Page 108 of Revenge (Corrupt Empire 3)

How could I not have known that?

“Let my wife go, Ed. I won’t tell you again. Do you really want to murder your own cousin? There are cameras in this room. This is being recorded. Don’t be fucking stupid.”

It took a moment, but Ed’s grip on me loosened a little. He still kept the knife to my throat, but I felt like I could breathe again. I shifted, feeling increasingly uncomfortable pressed up against my cousin.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Ed said, his voice a little high pitched.

“Then put the knife down.”

“What do you want, Aiden? Are you going to turn me in?”

“I want you to tell me where they are.”

I couldn’t see Ed’s face so I didn’t know what he was thinking, but Aiden just looked tense. His grey eyes were fixed on mine. He was pleading with me to stay still. To not aggravate the situation.

“And what, you’re going to take them, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

Aiden’s hands came up.

“Nothing. I just want to shut it down.”

Except I knew he was lying. We were going to destroy all of them because we had enough evidence to.

“I don’t believe you.”

“You tell me where they are, I’ll let you walk out of here and you can run. I don’t care where you go as long as you don’t fucking come back. Just let Avery go, please.”

No one moved or said anything for several long moments. All I could hear was my heart pounding my ears. And all I could think about was how I’d killed with a knife. I’d stabbed Tristan in the neck with a knife. That night decimated me. I felt tears pricking at my eyes. I tried to squash the memories, but they blared in my head.

“Am I? Are you sure about that? Too fucking bad for you, isn’t it? That I’m Avery Lockhart now.”

“You fucking bitch.”

There was blood everywhere. So much blood. I choked back a sob. Ed shifted behind me. Tears rolled down my cheeks. The agony in Aiden’s expression told me he knew exactly what was happening to me.

“Please,” I sobbed. “Let me go.”

I couldn’t do this. I needed the knife away from me or the memories would ruin me.

“You’re just a little whore to him. He could never truly want you.”

I felt his hands all over me. I felt it when he slammed me into the floor after I’d tried to run. I felt the knife slicing into his flesh. More tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t stop the tidal wave of emotion crashing down on me. And the one person who could make it go away was standing several feet away from me, completely helpless to stop this.

“Please, Ed. Please let me go.”

The next moment, the knife left my throat and Ed shoved me away from him. I almost collapsed in a heap on the floor, but I didn’t. I took several shaky steps towards Aiden. He met me halfway and bundled me up in his arms.

“Do not fucking move,” he said to Ed over my shoulder.

He stroked my back as I sobbed on his chest.

“Shh, princess. It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Ed asked.

---