Page 126 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

“Are you done?”

“Not even close. Does she know what you intend to do?”

“No.”

Her expression soured.

“I suggest you don’t leave the poor girl in the dark much longer if you want to keep her by your side.”

“You need to stay out of it.”

She poured the water into the mugs. I didn’t need Tina reminding me of a future I could never have. I didn’t fucking deserve it. Avery was mine. Would always be mine. But eventually, I’d have to let her go. She needed more than me.

“Why did you bring her here then?”

“You’re my family.”

“And yet you won’t admit you have feelings for her.”

What did she want from me? Avery and I were complicated.

“I never said… Okay, fine, you win. I like her.”

She smiled. I had to give her that.

“You’ve never brought a girl to see me.”

None of them meant anything to me before. Not until her. I rubbed the back of my neck.

“She told me she feels like I don’t let her in, that she’s just a toy to me.”

She raised an eyebrow, her expression amused.

“Do you treat her like she is one?”

“No. She’s different. I’m trying but I keep upsetting her or hurting her or making her angry. I’m not good at this stuff. You know that.”

She put a hand on my arm, giving it a squeeze.

“She’s young, Aiden. Be gentle with her. Show her you care. You know how. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten everything I taught you.”

“No.”

“Then you know what to do. How to fix it.”

She handed me two mugs and shooed me out of the kitchen.

Avery was running her fingers over a photo of me when I walked in the living room. I set the two mugs on the coffee table before sitting down next to her.

“Is that your tattoo artist?”

She pointed at a photo of me and Ben from our army days. His green eyes peered back at me. Reminding me it’d been too long.

“Yes, that’s Ben.”

I wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She tried to pull away.

“Aiden, what if—?”

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