Page 75 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two
“No. Thishappens now.” This may be our last chance to get Andrew alone. We can’t waste it.
Oliver takes Wren’s spot on the couch. Hesitantly, he places a hand on Rhett’s arm, slipping it around his shoulder when Rhett leans into his touch. They start murmuring to each other, quietly enough that no one else can hear.
Andrew protests, spouting something about how we can’t keep him here. I barely pay him any attention. Rhett is shaking his head, and it looks like he’s struggling to get in enough air.
Did I make the wrong call? Should we let him go?
“Hey!” Andrew shouts. “I’m talking to you. Either let me go, or I’ll force my way out.”
Wren slides herself in between me and Andrew, holding her hands up. “No, Andrew, don’t—”
When I look back at him, it’s already too late. The knife is flying through the air, catching the late afternoon light as it spins straight for us. On instinct, I grab Wren and pull her out of the way. But the knife is moving too fast, and my reaction is a second too slow.
Since she still has her hands up to protect herself, the knife doesn’t make it past her arms. She gasps at the pain before the blade clatters to the floor, nicking my forearm as it does.
Andrew tries to bolt past us toward the door, but Oliver jumps to his feet and grabs him by the back of his neck. Rhett follows quickly and throws Andrew to the ground. Before Andrew can scramble away, Rhett is on top of him with both hands around his neck.
“You picked the wrong family to fuck with, kid,” Rhett growls.
Ignoring the sting from my own cut, I grab Wren’s arm. “Love. Love, I’m so sorry. Fuck, you’re bleeding.”
“It’s not that bad.” Her voice is tight, and she clings to me while she watches Rhett and Andrew.
“Let me see.” As I inspect the cut, I hold her wrist gingerly. Blood flows across her skin, and some drips to the floor.
This shouldn’t’ve happened. I never should’ve taken my eyes off Andrew.
Thankfully, Wren’s cut isn’t too deep. I’m about to usher her to the bathroom to clean it when I hear Oliver say behind me, “You have to let up, Rhett.”
I whip around to see Rhett still strangling Andrew. His face is hardened with fury, and I can’t even blame him.
“Please,” Andrew wheezes. “Please don’t.”
“Rhett,” Oliver snaps, shaking his shoulder.“Stop.”
For a second, I think we’ll have to physically haul Rhett off his brother, but he removes his hands. Andrew gasps and coughs before trying to squirm out from underneath Rhett. It’s a pointless move.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Rhett barks. He grabs Andrew’s wrists and pins them to the floor. “That we’d let you go after that?”
“Just let me up.” Andrew’s voice is raspy and forced. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” Rhett shouts, making Wren jump. “Don’t fucking lie to me. You were aiming to kill.”
Someone needs to calm him down before this escalates even further. Neither of us are at a risk of bleeding out, so I push Wren into Oliver’s arms and crouch down next to Rhett.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill him,” Rhett says darkly. He keeps his glare on Andrew, so potent that even I can feel it.
“You already know why.”
Rhett works his jaw as I watch the internal battle play out across his face. Finally, he releases Andrew and gets up. “Don’t touch him. Don’t fucking touch any of them, or I’ll slit your throat and watch you writhe on the floor as you bleed out and struggle for your life. You got it, kid?”
Scrambling to his feet, Andrew snaps, “I’mnota fucking kid.”
“You’re sure acting like one,” Rhett growls.
“Hey, that’s enough,” I say, pushing Rhett farther from Andrew and staying in between them. “We did some stupid shit when we were nineteen, too. Of course he’s acting a little green. Heisgreen.”
It takes a second, but Rhett takes a deep breath. “Right. Do you need to check on Wren? We’re fine here.”
