Corrupt Empire Series: A Dark Romance Boxset

by Sarah Bailey

  Everything because she is yours, a voice whispered.

  “Where do you want to mark me?”

  I’d known the moment I’d decided she needed to wear my initial. I reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear before caressing the skin there. She sucked in a breath.

  “Behind my ear?”

  “Yes, it might be hidden by your hair, but it tells everyone you’re mine even though most will assume it stands for Avery. You and I know the truth.”

  Those doe eyes I adored so much burnt with love and acceptance.

  “Okay.”

  And with that, I led her back over to Ben. I sat in the chair and she sat on one of the other stools. I wanted to show her I was willing to have her etched on my skin before she did the same for me. Just like she was etched on my heart.

  Ben made small talk as he prepared the necessary. He’d touch up my other arm in the process. He showed Avery the A he’d designed to go on our skin. The swirling calligraphy was a little feminine, but I didn’t care. This was for her.

  She nodded her approval. I was fucking glad of it. I’d seen it before when I’d talked it over with him on New Year’s Day.

  Ben stencilled my skin before he picked up the gun and started. Avery watched with rapt interest. She asked Ben questions about his design process and the two of them spoke in length. I hadn’t told Ben about Avery’s artistic skills. He seemed very interested in her drawings and asked her to make me send him photos.

  When he finished, he wrapped it before shifting around so he could touch up the words on my other arm. Avery held my hand and looked over the freshly inked A on my wrist visible through the cling film. I was so used to being tattooed, I barely registered the pain of the needle.

  “It’s lucky both our names start with A,” she said.

  “Not fate?”

  “I don’t believe in crap like that.”

  I smiled. She was exactly like me in that respect. Fate and destinies were for deluded souls who believed in miracles. Avery and I weren’t destined. We just belonged to each other. We’d made a choice. There was always a need to possess and take everything from each other, but we’d still made the decision to give in. She submitted and I gave her freedom. That was who we were.

  “Maybe Avery can design your next piece?” Ben piped up.

  I glanced at him. His head was still bowed, but a smile played on his lips. Cheeky fucker.

  “I know what I’d choose,” she said.

  I knew too.

  “What’s that?”

  “Something to do with angels and wings,” I said before she could answer.

  Ben looked up at her, the gun stopping for a moment.

  “Really now?”

  “He’s not wrong,” she replied, shrugging.

  “There’s a story there you two aren’t telling me.”

  “Mind your own fucking business,” I grunted.

  Ben grinned and set back to work again.

  A few minutes later, he was done. I traded places with Avery whilst Ben prepared new needles and ink for her. She gripped my hand, tensing when Ben laid the stencil behind her ear. He made me check the placement before he picked up the gun.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  Her eyes met mine. Her fingers tightened. I knew she was scared, but I’d be here for her for every moment.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  She winced when the needle pricked her skin, her eyes closing against the pain I knew she was experiencing. Yet she didn’t utter a sound. My girl. So strong. I’d broken her, but now she’d found her way back.

  “You could’ve picked a less painful place, Aiden,” Ben said.

  “She’s okay, aren’t you, princess?”

  Her hand tensed, her eyes flying open. She wasn’t supposed to move her neck. Her eyes told me she was dealing with it even though she was in pain.

  Ben’s eyebrow raised at my term of endearment for her. I shot him a warning glare. If he even fucking brought that up like James constantly did, I’d kick the shit out of him.

  Ben knew better than to mess with me. I tolerated her friend winding her up about it, but she was my fucking princess. She gave me peace.

  When I looked into those doe eyes, I saw a future. One that wasn’t about revenge, betrayals or family secrets. It was just me and her together.

  That’s what we had to fight for.

  Us.

  Even when we were fighting each other, it was because of our intense connection and love for one another. Love that threatened to consume or tear us apart.

  “Don’t worry, Avery, it’ll be over soon.”

  She remained still and mute, her eyes fixed on me. She had no idea what this meant to me. The letter A bound us together. Her skin and mine.

  When I took her home later, I’d worship her. Make sure she knew just how much I cared for her. All of her. The beautiful, dark-haired girl with doe eyes who’d given me so much more than I ever deserved.

  Ben finished up her tattoo and sat back. He smiled at the lines he’d created.

  “What do you think?” he asked me.

  She let go of my hand as I stood up and walked around the chair. Fuck. Seeing the black ink stark against her white skin did things to me.

  “Perfect.”

  “Perhaps we should let her decide whether she likes it.”

  I rolled my eyes. Avery sat up, wincing a little and hopped off the chair. Ben pointed at the mirror a few feet away. She walked over and turned her head to the side. Her brow furrowed. I realised she couldn’t see it properly.

  I walked over, picking up the handheld mirror from the counter and held it up behind her. Only then did her expression change. She bit her lip.

  “I like it.”

  “You do?”

  She nodded, turning to me and lacing her fingers with mine.

  “I’m yours and you’re mine.”

  I smiled, putting down the mirror so I could cup her face.

  “Thank you, princess.”

  Forgetting entirely my best friend was watching us, I kissed her. Her tongue melded with mine, intoxicating me. I only released her when I heard the shuffling of bits and pieces behind us.

  “Let me clean up and we can go for a drink, maybe?” Ben said.

  “She can’t go out in public yet,” I replied.

  “You’re right, I forgot. Back to yours perhaps then?”

  I looked at Avery who gave me a nod.

  “Will Skye get mad if you stay out late?”

  “If she does, fuck it. We’ve not seen each other in months and I would like to see first-hand just how talented your girlfriend is.”

  Said girlfriend flushed. I smiled, running a thumb across her cheek. Then I pressed her towards Ben so he could wrap her neck.

  Our tattoos symbolised so much between us.

  Hers. Mine.

  Together. Bound.

  Forever.

  Chapter Seven

  Avery

  I stared at my uncle, not sure how to answer the question about my tattoo. Aiden had taken care of it daily for me as well as his own. He’d been careful when washing my hair and had a delicate touch when he put cream on it. It itched like mad on occasion, but I could deal with it.

  I dropped my hand and steeled my expression. There was no need for Uncle Charlie to understand the truth.

  “So what if I got a tattoo? I’m almost twenty-one. What difference does it make to you?”

  “Not very professional of you to get it on your fucking neck,” he replied.

  “It’s my body.”

  “Christ, you really are a brat when you want to be. No wonder Mitch laid down the law about the company with you.”

  I stiffened. I didn’t want to talk about my father with him. He was dead. And he was also dead to me. I no longer mourned him. He wasn’t worthy of it.

  “Regardless of your personal opinion of me, the company is still mine and Dad is gone.�
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  “Yes, he is. You don’t happen to know anything about that, do you?”

  I should’ve expected that question. Me disappearing right after they died was always going to be suspicious.

  “Why would I?”

  “Your phone was in their penthouse and that little boyfriend of yours told the police you were there for dinner.”

  I flinched. Peter was not my boyfriend and that reminded me I still needed to talk to him. It would have to wait. Also, I doubted my actual boyfriend would let me do so.

  Aiden.

  I knew he was watching every moment of this encounter between me and my uncle. Just like I knew it would have driven him crazy when Uncle Charlie touched my face. It’d made my skin crawl. I hated him being close to me, but I would stand my ground. I was not going to show weakness.

  “I’m sure the police can ask me if they’re interested, but I had nothing to do with their deaths.”

  “No, I’m sure you didn’t, but you know something about it. Why else would you have gone missing for this long?”

  “They were murdered. How did you expect me to feel?”

  Anger boiled inside me, threatening to burst out. Even if Aiden hadn’t taken me, I’d still seen them die. That would fuck anyone up.

  “So you do know something.”

  “I merely forgot my phone there after I had an argument with Dad and by the time I realised, it was too late. So no, I don’t know who killed them or why. What does it matter? They’re gone.”

  My uncle narrowed his eyes.

  “That still doesn’t explain why you disappeared.”

  “You wouldn’t understand. You enjoy the spotlight. I hate it. All that media scrutiny? I couldn’t deal with it. So yes, I hid away from the world until I felt ready to face it again. Believe me or don’t. I’m going to Dad’s office.”

  I turned on my heel and strode out of the room. He didn’t call after me. I wouldn’t have answered or stopped if he had. I kept my expression neutral as I walked by his secretary. I could break down later when I had Aiden next to me. He’d kiss away the pain. Make me whole again.

  When I reached my dad’s office, I hesitated with my hand on the door handle.

  Was I really ready to face this?

  I pushed the door open and walked inside. The huge office almost seemed to take a breath as if no one had been in here since my dad died and it finally had an occupant. The door closed softly behind me.

  “I wish you were here with me,” I said to the empty room.

  Really, I was speaking to Aiden, but no one would know that. Perhaps if anyone viewed the footage, they’d think I was speaking to my dad. A moment later, the phone in my bag buzzed. I pulled it out.

  AIDEN: I am here.

  ME: You say that, but I still feel alone.

  I walked further into the room and stood by my father’s desk. I dropped my bag down onto it as my phone buzzed in my hand.

  AIDEN: You handled Chuck well. I’m proud of you.

  I smiled. Knowing I did good made this a little easier.

  AIDEN: Princess, you’re so much stronger than you think.

  ME: Flatterer.

  I slipped off my blazer as I walked around the desk and hung it over the back of the chair before sitting down. This felt strange, being in his office. I should really say my office now.

  I opened the top drawer of his desk, rifling through the contents. Nothing particularly interesting. A few pens, memory sticks and other bits and bobs. The second drawer had various unimportant documents. The third was locked. I tugged my bag closer and pulled out something Aiden had given me. A lockpick. He’d taught me the basics.

  I managed to get it unlocked within a few minutes and pulled open the drawer. I rifled through the contents and froze when my hand landed on a photo. I picked it up, staring down at it with horror. There was a girl who could’ve been no older than sixteen. That wasn’t the reason it made me feel sick. It was her eyes. Eyes which belonged to the man I loved. I knew immediately who this was. What I didn’t know is why the fuck my father had a photo of her in his desk.

  My phone buzzed again. The photo slipped from my fingers.

  AIDEN: What did you find?

  I shook my head. I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. I closed the drawer abruptly. The photo remained on the floor. I could hardly breathe. I gripped the arms of the chair, trying to calm down. So many implications. So many reasons why he had this photo. I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

  My phone buzzed, but this time he was calling me. I reached out and picked it up.

  “Princess, what’s wrong? Do you need me to come get you?”

  I took a deep breath.

  “No, don’t do that.”

  “What did you find?”

  “I can’t talk about this right now. I’ll show you later.”

  “Avery…”

  “Please, don’t. You know it will ruin everything.”

  Aiden would come if I asked him to. We couldn’t afford that. Not when the company wasn’t in my hands. I had to make sure my relationship with him stayed under the radar whilst we took down my family and Frazier Shaw. There was no doubt in my mind he needed to be stopped too. No matter how much he terrified me to my very core. Just another monster who deserved nothing but punishment for the pain he’d inflicted on others.

  “You promise you’ll show me?”

  “Yes, I should go before he comes in here.”

  “Okay, remember I’m here.”

  “I know.”

  I hung up and put the phone back on the desk. Bending over, I picked up the photo from the floor and slipped it in my bag. He told me he didn’t talk about her, but this was a conversation we needed to have. He had to tell me what happened. That photo meant my father had something to do with his mother.

  “Funny, Mitchell, you lost the right to negotiate the moment you took something that never belonged to you.”

  The memory of the night Aiden murdered my parents slammed into me like a thousand shards of glass cutting into my skin.

  Did my father have something to do with why Aiden’s mother was dead?

  I wanted to throw up.

  The world spun around me, twirling until I could barely see straight.

  I had to get it together and fast. Spiralling out of control was not an option for me. My uncle would be in here soon and likely the police too. I had questions which needed answering, but not now. I had to stay strong. I couldn’t break down.

  Taking several deep breaths, I sat up straighter.

  I had to be Avery Daniels. The new owner of Daniels Holdings.

  And she wouldn’t fall apart.

  Not now.

  Not ever.

  ~~~

  I trudged back to where Aiden had parked the car. The rest of the day had been long and drawn out. As predicted, the police detectives had interrogated me when they arrived. I’d given them the exact same story as I had to my uncle.

  I didn’t know who killed my parents. I didn’t know how the video I’d made went viral. And yes, I’d spent most of my time locked away in my bunker.

  I gave them no reason to suspect my story. I kept calm and answered everything. They had no choice but to believe me. I had to go down the station tomorrow to give them an official statement.

  A board meeting had been scheduled for two weeks’ time. Now, all I wanted was to curl up with Aiden and forget this had happened, but the matter of that photo couldn’t wait.

  I got in the car, tucking my bag in the footwell and kicking off my heels before I looked at my boyfriend. His grey eyes spoke volumes. He reached over, cupped the back of my head and his mouth crashed against mine. It wasn’t a sweet kiss. His fingers curled into my hair, holding me in place whilst he took his fill of me. Devoured my mouth like he was starving. The last couple of weeks we hadn’t spent a day apart.

  He pulled away, resting his forehead against mine.

  “
I missed you,” he breathed.

  “You saw me all day.”

  “That’s different to having you right here next to me where I can touch you.”

  I smiled. He was right. Us being near each other set off fireworks and explosions.

  “Did he call you?”

  “Chuck? Yes. He’s pissed as fuck about you being back suddenly, but we knew that would happen.”

  “Can we go home? I’m exhausted.”

  He stroked my cheek and kissed me again before he leant back into the driver’s seat. I would show him the photograph, but only when we were back at the flat.

  I didn’t speak to him until we got home, lost in my own thoughts. I slumped on the sofa after kicking off my heels, not wanting to get up. This outfit was uncomfortable. I hated wearing restrictive clothing.

  “Do you fancy helping me take this off?” I asked.

  He smirked, dropping to his knees by my feet and running his hands up my thighs.

  “If I take your clothes off now, I cannot guarantee you won’t get fucked before dinner.”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “Is that so?”

  He leant down, kissing my thigh just above my knee. I shivered.

  “Yes.”

  As much as I wanted him to touch me and melt away the tension from my body, I couldn’t.

  “We need to talk about something.”

  He stiffened, raising his head.

  “Is this about what you found in his office?”

  I nodded. He sat back, releasing his grasp on me. I reached into my bag with trembling fingers. Pulling out the photo, I handed it to him. Aiden’s expression turned dark immediately. Dark and closed off. He shut down entirely, his whole body tensing and curling in on itself.

  I waited for him to say something, but minutes ticked by as he stared down at the photo in his hands. Shit. I shouldn’t have given him that. It clearly hurt him to see her.

  I leant towards him, putting my hand on his shoulder. He jerked in response.

  “Aiden… I know who it is, but what I don’t understand is why he would have a photo of her.”

  His mouth opened and closed twice. Then he looked up at me. His expression was cold. I felt the icy chill of it on my skin.