Page 184 of Corrupting Camille
My fist curls, knuckles white with restraint.
Whoever did this thinks they’ve discovered a weapon to wield against me.
But Camille isn’t a fucking weakness.
She’s my reason for war.
And I never lose wars, not the ones that matter. Not the kind that involve her.
I stare at the photo again, memorizing every line of her face, the curve of her smile, the reckless abandon she rarely allows herself. She’s carefree. Unaware. Perfectly unguarded.
Someone watched her.
Tracked her.
Followed her right into her sanctuary, violating the one goddamn place she believed she could heal.
And then left it, waiting for me to find.
A challenge. A dare. A death wish.
My pulse throbs, controlled, slow, calculated, pure, cold rage winding itself through every cell. Because violence is who I am. Bloodshed is where I thrive. And vengeance? It’s what I breathe.
This isn’t business. This isn’t a game.
This is personal.
My phone buzzes quietly. Ignored.
Outside the study, life hums quietly, armed men taking their positions, vigilant footsteps echoing softly through halls, Camille somewhere above, blissfully unaware of the storm gathering beneath her.
Someone is determined to drag her into darkness.
My darkness.
But they have no fucking clue the nightmare they’ve awakened.
I press my thumb to her picture, beneath the curve of her jaw. My hand dwarfs her face, blocking everything but her eyes, eyes that stared up at me just hours ago, vulnerable, trusting, fierce even as she fell apart beneath me.
She won’t be collateral. She won’t be hunted, watched, and analyzed like a crack in my defenses.
Because Camille isn’t a crack.
She’s the fuse.
And when I find the bastard who lit it, I won’t grant mercy.
I’ll teach him exactly how long a human can survive without teeth. Without fingers. Without hope.
I’ll whisper her name in his ear before cutting out his tongue, so he never taints it again. So he chokes on the name he thought he could use against me.
And when he begs with his eyes for mercy?
I’ll remember Camille’s smile. Her laugh.
And I’ll fucking take everything.
***
