Page 123 of Revenge (Corrupt Empire 3)

“No, please, no. Please, let me go. Please, I have to stop him,” I cried out, struggling against Rick’s grip on me.

“Shh darlin’, it’s okay. He has to do this.”

“No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t need to do it. My uncle doesn’t need to die.”

My heart was racing at a million miles an hour. I could hear it pounding in my ears. I had to stop Aiden if it was the last thing I did.

“Please.”

Aiden just stood there holding the gun to my uncle’s head without moving.

“Who’s there?” Uncle Charlie asked again. “Don’t be a coward, tell me who you are.”

“Please, Rick, let me go. Let me stop this. Please,” I begged. “Your son doesn’t need any more blood on his hands. He’s trying to heal. This will make it worse. Please. Please, let me go.”

I don’t know if my words were enough, but Rick’s arms around me loosened and I ducked out of his grasp. I ran out of the room and threw open the door to where my uncle was.

Saying anything to Aiden wouldn’t help so I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his stomach, pressing myself into his back. I held him for the longest time as he stood there pointing a gun at my uncle’s head, willing him to put it down. Willing him not to go through with this.

There was another way. We had the evidence we needed to send them to prison. All of them. Not just my uncle and my cousin, but all the men involved. We had to do it right this time. No more vigilante justice. It would only bring down more trouble on our heads. This time we had to do it cleanly.

I needed him to stop this. He had to put the gun down. He had to. He had to be the man I knew him to be inside. The one who didn’t do shit like this anymore.

He had to be the Aiden I loved.

Because if he wasn’t.

I wasn’t sure if we could survive this.

I desperately wanted to.

We’d promised each other forever.

And I was going to make sure Aiden kept that promise.

Even if it was the last thing I ever did.

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