Page 75 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

“Do you know why they called me Avery?”

“No.”

“Before Mum married Dad, she used to have an aviary where she kept injured birds and nursed them back to health. He refused to name me after a bird, so Avery was their compromise. I guess I’m one of her broken birds now.”

Broken bird. Fuck. She wasn’t a fucking broken bird. She wasn’t the bird in a gilded cage either. Avery was strong and I would fucking well show her just how much. But not now.

The buzzer sounded.

We’d run out of time.

“You’re not broken. You’re just hurting. There’s no going back if you stay hidden, you know that?”

“There was no going back from the moment you took me.”

She turned away from me and climbed in the cupboard, nestling herself on the floor underneath her hanging clothes. I closed the door, sealing her away in the dark. I could only hope it wouldn’t remind her of the cell.

I went out to the intercom and buzzed Chuck in. I kicked her shoes under mine and hid her coat before I paced the hallway, waiting for him to come up in the lift.

When he knocked, I let him in.

“So, did you have a nice few days away?” he asked as we walked through into my living room.

“Yes.”

I’d told him I had to leave the city for a couple of days, but not where I went.

“I hope the little prick has got what we need. If it’s stuff we already know, then it’s useless.”

I grabbed the laptop from the coffee table and got rid of the evidence Avery had left open on there before Chuck had a chance to see.

“Want a drink?” I asked.

“Got any brandy?”

“Aren’t you driving?”

“So?”

I shrugged.

“You know I don’t drink brandy.”

“Well, whatever else you might have will do. Just make sure it’s strong.”

I rolled my eyes and carried the laptop through into the kitchen. I pulled out the memory stick Anthony had given me and plugged it in. I fixed Chuck a drink. Whisky. He’d appreciate that.

I took the glass and the laptop back through into the living room. He’d made himself at home on my sofa. Arrogant piece of shit. I hated having him here.

“Here,” I said, handing him the glass before sitting down.

I set the laptop on the coffee table and began going through the documents on the memory stick. I handed it to Chuck since he cared more about this than I did. He looked them over whilst sipping his whisky.

“Damn, this is good shit.”

“It should be, wasn’t cheap.”

Chuck smirked before turning back to the laptop. I really didn’t know why he insisted on going through this here. I could’ve got him the files tomorrow.

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