Page 13 of Sacrifice (Corrupt Empire 2)

Tina’s words kept coming back to me. All of them. I knew what I had to do.

“Avery… I don’t want to do this over the phone, but there are things I need to say to you. First and foremost, I’m sorry for everything. Everything I asked of you. Everything I did to you. I meant what I said last night. You are my world. I didn’t give you a proper answer when you asked me if I’m yours, but I have a question of my own. Do you want me to be yours?”

She didn’t immediately reply. I heard her shuffling about for a moment.

“Yes.”

My heart contracted. Fuck. This girl. She made my whole fucking body sing.

“And if I asked you if you wanted to have a real relationship with me, what would your answer be?”

“Is that a real question, Aiden? Like do you actually mean it?”

“I suppose I do.”

I did mean it. What was I saying? Why was this so difficult? Fuck. I wanted to see her face so much. To see her reaction. I hated doing this over the fucking phone.

“You suppose or you do?”

“I do mean it.”

Silence. I heard her move again. What was she doing?

“Video call me and ask me again.”

“What?”

“Just do it.”

She hung up on me. What the fuck? Fine. If that’s what she wanted, then I’d do it. Prove to her I was serious. She wasn’t letting me get off lightly and I supposed I deserved it after everything I’d done.

I sat up, put my phone out in front of me and dialled. After a moment, she answered. Fuck. Seeing her face made my heart ache more. Her hair was braided down one side. She wore a blue t-shirt that looked far too big for her. Her doe eyes were bright with unshed tears. Fuck. Was that my doing?

She waved at me.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“On the sofa. James is asleep. I stole his phone again. He knows I spoke to you last night, but he’s not judging. I told him everything, well, except for the whole murder and kidnapping business. I promised you it would stay between us. I don’t intend to break any more of the promises I made to you.”

The only one she’d broken was the promise not to leave me, but really, after what I’d done, that was justified. I couldn’t blame her for it.

Fuck. My cock was rigid just seeing her through the screen. How did this girl manage to be so fucking alluring? Damn it. How could I fucking pay attention when all I wanted was her sweet pussy around my cock? Now was not the time to be thinking about fucking her.

“I miss you.”

She smiled at me.

“I miss you too. I wasn’t quite sure whether I could cope with seeing you, but shit, Aiden, I just… I needed to see your face. I want to know if you mean it.”

“I do. I want you to be in my life. So fucking much. I want… I want a relationship with you.”

I watched a tear fall down her cheek, which she quickly dashed away.

“You don’t want me to get engaged to Tristan?”

“Fuck no. I don’t want you to get engaged to anyone. I’m sorry I ever asked that of you. Honestly, right now, I couldn’t care less about anything to do with the Shaws, your family or the company. The only thing that matters is you and me.”

I ran a hand through my hair. We could work that shit out later when we’d got through this. And we could do that together. Her and me.

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