Page 37 of Revenge (Corrupt Empire 3)

Chapter Eight

Aiden

Rick’s voice grated on my ears. I knew as soon as I heard it who he was. We’d never actually spoken before, but I’d heard him enough times from when he visited my mother. What I didn’t know is why the fuck he was calling me.

“I suggest you don’t hang up on me. What I have to say is important.”

Avery’s face was full of concern when I told her who it was. She needed to continue getting ready because John would be here soon. I waved her away, pointing at her naked body. She frowned but started getting dressed.

“What do you want?”

“Did you think no one would find out about your marriage?”

I stiffened. It wasn’t like I hadn’t considered that possibility, but I didn’t care any longer. It was done. Legal. Avery was my wife.

“What’s it to you?”

“You’re walking on very thin ice.”

“No shit. Tell me something I don’t know.”

I hated this man. He might be the reason for my existence, but he was scum. He was worse than fucking scum. Rick Morgan was a cunt of the highest order.

I stood up and paced the room. I hated that I was even giving him the time of day, but I was fucking concerned about him being aware of my marriage to Avery and what he would do with that knowledge.

Why hadn’t it occurred to me before that he, of all people, would be the first one to find out? I knew he was watching us and knew things about us no one else did. Intimate details of my relationship with her. I hated him knowing anything. I still hadn’t worked out how he found out. I scoured the flat high and low for cameras, but there was nothing. What I hadn’t done is check Avery’s. I needed to.

“She’s a real doll that Avery. Feisty.”

I clenched my fist, wanting to punch the fucking wall.

“Don’t you fucking say shit about her.”

He laughed, making my skin crawl. He had no fucking right to talk about her. He didn’t know her. They’d spoken once and if I had my fucking way, they’d never speak to each other again. He didn’t deserve to know Avery.

“That little darlin’ has you wrapped around her finger. It’d be such a shame if something happened to her because of your recklessness.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? Are you threatening her?”

I’d already threatened to kill him and now he was just making it that much easier.

If it came to it, I would destroy him.

And I’d start with exposing his biggest secret.

Me.

His son.

“Me? Hurt your little darlin’? Why no, what kind of father do you take me for?”

“You’re not my fucking father.”

I felt a hand on my arm. I stopped in my tracks, staring down at my wife. She was dressed now. Even in my agitated state, she looked fucking good enough to eat. It was a demure little black number which fell to her knees. It concealed the knife strapped to her thigh. It was the only form of protection she’d have against Tristan and Frazier considering it was nigh on impossible to get her to agree to take a gun with her. I didn’t have time to show her how to shoot one and I didn’t have one here anyway. It was too much of a risk to have an illegal, untraceable handgun in the flat. I’d taken enough of those procuring one to take her parents out.

I put a hand around her waist and pulled her into me, holding her to my chest. Feeling her against me helped me focus. I had to stay calm even if Rick was winding me the fuck up.

“I mightn’t have raised you, but you’re my son by blood, Aiden.”

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