Page 20 of Corrupt Me

That thought quickly vanishes because, for the first time, she doesn’t reach for her laptop but climbs straight into bed. That half moan, half grunt tells me a lot about her physical condition.

She just wanted to prove a point and consumed the last of her energy. Good, because she needs her sleep rather than watching her screen all the bloody time.

I need her to sleep soundly tonight. Going to my room, I open my nightstand. The thought of using the syringe with the tracking chip has been running through my head for a while. Even though it crosses a boundary, and I’ve tried to convince myself there is no need for it, I can’t go through that anguish again after Celine got shot and my sister was stabbed.

Bailey doesn’t have to know, and after we catch Felix, I’ll tell her so she can have the chip removed if she so wishes.

Grabbing a sleeping pill and pain medication, I palm the syringe and go back to Bailey’s room. She’s lying on her side, her palm resting on her pillow. For a second, the thought of me slipping under the covers is so potent that I forget why I am here.

“Bailey, take this.”

She mumbles something but takes both pills, washing them down with water. She trusts me implicitly because our group is guided by a fundamental principle: family. We trust each other because we know we’ll do whatever it takes for one another.

After placing the glass on her nightstand, I wait until her breathing evens. Pushing a few silky strands off the side of her face, I prick her neck with the needle. I wait for guilt or shame to eat at me, but there is nothing, just the realization I’ll cross every line for Bailey. I am in too deep.

Tucking her in, I lean over and place a gentle kiss on top of her nose. Her soft skin—a piece of heaven.

“Sleep well, kitten.”

I mumble, cursing under my breath until I reach the kitchen and gulp down two glasses of water. I doubt my thirst has anything to do with the need to hydrate. Gripping the edge of the kitchen table, I lower my head. “Fuck.”

“Talking to yourself?” Blake asks as he comes inside and pours himself a glass of water.

“Can’t sleep?”

We both know he can’t, but I don’t want anyone to witness me losing my shit.

“Har, har. If it gets too much, I can train Bailey.”

“You wouldn’t know when to stop.”

“And you do?” he asks me willfully.

No. Fuck. He has a point, but I can’t bring myself to admit that.

“You’re so wrapped up in my sister you wouldn’t even have time.”

“I would find some.”

He’s baiting you. The asshole loves that. It’s not enough that he’s with my twin; he has Bailey’s full loyalty. In my eyes, the only redeeming quality he has is that he loves Mia. Apparently, he lives for her, which is messed up in its own way, but whatever. As long as my sister is happy, I have no problem with him.

He cocks his head, a smug expression casting over his face. “You know what the thing with repression is?”

“I’m sure you can’t wait to tell me.”

“It’s going to blow up in your face. Bailey—”

“Don’t.”

He pins me with a serious expression. “You like her.”

“She’s family.”

“So, you see her as your sister?”

I shudder, and the asshole chuckles.

“It’s not like that.”

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