Page 171 of Corrupt Me

“I had a wonderful teacher,” I say, rising onto my toes and crossing my arms around his neck. I plant a kiss on his mouth, but a sharp hiss breaks free.

“Did he do that?” he growls as he caresses my bottom lip with his thumb with utter gentleness.

“No, Felix.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” His eyes droop as if he failed me, but I can’t have that.

“You were in my heart and in my mind, helping me through it all.”

My words seem to ease him, and he grabs my hand. “Let’s get out of here. The rest must have caught him by now.”

“You came for me.” It’s not a question, not even a surprise. It’s a fact. I just love hearing that out loud, even though I know the answer.

“Always. You’re my number one priority, Bailey.”

We move toward the door. Hunter gives me his gun and slides in front of me, a knife thrust forward as we slip out of the room. I see two men lying dead in a blanket of crimson.

Hunter is about to grab the gun from one guard just as Dane runs down the stairs, surely to set a fire.

“We got Felix. Everyone is already out. Give me two minutes.”

I throw the gun aside, and hand in hand, Hunter and I climb the stairs, rushing out.

Outside, my friends surround Felix in a tight circle, and Kaden pushes him to his knees. Blake taps a finger on his dagger, the intention clear.

Not far away, ten of Cassandra’s guards are standing near a couple of vans, watching our every move.

Hunter strides to Felix and slams his fist into the side of his face with such force that his head flies back, and blood spurts from his nose and mouth. I can’t move, wanting to imprint this image in my brain. Catching him seemed almost impossible for so long, but we’ve accomplished it.

The girls run to me.

“How are you?” Abi asks, her voice thick with concern.

“I’m good,” I reply as Celine circles me, checking for injuries, while Mia pulls me into a tight hug.

I jerk my chin toward Felix. “Why isn’t he dead yet?”

“We tried, but the matriarch’s guards protected him until we promised not to kill him,” Celine groans.

That’s strange. No wonder my friends look tense. None of us will sleep peacefully, knowing he’s still alive. It’s come to the point that only his death can give us back our peace of mind.

As Felix shouts, cursing us all, Kaden shoves him back to the ground, slamming his foot on his father’s back and holding him there until he stops moving.

I march up to him, looking down at his battered form and reveling in his defeat.

“By the way, I’m not your daughter. Caleb is my biological father.”

His forehead creases, incredulity etched across his face. He blinks, as though not wanting to take the betrayal into consideration. “What? No. That can’t be true.”

“It is.” Smiling, I bend over, placing my hands on my knees. “Regarding the money… you would have never gotten a penny anyway. So, stick that softness up your ass, Father,” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Kaden doesn’t even bother looking at Felix—he was done with him long ago.

Everything falls silent when someone steps out of one of the vans.

It’s Cassandra.

Sebastian follows her out of the van. The group and I exchange quick glances, none of us understanding what’s happening.

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