Page 44 of Theirs to Corrupt

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tessa

“Ready?” Pax asks, his voice gentle.

A few moments ago, Torin stopped the SUV near my apartment building.

I’ve dreaded arriving here since we dropped Link back off at his office.

But I want to get my things.

“Tessa?” he prompts.

Not trusting myself to speak, I nod.

Mira unfastens her safety belt and opens the rear door.

Pax exits before me and then offers his hand.

I’m not nearly as apprehensive with him as I am Link. Why, I’m not sure. He’s every bit as threatening as his boss. Maybe more so.

He closes his hand around mine.

With Mira in front of me and Pax on my heel, we climb the stairs to the second-story unit.

As we approach the door, I see the first signs of the break-in.

The door frame is splintered, and some wood fragments litter the concrete.

My heart races as Pax pushes the door open.

The sight that greets me sucks the air from my lungs. This apartment had been a refuge, a space Natalie and I tried so hard to make into a home. Now it looks like something out of a war zone.

The couch is overturned, its cushions slashed open and its stuffing oozing out. The coffee table is shattered.

Without a word, Pax follows me inside and closes the door, with Mira keeping watch outside.

In the kitchen, drawers hang open, and all our silverware and utensils are strewn across the vinyl floor. Shards of broken dishes litter every surface.

The devastation is impossible to take in.

Numb, my legs wooden, I move into the bedroom.

The drawers to my small dresser are in pieces. Clothes that once hung in my closet have been ripped from hangers and are strewn about like confetti.

My bed has been destroyed, the mattress knifed apart like the couch. “Oh God.” I collapse against the wall as tears sting my eyes.

This apartment wasn’t much—a small place in a not-so-great area—but it was the place I started over. It was supposed to be my safe haven. “I thought I was prepared.”

“You couldn’t have been.” His eyes are dark, ominous.

“This…” Knowing I need to be strong and wanting to get the hell out of here as quick as possible, I push away from the wall. “I’ve never had a break-in before.” Nothing seems to be missing. “Is this usual?”

He doesn’t answer right away.

“What aren’t you saying?” I ask, dreading the answer but needing to know.

He hesitates, and he frowns. “Tessa…”

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