Page 38 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

Chapter Eight

Aiden

Whoever the fuck was calling me could go fuck themselves. I probably should be thanking them for reminding me I should not be trying to fuck Avery, but I couldn’t find it in me to be remotely grateful. Not when she was so fucking close to giving into me.

“Stay there and don’t say a fucking word,” I growled at her.

I turned and reached for my stupid motherfucking phone. When I saw the caller display, I literally wanted to punch the fucker in the face.

“What?”

It was lucky he was used to me answering the phone to him like that.

“I need you to follow up on a lead for me.”

“Right now? I’m busy, Chuck.”

“Yes, right now.”

Avery stiffened next to me. I hadn’t forgotten about her issues with her uncle. Ones I would make her tell me sooner rather than later.

“Is it a lead or do you just need me to go beat some fucker up?”

“Really, Aiden? Do you have to put it in such terms?”

“Just fucking tell me what you need.”

I was seriously not in the mood for his shit. My dick was so hard, I thought it might fucking explode and I had Avery fucking wet and wanting next to me. I didn’t have to touch her pussy to know she was wet for me. She couldn’t fucking hide it. Her body screamed at me. Begged me. Needed me. Just like mine needed hers.

“The police interviewed my niece’s little friends, including the boy she was seeing.”

The world fucking stopped. I stared at Avery. She was seeing someone. Was it serious? Why the fuck hadn’t she told me? Was this why she told me she couldn’t this morning? Fuck. I was so angry at the thought of anyone touching Avery but me. I was going to rip the little shit’s head off.

Mine. She’s fucking mine.

“He said she was supposed to be having dinner with Mitch and Kath the night they died. They found her phone at the penthouse. They think whoever killed her parents took her.”

“What?”

Fuck. I’d left her phone at her parent’s place. It wasn’t on her. I hadn’t had time to find it because I had to get out of there before the CCTV came back on.

I had to do something about this. They still wouldn’t tie it back to me, but I couldn’t take chances. Not when I hadn’t made sure Avery was on my fucking side. I needed more time with her. I had to stop thinking with my dick and start thinking with my head. That meant not getting into situations like this. Where we wanted each other so fucking much it hurt.

“I know, fucked up, right?”

“I take it your little informant in the force squealed then?”

It was the only way he’d know any of this. The police hadn’t released many details to the public.

“Of course, but he won’t say any more. I need information. If we don’t find her soon, things are going to get complicated.”

“Did you stop to think that maybe she doesn’t want to be found?”

I shot Avery a warning look. Her eyes were wide, but her mouth remained shut.

“Perhaps. Little upstart never wanted to be a part of the company. Mitch pushed her into agreeing. I don’t claim to get along with my niece. She’s too fucking innocent of our world, but she did confide something to me when she was drunk at the annual Christmas do last year. She said, ‘Uncle Charlie, I wanted him to give the company to you because I don’t want it. I don’t want to be a part of this family’s legacy. I hate it. I hate all the expectations. Dad forced me to sign those documents. He said he would cut me off if I didn’t.’ I remember it like it was yesterday. I think that’s the first time she realised her dad wasn’t Mr Nice Guy. Things had been strained between them since, not that anyone else would have guessed. Got to put on a show for the public.”

Chuck didn’t know it, but he’d just given me more leverage on her than I could’ve hoped to get by myself. If she had an inkling there was a darker side to her father, maybe she’d believe me when I told her who he’d really been behind his well-constructed mask.

---