Page 3 of Corrupt Me

There goes my peaceful weekend where I can work undisturbed. If I don’t go down, he will come for me. I know it, yet I still decide to ignore him. He’s right—I am bad at fighting. He’s a great teacher, but he’s just so damn distracting with his good looks and that deep voice. I don’t do well with distractions.

Inhaling deeply, I remind myself I can trust the team Cassandra assigned to find Felix. Though I have been staring at the screens for hours after Hunter barged into my room, my attention is nonexistent.

Contrary to what my friends believe—that I am addicted to my devices—I have my own way of relaxing: swimming. I change into a red swimsuit, choosing to do laps instead. I pull my strawberry hair into a bun on top of my head, reminding myself that I have one true power—right at the tip of my fingers.

Downstairs, the kitchen centers around a marble island. To the left is a spacious living room, painted in shades of light gray, furnished in white. A large, comfy sofa, a coffee table, and a hand-crafted rug create a cozy atmosphere, while a fireplace sits on one side of the room. Hardwood floors and crystal lights add an elegant touch to the space.

Walking down another flight of stairs leads to the basement, which houses a gym, a theater room, and a swimming pool.

Throwing my bathrobe on a chaise, I stretch my arms over my head and dive in. The first contact with the chilly water awakens all my senses.

Water has always soothed me, taking my mind off everything else. I’ve learned from an early age to always be in tune with my surroundings. It has everything to do with the fact that I always had to tiptoe around my parents whenever they were home. Observing comes naturally to me. That’s why I’m pissed that someone outsmarted me and got close enough to hack me. That was a lesson in humility that I learned the hard way. I could have lost my friends because I was tricked. Losing the money was nothing compared to that explosion that could have buried them when we thought we found out where Felix and Caleb were. Never again.

By my tenth lap, I know Hunter is watching me. I always sense when he’s there. My skin prickles with awareness, and my heartbeat kicks up an erratic rhythm. It’s genuinely unsettling but something I can’t change.

Not wanting to go another round with him, I continue my laps. Fifty laps later, I swim to the edge of the pool. Suddenly, he drags me up by the arms, holding me suspended above the water. He’s strong but enjoys showing me how easily he can overpower me. Placing me down on the tiles, I dry myself with jerky moves.

“Done acting like a child? Why doesn’t it surprise me? You’d be the first to get killed. But maybe Felix would throw you in the sea, and you’d have to swim to save your life.” His tone is bitter as he states the facts, convinced that I am weak and annoying. He has always believed that—and my stupid heart twists.

“Again, why do you care if he kills me? At times, I think you’d like that.”

He grips my chin, his eyes burning. “Let’s get one bloody thing straight, Bailey. No one dies under my care.”

“You don’t care about me.”

“You’re still my fucking responsibility.”

Responsibility. Lucky me.

“Blake could teach me. Then you wouldn’t have to spend time with someone you can’t stand.”

“Yeah, Blake—the one you trust most.” There’s something edgy in his voice I can’t pinpoint. “He chose my sister, and you know it.”

He’s such an asshole. I am happy for my friends—Mia has literally brought Blake back to life, and I love her for that. I am just…unhappy for me. No one would ever choose me. Would my friends die for me? They would because that’s what we do. But I’d rather die than have any of them give their lives for me. There has been too much sacrifice, too much pain. They deserve happiness.

Sin. That word seeps through my thoughts, sending a ball of acid rolling through my insides. There must be something inherently wrong with me. I need to find out what it is to be at peace with why I am not worthy of love.

“Let’s get one thing straight. If I asked Blake, he would do it. For me.”

He pushes me back, and my arms flail to the side as I land with a splash in the water.

He gnashes his teeth together, the grinding sound showing his displeasure. “You’re pathetic. I am wasting my time with you.”

Yeah, I am not worthy. Tell me something new. I dive under, not wanting to show him how those words affect me. Tears blend with the water while I hold my breath. I can usually reach four minutes—but can I now? No, because I keep tracking him pacing around by the edge of the pool.

I close my eyes, wanting to tune him out, along with the rest of the world. I need to focus. My friends need me.

The moment he jumps in, I swim away, threading my arms and legs through the water with ease. Pulling myself up the stair railing, I say over my shoulder, “Cool down. If I live or die, that’s not your problem.”

“The Family made you my problem.” His words are just as lethal as his physique. He scowls, dragging a hand through his dark hair, slicking it back while water glides down his sharp features.

This endless reminder of what I am to him, while these conflicting emotions tear me apart, makes me blurt, “You couldn’t save your mother. That’s what pushes you.”

If looks could kill, my friends would be preparing my funeral right now.

Hunter and I don’t talk or share secrets. What we know about each other is because of our friends, snippets we catch here and there that we use in our perpetual war. He started it. And it won’t be me waving the white flag. As insane as it sounds, he takes my mind off other things—things I can’t control.

He throws his head back and laughs, a maniacal sound that clenches my chest. “To think that… Oh, kitten, you’re delusional. That would imply that I care about you.”

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