Page 26 of Ruin Me
I can see the confusion and hope warring in her eyes, and it kills me to leave her in suspense like this. But I need to be sure, need to have all the pieces in place before I lay it all out for her. I turn away, looking out the window as the plane ascends, the landscape below growing smaller and smaller until it's swallowed by clouds.
Hadley is a ball of nerves the entire flight, and it takes every ounce of willpower for me not to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything will be ok. I need to keep my cool and figure out the best way to explain my plan to her.
As the plane levels off, I can't help but glance at Hadley. She's trying to be subtle about it, but I can see her wiping away tears, her body trembling slightly. It's tearing me apart, but I have to stick to the plan. I have to make sure she's safe, and that means playing this right. You couldn’t underestimate Emanuel. He was feared for a reason.
I signal to the flight attendant, ordering a couple of drinks for us. Hadley looks at me, surprise etched on her face. "You think I need a drink right now?" she asks, her voice shaky.
"Trust me, it will help calm the nerves," I reply, giving her a small smile. She doesn't protest when the attendant hands her a glass of wine. She takes a sip, her eyes never leaving mine.
As the hours pass, I can feel her anxiety building. She fidgets with her hands, looks out the window. Finally the captain announces our descent into Sydney.
The plane touches down with a jolt, and Hadley lets out a soft gasp. The engines reverse, and we taxi towards the gate. The other passengers begin to stir, gathering their belongings andpreparing to disembark. I turn to Hadley, my heart pounding in my chest. This is it. The moment of truth.
"Hadley," I say, my voice low but firm. She turns to look at me, her eyes wide with fear and anticipation. "We don't have much time, so I need you to listen carefully."
She nods, and I let out a sigh of understanding. “We have two real choices here, and I'll be honest one of them is completely insane.” Her eyes widen.
“First choice, we can run and hide. But it will only be a matter of time before your father and Emerson find us,” I say, and if she chose that I would definitely do it but we’d always be on the run. She sighs heavily.
“I know, Rhett. I know it’s not the best choice, but I can't marry him,” a tear slides down her cheek.
“Which is why I have option two,” she looks at me with hope filled eyes. “We kill them both.”
Nine
Hadley
Thecold,damningwallsof my father’s mansion felt like a prison. Rhett’s firm grasp on my arm told me he was doing this because he had to. He’d always been a lapdog but he’d given me a choice.
A choice to make for myself.
The first time anyone had ever given me that.
He opened the large double doors to my father’s office and led me through. Rhett gave me careful shove and I stumbled forward into the oppressive room.
“Ah the prodigal daughter returns,” Emanuel sneers at me like I was a bug to be exterminated. Emerson was behind his desk, and that snake-like smile made its appearance on his face. All I saw was the boy who tortured me in school, laid claim to me even before I’d hit puberty.
I hated him.
I’d never marry the bastard, and I’d never let him inside of me.
Ever.
I thought of Rhett. His cock, his hands, his mouth. Everything about him was mine, and I was most assuredly his. I knew it the second he gave me my choice earlier.
“Are you not going to get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness?” Emerson asked, making his way closer to me. I could feel the tension in the room, the air of anger behind me.
“Thank you, Rhett,” Emanuel called out. “You did a good job.”
He was excusing him.
What depraved sickness did Emerson have in store for me that he was excusing Rhett? He never did that. I noticed just now that my brother also wasn’t in the room.
They planned on something.
Something insidious.
“I’m not leaving,” Rhett’s steady voice was the anchor I needed. He had my back. He wasn’t going to double cross me.
