Page 105 of Vicious Deception

“Making things right,” I say, grateful when Rhett holds Oliver back. “I’ll be up in time to wake Wren.”

The hurt on Oliver’s face only makes my chest squeeze tighter, but it’s better this way. He wasn’t supposed to know this package even exists.

“I love you, O,” I tell him. “Just . . . trust me.”

He crosses his arms, but he nods. “Fine.”

“Your mom brought soup. Eat. I’ll get some when I come back up.”

I don’t open the package until I’m downstairs, just outside the door to Ludo’s cell. The boys would only ask more questions, and it would be cruel to pull it out in front of Oliver.

Taking a deep breath, I open the box. It’s a more modern design than the one Ludo has, but I don’t think that matters. It should get the job done perfectly.

I’m just barely able to hear laughter from upstairs. Once I’m inside Ludo’s cell, that’ll change. We soundproofed it a while back so that Holloway’s cries for help wouldn’t bug us. It’s extra helpful now that we don’t want Benny to know what we’re doing to Ludo.

After I type the passcode into the keypad, I insert the key to unlock the door. Just before I open it, my grip on the cattle prod tightens.

I can’t take back my mistakes, but I can do my best to make up for them. This is the first step of many.

Chapter thirty-one

Wren

I’mnotsurewhatwakes me up—the terror of being chased through the house or the sound of my bedroom door opening. I bolt upright, yelping when I see his silhouette lit by the dim lights in the hallway.

He’s holding something.

Something big.

It’s a weapon.

“Wren? What’s wrong?”

Throwing back the covers, I scramble away from him. And then I’m falling, crashing to the floor. My ass hits the ground, and my shoulder knocks into my nightstand, sending pain ricocheting down my arm.

“Fuck—sweetheart, it’s okay.”

Light floods the room, and I hold up a hand to shield my eyes. “Rhett?”

Rhett. Not him.

There’s a light thud, and then he rounds the bed and drops to his knees beside me. His touch is gentle as he eases an arm around me.

“Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?”

“No, I . . . I’m fine.”I think.

“What happened?” he asks.

“He chased us,” I mumble, rubbing my eyes. Getting up so quickly has me disoriented. “He was killing us off one by one, and I was hiding in here, and then the door opened, and I . . .”

“Hey. It was just a dream.” Rhett works an arm around me, coaxing me out of the corner I realize I squeezed myself into. “Thomas can’t get to you here.”

Even as my anxiety fades, I find myself shaking my head. “What? No, not Thomas. I meant Ludo.”

That causes Rhett to completely freeze. He stares at me, his arm still around my back and holding me up.

Almost immediately, I realize I should’ve let him believe otherwise. “No—no, it’s fine. I know he’s locked up.Andchained up. It’s just my anxiety. I know he can’t get to us. Please don’t kill him—not until you’re ready.”

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