Page 159 of Corrupt Me

I palm her chest, and she does the same, our hearts beating in sync, thumping with the undeniable truth.

Moving toward the second floor, we gather around the lounge area. Abi gestures from the left to the right wing. “There won’t be a problem turning it into four apartments, but who’s taking which side?”

By the end of the discussion, Bailey and I, along with Kaden and Celine, claim the west wing. Mia, Blake, Abi, and Dane take the east wing.

As Abi starts sketching potential renovation plans, I nudge Bailey toward our room.

She looks up at me with hopeful eyes, but there’s a hint of fear in her voice. “It feels good, doesn’t it?”

I hate that, so I quickly assure her, wanting to obliterate her fears. “It is. We’ll be fine, angel.” I can’t even entertain a different outcome.

After we shower, I change and wait for Bailey to get ready in the walk-in closet.You just had her, I remind myself, but she’s too damn tempting to stay away from for long. As if she has a telescope pointed at my thoughts, she says, “Not that I am complaining, but everyone will know why we’re late again.”

“They didn’t suffer from withdrawal like me.”

“You poor baby.”

“Poor cock.”

She bites her bottom lip, giving me a once over. “I think I am taking fabulous care of that.”

“You surpass what taking care implies.”

A proud grin tugs at the corners of her lips as we walk out of the room. We are the first to arrive for Friday night dinner. The group follows next, arriving just in time. Being punctual has been ingrained in us to where we can’t behave any differently.

As dinner is served, a light atmosphere engulfs the table.

Cassandra sweeps her gaze over us and then says, “Felix is in England.”

The clatter of knives halts as we all stare at her.

“Rebecca had him on the phone long enough for us to intercept the signal,” she adds.

“This is great news. We can finally put all our focus on one country, and not the entire damn planet,” Kaden says in obvious relief.

“Why England, though?” Abi asks.

A very good question, but it’s irrelevant. I just care about going after him already.

She clears her throat. “There’s more.”

With every fiber of my being, I sense that I won’t like this part.

“Eric asked my permission for a weekend away in London,” Cassandra announces.

“No,” I say, gripping the knife so hard it might snap.

Bailey places her hand over mine. “It’s okay. This is what we have been waiting for.”

While she focuses on the freedom we’ll gain, I focus on the hazards and everything that could go wrong.

“We have a week to plan it,” Kaden says, glancing over the group. They all nod in unison.

I want to say no; I want to use my veto and keep Bailey as far away from danger as possible. But each of us has a role to fulfill, and this is hers.

Watching her, I see resolution oozing from her. All those months of training flash before my eyes. She’s come so far. My kitten has grown into a full panther—strong, capable, and ready to take on this mission, even if I don’t like it.

I am terrified of losing her. But I am even more terrified of smothering her with my protectiveness. She’s my equal, my partner, and I will never clip her wings. Instead, I’ll help her build them—strong as steel.

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