Page 66 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

“Hey… I can walk by myself.”

“Do not test my patience, Avery.”

“What have I done wrong now? I did what you asked, didn’t I?”

He stopped, causing me to stumble. It was lucky he was holding on to me so I didn’t fall over.

“Done wrong? Who fucking said you did anything wrong?”

Aiden’s eyes were cold and full of repressed rage.

“Then why are you angry? Is… Is it because of what I said to James in the video?”

His nostrils flared, eyes growing darker. And I tried to take a step back.

“It’s fucking everything you do. Every fucking moment with you is fucking torture, do you know that?”

I shook my head, unable to quite comprehend what he’d just admitted to me. What did that mean?

He dragged me against him, crushing me to his chest before burying his face in my hair.

“Aiden, I don’t understand.”

“My whole life I’ve hated your family and everyone involved with them. I hate them so much, it’s hardwired into my blood. But then you came along, so fucking innocent and so unlike them on every level. And no matter what I fucking do, I can’t keep you at arm’s length when I should. I fucking should be able to. You have to stop pushing me too.”

I wrapped my arms around his back, clutching him. My heart ached. I had no idea how much I made him suffer.

“I want to hate you so much, but I can’t,” he continued. “I just fucking can’t. So tomorrow, we’re going back to London. I’m going to make sure the police see this video and we’re going to talk about your family properly.”

“Okay,” I said, my words muffled by his chest.

I felt in that moment if I said anything about his confession, things would escalate further. Too exhausted to deal with any more conflict between us.

We pulled away from each other. Aiden did the unexpected. He took my hand, entwining our fingers together. He didn’t drag me along with him. We walked at a steady pace.

When we got back to the cottage, he put a film on for me. Some stupid action flick, but I actually got to do something other than stare at the wall, so I didn’t complain. And he let me curl up with my head in his lap as he stroked my hair.

I felt for those few moments like things had gone back to normal, but I knew when we returned to London, things would never be normal again.

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A quiet calm descended over the two of us on the way back to London. We stopped once because I was desperate for the loo, but the rest of the journey was silent, peaceful almost. As if Aiden and I had left the part of us banded in sorrow behind in Dorset. The illusion would be shattered soon. The truth would always cut through our desires. I knew that. The truth of who he was and what I’d been born into were iron bars holding us back from each other.

Too many secrets.

The truth would hurt.

Me.

Him.

And everything around us.

Returning to the flat made me wonder if Aiden would ever let me out again. He said he needed me to help him destroy my family. Did that mean he’d send me back out into the world when he successfully made me flip sides? How was he so sure I would? My feelings for him didn’t outweigh the rest, did they?

The questions nagged at me. I had a headache. Aiden disappeared into a locked room an hour ago and hadn’t emerged.

I had free roam of the flat now. I stood in the living room, staring out the window. The city loomed like a dark presence around my heart. The city holding secrets and lies hidden beneath its surface. Was I about to step into the darkness? Would I ever be able to see the sunlight again when I learnt the truth?

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