Page 180 of Morally Corrupt

And he has a clean slate.

Once my mind is made up, I know what I have to do. And I have to do it fast before I lose my resolve.

After all the nurses leave, I head inside, putting on my best smile.

"Who are you?" he asks again when he sees me. I expect it, but I still freeze when I see the suspicion in his eyes.

"A friend," I lie.

Here it goes, the beginning of the end.

"A friend?" he repeats, studying me closely.

"A friend from work," I amend.

"Then… do you know what happened to me?"

"You were caught in the crossfire with a dangerous cartel. But the good news is that you're a hero now. Jimenez is dead because of you, and the FBI's managed to confiscate millions worth of illegal weapons."

"Jimenez?" I can see his mind working. Assuming he remembers everything from before 2010, then he still remembers his crusade against Jimenez.

"Yes, he was the leader of the cartel," I add.

"And I caught him?"

"Yes." I don't give him more details. He doesn't need to know.

This is a good thing. He won't only stop his quest for revenge now, but he'll also not remember Marcel's betrayal or the fact that Jimenez is his biological father. He won't have to experience that heartbreak again.

We talk a little more, and I give him vague information, enough to help him build a narrative. As our time draws to a close, I rise from my chair and tell him goodbye.

"Will you come again?" he asks as I'm about to leave.

"Probably not." I give him a rueful smile, and he seems disappointed.

On the spur of the moment, I drop my head and give him a kiss on the forehead.

"Be well, Theo," I whisper.

* * *

I head to the apartment and empty it of my stuff. I contact a moving company and send everything to my spare apartment.I also decide to take Mally with me.

It takes me two full days to erase every trace of Bianca Ashby from Theodore Hastings' life. After I'm done, I contact Vlad and ask for a favor.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Vlad asks a couple of days later, as we near the aircraft.

I nod, looking at the horizon that signifies my new future.

"You asked me once if what I feel towards Adrian is love. I guess it wasn't at that point… but I've learned since. Before, I loved Adrian because he wasmine.He was my toy, and that made me happy. But I never once stopped to ask myself if it made him happy, too. Later, I saw how my presence in his life affected him. I hurt him, but I never recognized just how much. It wasn't until I saw the light in his eyes die when he learned of Marcel's betrayal or that Jimenez was his biological father. I was so incensed on his behalf that only later did I realize I'd done the exact same to him. I'd lied and manipulated him, and I'd betrayed his trust.

"Yes, I loved him, and I wanted him more than anything, but it was toxic. I know that now. Just how I know that I love him enough to give him a chance at true happiness. Without Jimenez, without the mob… without me." I clench my hand on my carry-on. "I'm not normal, nor will I ever be. He deserves someone better. He deserves to be happy."

"What about you?" Somehow, a tear makes its way down my cheek at his question.

"I'll survive. I always do. I'll just do what I do best—kill."

"I'll miss you, B." Vlad turns to me and takes me in his arms.

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