Page 52 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two
“Always am,” I say lightly before slipping back inside. “Love you.”
“I love—”
The door slams before Rhett can finish.Shit.I’m not used to him saying it back, so I didn’t think to give him time. But right now, I don’t have extra time to waste. I’ll make it up to him later.
Rushing back into the store, I close the curtains to both of the dressing rooms before plopping onto the couch across from them. Just then, the bell on the front door jingles, signaling someone coming in. Involuntarily, my leg starts bouncing. Can’t help it. I hate being alone like this. If I fuck up, there’s no one to save me. Not until Ell comes back, anyway.
As I hear the woman up front greet the man, my conversation with Finn yesterday morning replays in my head.Don’t leave room for mistakes in your head, or you’ll find yourself making them.
We can’t afford to fuck up today. Not when the girls’ safety is on the line, and not when we have so much riding on this job. I have to do this.
Finn’s right. I can handle this—IknowI can handle this.
I stare at my phone, pretending to scroll, until I see the man appear in my peripheral vision. My blood pressure spikes, but I don’t show it.
“Don’t move.” His voice is hushed yet commanding.
I look up, plastering on a surprised expression. “Whoa, hey, there’s no need for a weapon like that.”
Stepping farther into the dressing area, he growls, “I’ll be the judge of that.”
Raising my hands slightly in surrender, I give him a quick once over. Short, thinning hair, solid build, and pink, sunburned skin. He looks like a regular tourist except for the gun in his hand. He’s holding it expertly, like someone who’s handled one thousands of times before. Still, he walked right into our trap, so he’s not the brightest.
“Which one is she in?” he demands.
I give him a confused look. “Who?”
With an annoyed growl, he rips open the first curtain. When he realizes the dressing room is empty, he quickly moves on to the next one. “You motherfu-”
I’m already on my feet and advancing toward him. He sees me in one of the mirrors, but it’s too late. With a series of practiced, fluid movements, I disarm him and drop him to the floor.
Stepping back, I aim his gun directly at his head, not bothering with my own. “Stay on your knees.”
Behind me, Elliot laughs. “Damn. I guess there was no need for me to rush back.”
At the sound of his voice, my anxiety dissipates. I did it—of course I did it—and now Elliot is here in case something goes wrong.
Behind us, we hear a feminine gasp. Elliot turns, but I don’t want to take my eyes off this guy, so I don’t move.
“Ma’am, so sorry to scare you like this,” Elliot says. “We’re not going to hurt you, I promise. There’s no need to call the police.”
“Are—are you here to steal stuff?” she asks in a trembling voice.
“No,” Elliot says. His tone is calm yet commanding. “We’re just trying to keep our client safe.” There’s a pause, and I think he gestures between me and him. “We’re bodyguards.”
“Oh,” the woman breathes out. She still sounds scared, but not as much.
“I’m gonna pay for everything in those two dressing rooms,” Elliot says. “And then we’re gonna take this guy and get out of your hair. Again, sorry to scare you. Can you start ringing everything up for me?”
She gulps. “Sure.”
After she gathers up the clothes, Elliot grabs a couple scarves and starts tying the man up. “We’ll have her add these to the bill as well.”
“Listen,” the man says. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I just want Aubrey.”
“Sucks to be you, I guess,” I say with a shrug. “Because you’re not getting her.”
“Hear me out,” he says. “Whatever your boss is paying you, I’ll double it. We can make it look like you fought your hardest.”
