watching us from their condo.
Six more months.
By the end of summer, this will all be behind us. Sammy will have her justice. We’ll be able to do whatever we want. None of us will ever have to think about Ludo Holloway again.
I avert my gaze and bring it back to Wren.
Most importantly,I realize as she grins up at me,Wren will be much safer.
Chapter seven
Wren
Back in the penthouse, we leave our shoes at the door. Thankfully we were able to wash all the sand off our feet at one of the outdoor showers.
Oliver is seated at the piano. His fingers move nimbly over the keys, and he plays with such confidence and passion that I find myself standing in the middle of the two couches, staring at him. There’s no sheet music in front of him. Not that it would matter, considering his eyes are closed.
Elliot is in the kitchen, a dish towel slung over his bare shoulders while he chops up vegetables on a cutting board. When he sees us, his face lights up. “There you are. I was starting to get worried.”
“We ended up walking the beach,” Rhett says.
As his eyes flit to me, Elliot doesn’t even try to hide his surprise. “Oh?”
