Page 32 of Corrupt Me

“I will do it to you first, and then you’ll do it to me.”

“But…” She gulps, clearly unsure.

“No buts. Don’t think. It’s life or death. I want you alive, even if at the cost of humanity.”

Hunter says the most disturbing things, yet every single time, my belly flutters. He stretches his arm out, and I grab his hand—his larger one cocooning mine. I should focus on the lesson, but I can’t forget how it felt with him on top of me. He was hard—everywhere. Heat breaks out on my skin. I could brush it off as exhaustion, but I know better. Even though he’s a tyrant as a fighting instructor, I’m still hot for him.

I said I trust him—an irrefutable truth.

He comes behind me and locks his arm around my neck. My heart pumps an erratic beat. The dose of adrenaline flooding my insides makes me want to fight him off. My eyes sweep around the room, trying to find a safe place to run. While I trust him, my brain is still on high alert. The fight-or-flight button was thoroughly smashed.

He presses down on my esophagus, and I dig my nails into his hand.

“You’re safe with me. I’d bleed out anyone who even thinks of hurting you, Bailey.”

That knowledge soothes my frayed thoughts. I believe him wholeheartedly.

“Now, breathe in and out, slowly.”

I follow his instructions, and he adds, “If you’re ever in this position, you jam your elbow in his stomach, twist his arm, and take him down with a hard kick to the balls. Then you run. You don’t hesitate.”

“Okay.”

Pressing his elbow into my neck, he asks, “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Whether I like it or not, he’s going to teach me this hard lesson. I stand perfectly still, calm because I trust him with my life. He squeezes until dots dance before my eyes. I don’t react but accept what will happen. I’m safe with him. That’s my last thought before everything turns black.

A soft slap on my cheek wakes me up. I am seated in a chair, my ankles and wrists bound with zip ties. Panic makes me forget it’s not real, and I thrash in my bindings. But then I peer into a pair of gray eyes and calm down immediately.

“Free yourself.”

I try, but the restraints only bite tighter into my skin. “How? I can’t.”

“You must be ready for every scenario possible.”

Taking a moment, I focus on my surroundings. I have my shoes on, which I didn’t have at the beginning of the lesson. So, he put them on to help me. But how?

“Any ideas?” he says, leaning against the opposite wall and observing me.

“Any tips for me?” I smile brightly, trying to charm him.

He gives me a pointed look, remaining serious, but I am cracking that hard exterior. He is the reason I feel more like myself. Hunter and danger unleashed a side of me I kept trapped inside. I like this bolder version of me more—it’s liberating.

“Laces.”

I try to rack my brain, getting frustrated. “Shouldn’t you show me the first time? You suck at this.”

“You’re going to be late for your date.”

“Hunter, you’re not serious.” His face remains impassive while I wiggle in my seat. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“As long as I can’t kill him and you insist on going on with this idiotic plan, then yeah—free yourself, and you can go on the second date.”

I am so taking him down, and I won’t hesitate this time.

While my thoughts go on a rampage trying to figure this out, silence ensues.

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