Page 13 of Colton
The term of endearment makes bile rise in my throat. I want nothing more than to spit in his face, to drive my blade into hisblack heart. But I can’t. Not yet. The stakes are too high, and one wrong move could cost me everything.
Xavier takes a step closer, and I fight the urge to back away. His cologne is overpowering, threatening to choke me. “You know, Mary,” he says, his voice low and intimate, “I’ve noticed your dedication. Perhaps we could...expand your duties.”
My blood runs cold at his implication. I force a smile, hoping it doesn’t look as sickly as it feels. “That’s very kind of you, sir, but I’m quite happy with my current position.”
He chuckles, the sound devoid of any real amusement. “Now, now, don’t be so hasty to refuse. I can be very...generous to those who please me.”
Xavier looms closer, the air around me thick with the weight of his power. I’m trapped, his shadow swallowing mine. But then Colton’s voice cuts through the tension, sharp and cold. Xavier’s smile falters, just for a second, but it’s enough to give me a sliver of hope.
“What’s this?”
Xavier’s attention turns to Colton, his tone laced with mockery. “Always so aloof, my boy. So many opportunities to enjoy, and yet you refuse them. It’s a shame.”
Colton’s face remains impassive, but I catch a flicker of something—disgust?—in his eyes. “I’ve told you before. I’m not interested in what you do.”
Interesting.
I stand frozen between them, acutely aware of the danger surrounding me. Colton’s defiance intrigues me, a potential weakness in Xavier’s armor. But can I trust him? Or is he just another threat?
Xavier’s eyes narrow at his son’s insolence. “You forget your place, Colton. Everything you have, everything you are, is because of me. It would serve you well to remember that.”
Colton’s jaw tightens, but he says nothing. The tension between them is palpable, years of resentment and power struggles bubbling just beneath the surface.
Xavier turns back to me, his smile now tinged with malice. “We’ll continue our discussion later, Mary. I have some ideas I’d like to...explore with you.”
As he walks away, his footsteps echoing in the hallway, I feel my knees go weak with relief. But the relief is short-lived.
Colton’s eyes lock onto mine, the intensity of his gaze making me want to shrink away.
I stand my ground, knowing that any sign of weakness could be fatal.
A smirk plays at the corner of his mouth. “You’re walking a dangerous line, Mary. Be careful where you step…or you might fall.”
My pulse quickens.
Does he know?
“I don't know what you mean,” I manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You will,” he replies softly, before turning and walking away.
Left alone in the hallway, I finally allow myself to breathe. My mind races, trying to make sense of what just happened. Colton is an enigma, unpredictable and potentially just as dangerous as his father. But his apparent dislike for Xavier’s extra-curricular activities... Could it be an opportunity?
I clutch the folder tighter, my resolve hardening. I came here with a purpose, and I won’t let fear or uncertainty deter me. Xavier Blackwood will pay for his crimes, for every life he’s destroyed. And if I must use Colton to do it, so be it.
As I make my way back to my room, a grim determination settles over me. I’ll take them both down, one way or another.
In the safety of my small room, I finally allow myself to examine the folder. My hands shake as I open it, revealing atreasure trove of incriminating documents. Financial records, blackmail material, even evidence of murders—it’s all here. My breath catches in my throat as I realize the true extent of Xavier’s depravity.
But with this knowledge comes an even greater danger. If Xavier discovers what I’ve taken, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll kill me. And it won’t be quick or merciful.
I need to find a way to use this information, to bring Xavier down without exposing myself. And Colton...he could be the key. His strained relationship with his father, his refusal to participate in Xavier’s sick games—it’s a weakness I might be able to exploit.
But the question is, can I trust him? The memory of his intense gaze, the cryptic warning he gave me, sends a shiver down my spine. He’s a wild card, unpredictable and potentially just as dangerous as Xavier.
I hide the folder in a secret compartment I’ve created in my room, my breath shaky.
I’m fucking terrified, but I’ve come too far to turn back now. Xavier Blackwood’s days are numbered, and I’ll be the one to bring him down or die trying. Colton’s earlier words echo in my mind, refusing to fade.
