Page 147 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

“Sorry? I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to take that back and find another way. Don’t do this to me, Aiden. Just don’t.”

If I had another solution, I’d have gone out of my way to work it out. This plan was better than my last one. It meant the end of all the sickening, disgusting things her family had done. And it meant the end of the man who covered it all up. That was why it was so important. That was why I needed her.

“Do you think I want to ask you to do this for me?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know if I even know who you are any more. I thought I meant something to you, but if I did, then you’d never ask this of me.”

Fuck. She was destroying me with every fucking word she said. I could see myself reflected in her eyes. See how sick and twisted I was. See the fucked up man I’d become. The one who couldn’t do anything right by this girl. And fuck, if it didn’t cleave me in two.

“How can you think you mean nothing? You are the world. My world.”

“Am I? Am I really? What happened to you telling me you’d kill anyone who tried anything with me? Huh? Does that still stand now?”

I would fucking destroy them if they tried. They weren’t allowed her. No one was. No one except me.

“Yes.”

Her doe eyes filled with tears again.

“And yet you still expect me to… No. I won’t do it. You don’t understand. I already told my father I wouldn’t. It was my only stipulation regarding the company. I wanted to be free to make a choice and he fucking agreed. You can’t make me do this. I won’t.”

“Avery…”

She shoved at my chest, but it was a weak, half-hearted attempt.

“Stop. Just stop. I can’t. I won’t. You know I’d do anything for you. Anything but this. So don’t fucking ask me to do it.”

I cupped her cheek, running my thumb along her lips. I’d known she’d say no. A part of me always knew. Even if we hadn’t ended up like this, she’d never have agreed to it.

“I have to.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I really do.”

Tears slipped out over her cheeks again. Fuck. I kissed her. She pushed at my chest again, refusing to respond to me. I didn’t care. I needed her. I wanted her to know how much I needed her. Her submission. Even though I’d done the fucking worst thing possible to her, I had a sick need to prove she was still mine. To show her she wouldn’t be free of me because I could never be free of her.

“Kiss me, Avery,” I whispered before I pressed my lips to hers again.

I held her face in place when she tried to turn away.

“Kiss me.”

“No, stop it. I don’t want this.”

“You do. You want me even though I’ve hurt you. Let me take away the pain.”

She shook her head, more tears spilling from her doe eyes.

“Stop it, Aiden.”

“Kiss me.”

I pressed my mouth to hers and she did. She kissed me like she was drowning. Her hands threaded in my hair. Her tongue curled around mine, fighting against me for dominance. I wouldn’t fucking let her take control. She was mine. I owned her.

I pressed her legs open, settling between them. She ground against me, causing lust to flood my veins. Fuck. I needed to have her. She moaned against my mouth when I cupped her breast, my thumb running over her nipple. I tugged up her t-shirt, needing her skin on mine. I released her mouth so I could pull it over her head. Her hazel brown doe eyes stared back at me with desire and pain.

I unhooked her bra and threw it halfway across the room before I bit down on her nipple. She arched up against me, crying out. Fuck. Such fucking perfect tits. Her fingers went to my t-shirt and I let her take it off me. She dug her nails into my chest, scraping them down my skin. Fuck. She knew that made me crazy.

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