Page 7 of Corrupt Me

I pressed a hand to my temple and winced. “God, you’re such a dick.”

“Thank you,” he retorted, tossing my soft pink lacy bra at me, which landed at my feet.

I stared at his back, refusing to let my eyes travel any farther...again. “Did you...sleep naked?”

A predatory curve danced on his lips. “You got a problem with my nakedness? You didn’t seem to mind last night.”

Yes... No... I didn’t know.

I chewed on my bottom lip, deciding I didn’t care where my clothes were. Clutching the bra in my hand, I stalked toward the door with only one thought in my head. I had to get out of here before I made a fool of myself.

I paused at the door.

With a sigh, I spun to face the asshat. “Don’t tell Preston about last night.” I didn’t know why it mattered, but mostly, I guessed, I didn’t want Preston to find out I’d slept in his brother’s room. If anyone was good at keeping secrets, it was Tristan, but it felt wrong to ask him to lie to Preston. Regret and guilt began to worm their way inside my soul.

The Malones had been so good to me, particularly these last six months, and the last thing I wanted to do was cause a bigger rift between their sons. I didn’t know what I would have done without Anna and Blaine, Preston and Tristan’s parents. Theywere family to me—the only family I had really. Preston and Tristan might be complete opposites and fight like enemies, but they were still blood. Deep down, they cared about each other.

I opened my mouth to tell Tristan to forget it, that I didn’t need this lie hanging over my head. I’d tell Preston the truth. The idea of being indebted to Tristan curdled my stomach, but the moment my gaze connected with his, I was in trouble.

His icy eyes darkened from where he still stood utterly naked, leaning against the wall. “So, I shouldn’t show him the pictures.”

I froze, every muscle in my body locking up. “What pictures?” I hated the hitch of panic in my voice, but the idea of Tristan taking photos of us together in bed sent my heart into a tizzy. He wouldn’t have... Would he? Tristan could be an ass, but this...this would be a new low even for him.

He sauntered his fine ass over to the nightstand, plucking up his phone and swiping it open before turning the screen around for me to see for myself. I didn’t recognize the guy in front of me. Yes, he’d always been a hard-ass and arrogant to a fault, cruel even.

I gasped, staring at the racy picture of Tristan and I tangled in his sheets, his lips pressed to my neck. My leg was wrapped around his waist, one of his hands trailing high up my thigh, the other snapping the picture. Wide-eyed, my eyes volleyed from the phone to his face. “Tristan, you wouldn’t!” I hissed, my hands balling into fists. “You said nothing happened.”

He shrugged, narrowing those glacier-blue eyes. “It didn’t, but do you think Preston would believe me if I showed him these?” His finger flipped over the screen, revealing picture after picture of us.

I ground my teeth together, a surge of emotions slamming into me, humiliation at the top. The realization hit me like a thunderous wave during a hurricane. Tristan was blackmailingme. But why? “What do you want?” I asked, meeting his hard glare with one of my own. I wouldn’t let him intimidate me.

“Break up with him,” he replied simply as if it was no big deal.

Confusion flickered over my face as I stared up at him. “Why would I do that?” He had no heart, or at the very least, he didn’t care about mine.

He chuckled. “You have until school starts to shatter my little brother’s heart, or I’ll make sure you regret it.” He wiggled the phone in his hand, drawing my eyes to the reminder of what he had over me, what I had to lose.

It was more than my relationship with Preston at stake. It was his entire family. So callous, and there was no mistaking the underlying threat. I blinked, unable to believe what I was hearing. Not for a single second of my life had I ever believed Tristan would hurt me. Despite what he was saying, my gut told me there was no safer place to be than at Tristan’s side. Pretty screwed up and stupid considering the turn of events.

“This has to be a joke. Why would you do this?” My voice wobbled, but I stiffened my lip, refusing to cry in front of him. He wasn’t worth my tears. I didn’t understand what game he was playing or why it made any difference to him if Preston and I dated. None of the last twelve hours made any sense.

“I have my reasons. Go home, Ever,” he sighed, sounding bored. Another twist of the knife he’d stuck in my back.

The tears pooling in my eyes betrayed me. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to curl into a ball and bawl my eyes out. But the majority of my body was too stunned to do anything. He knew how desperately hard my life had been for the last six months, before really, if I was being honest with myself. Why would he do this to me? Why? “You don’t want me here anymore? Is that it? Why not just ask me to leave then?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he muttered, climbing back into bed, his way of dismissing me.

Fuck. What a mess.

He was blackmailing me. And did so completely naked.

I spun and threw the door open. Just who the hell did he think he was? I fucking hated Tristan Malone with every fiber in my freaking body.

four

Iran from Tristan’s room down the hallway with only one purpose—to get as far away from him as possible. I had to reach my bedroom unseen. I couldn’t think about what just happened, not yet, not until I’d had a moment to process and my heart wasn’t jumping out of my chest.

Perhaps this was all a cruel joke.

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