Page 68 of Tempt Me
"Look, Isaac. The way I see it, we have two choices. Leave it, and that's the absolute end, no phone calls, no heated stares, no kisses, nothing but business, or we agree to figure something out. I'm too old to be playing these games now. I want an answer, and I need you to stick to it. Can you give that to me right now?"
"Yes," I say instantly, knowing it's now or never. She will not give me another chance if I screw this up. "I don't know what the future holds for us, Rue. All I know is that whatever happens next, I'm not giving up. Not now, not ever."
"Good boy," she purrs and hangs up as my cock stands to attention with the praise.
Shaking my head with a soft laugh, I place the phone on the arm of the chair and lean forward to pull Bessie out of her bleach bath. Time for a rinse and repeat before a thorough scrubbing until she sparkles.
Chapter36
Luca
As I look up at the villa on the cliff, I sigh. It used to be a safe haven, but now it is shot up to hell and crawling with cops.
Shaking off the feeling, I make my way towards the kitchen of the safe house, hoping to find some food to bring back to the others. As I search through the pantry, my thoughts drift back to Rue.
I wonder how she’s handling everything. Is she scared? Angry? Sad?
I want to call her and check in with her, but it’ll have to wait until I arrive in person. As soon as I get a boat, of course. She’s been through so much already, and I don’t want her to feel like she’s alone in this. Even with Isaac by her side, I know her. She bottles shit up, and one day it’s going to erupt.
With a bag full of supplies slung over my shoulder, I make my way back towards the beach to procure a boat. We have a lot of work ahead of us in the coming days, so I need to get back my ass back to the war room.
Finally finding another small boat that belongs to Vik, I fire it up and head to the island as the sun is just touching the horizon. My mind is filled with thoughts of the plan we need to make to take down Marco. But my worry for Rue never leaves the forefront of my mind.
As I approach the island, I know that the cops have already set up a tight perimeter around the villa, so it's going to be difficult to get back to it with answers they will accept.
But I’m not one to give up easily. I’ve been in this game for too long to let law enforcement scare me away from what needs to be done.
I dock the boat as close to the island as possible and make my way towards the cabin in the middle of the woods.
The light is dim as I sneak through the underbrush. My mind flashes back to Rue again. How is she handling this? When we spoke the other day, she was fragile, I’m worried about the toll this is taking on her.
A smile passes over my lips at the thought of her. She’s always been so brave, so strong. But this time, it’s different. This time, we’re up against something that puts her directly in danger. And if we don’t act fast, we could lose her.
With my bag of food in hand, I keep moving forward.
A noise in the bushes makes me freeze, and I place my hand on my weapon. But it's just Isaac.
I take a moment to glare at him, wishing Rue didn't love him, but she does. There's nothing I can do about that, so maybe the best plan is to put this rivalry aside and work together to save her.
Isaac sees me and nods, leading me towards the cabin, where Vik and Fran are already up and waiting.
"We need to come up with a plan," I say, dropping my bag on the table. "And fast."
Everyone nods in agreement while Fran takes the box of muffins and croissants I picked up from the safe house freezer and shoves them in the oven to warm up.
The tension is thick enough to slice through with Isaac's wicked-looking knife. We know what we're up against, and it's not going to be easy to take down Marco and his crew. But we have no other choice.
As we discuss our options, my mind drifts back to Rue once again. Wondering where she is, I'm worried about her safety and well-being. Now more than ever, I need to protect her.
Chapter37
Rue
As I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, my mind races with thoughts and doubts. Negotiating with my grandmother is a risk, one that could jeopardize everything I've ever known, but the idea of losing Isaac, now that he has finally made his mind up about us, is just not happening. The ace in my hole, pardon the pun, is the baby. Knowing it's an awful thing to do, using the baby to gain leverage is probably going to be my only way through this.
Rolling over, I let out a frustrated sigh. This whole situation is so complicated and unfair. Why can't we just be together without all these obstacles in our way? Knowing there is a way, a very solid yet permanent way out of this, I chew my lip furiously. Running away from my family obligations and from Solitaire will give us all the freedom we need to be together. But my parents, mygrandmother, won't let me go easily. Every day will be a battle of looking over our shoulders. It's no life to lead, especially with a baby.
Suddenly, there's a knock on my door, and I sit up, nervous anticipation churning in my stomach. "Come in," I call out.
