Page 6 of Corrupt Me

Touch, sex—I associate with her. I can still hear Alice’s praises in my ear. I shove that thought back into a dark corner of my brain, waiting for my subconscious to swallow it and finally let me overcome that nightmare.

I enjoy the attention from girls because it makes me feel like I am not completely messed up, but I never take it further than harmless flirting, even though I easily could. I can’t believe Bailey hacked my phone and read all my texts. If I’d known, I would have engaged instead of ignoring them to see what she’d do. Bailey keeps surprising me.

Getting into my silver Audi R8, the leather seat envelops me as the engine rumbles beneath me with its hundreds of horsepower. I drive toward the Family’s compound to the training complex. At my suggestion, Cassandra built it in the same place those two fuckers, Felix and Caleb, tortured Kaden, Abigail, Blake, and Celine.

Since Cassandra became the new matriarch, she asked us to think about our roles within the Family. I don’t care for a fancy title or leading one of the Family’s existing companies. I want one thing: keeping my family safe, and that means I am thinking of starting a cybersecurity company.

No one will get near us again. I will make sure of that, but that means I have to work closely with Bailey. She’s not only the one behind the screens, coming up with security programs and digitizing everything for the Family—I also trust her.

One day, I will look at Bailey, and that stirring that makes my insides queasy will be gone.

Security lets me into the compound, opening the wrought-iron gates. Atop the hill, the estate stands proud, a testament to its architectural design and opulence. At the foot of the hill, six British colonial houses surround it as if guarding the symbol of power. The whitewashed walls with gray paneling and rattan-screened homes look similar, presenting our harmony and unity to the world. Artificial lights line each side of the pavement up to the hill.

Taking the road through the forest, I park in front of the training facility. Inside, I change into the black training coveralls fitted with sensor patches and start the simulation. The high-tech training complex includes everything from parkour courses to a gym. This is where I come to find some peace of mind.

The group and I have weekly training here, preparing as if we’re in an actual war. If I don’t treat the training program like it’s a life-or-death situation, no one will. I insist we do these often because it will eventually be my responsibility to watch over them. My family has fought for a century to reclaim our places as full-fledged members of the Family. I won’t allow anything or anyone to take that right from us again. As long as I am in charge, no one will get near them or close to the Family’s legacy—that’s my vow.

When my sister, father, and I came to Greenville with a clear mission for revenge—to stage a coup and find Celine’s mother—I never imagined how much things could change. I couldn’t stand the group at the beginning, and now I would die for any of my friends with zero regrets. They’re my family. These people love hard and would do anything for each other—that’s a true family.

When we lived in London, my father always tried to spend quality time with us, but most of it was spent preparing for our return and reclaiming our rightful place. He accomplished that. But I gained something more.

My friends snuck into my heart and flipped the switch to take care of them. It started with Celine. She crashed into my life first when she was sent away by Grandmother to Preston boarding school, opening the gates to my closed-off heart and making it easier for the others to sneak in.

Focusing on the simulation, I march into the dark tunnel with my gun drawn. Armed figures try to sneak around me; I shoot the first, then move swiftly to break another’s neck. The technology is so high-end that your brain doesn’t realize it’s fake. You feel everything: the adrenaline pumping, the bones crunching, the blood splattering.

Everyone in the simulation looks like Felix. While he wants us dead, I know he wants something else from Bailey. When my sister was kidnapped, we discovered two possible locations where Mia could be. One was identified by Cassandra’s team and the Syndicate—our secret partners and the kings of the underground. Bailey found the second location. Felix was long gone, and my sister was held elsewhere, but thankfully, Blake trusted his gut and went to the second location.

The image we came across in the abandoned underground building is still fresh in my mind. Pictures of all of us with anXon our faces lined the wall, but Bailey’s photo had a big question mark across hers. What is his plan for her? Not knowing the answer pushes me to give my all until I decimate my enemies.

While Cassandra is more open and gives us more leeway, I wonder if she knows more. It’s not like I distrust her, but I’ve learned to question everything. When I asked her point-blank what she thought about Bailey being the only one with a question mark, there was a minuscule change in her facial expression. That was my answer. Plus, the old matriarch apparently had an issue with Bailey.

Not knowing makes me bloody murderous. The kitten is mine to protect.

After the one-hour simulation ends, I still don’t return home. My mind is now focused on finding out Felix’s interest in Bailey. Because if he doesn’t want her dead, he wants something else from her. That will never happen. He’s not getting her.

Still high on adrenaline, I move stealthily around the compound, testing the guards. I’m pissed that I can move around easily without them noticing me. I will discuss this with Cassandra later.

When I arrive at Bailey’s childhood home, I walk inside and flick my phone’s light on. There’s nothing homey about it—no family pictures, just sparse art and furniture thrown around, making it look like a hotel suite rather than a home. I know the seniors did a shitty job at parenting, but these two don’t even seem to care to uphold appearances.

It’s not the first time I’ve been inside this place, hoping to find something, but her parents are rarely here. Andrew runs the Family’s media company, and Cassandra insists he would never betray us; he cares more about his position than who is in charge. Then there’s Bailey’s mother, Rebecca, who could either be a vapid socialite or someone working with Felix—I can’t tell which. In my eyes, anyone could be the traitor, except for my friends and some of those who live on the Family compound: my father, Cassandra and her husband, Sebastian, and Christine—Kaden’s mother.

Even though the intel on all senior members yielded nothing, Cassandra still has them followed. I think it’s not enough—a big mistake, but she insists mistrust breeds more distrust, and that’s as far as she’s willing to go for now. We have a traitor in our pond, and I will fish him or her out. After doing my due diligence, there are just four potential candidates left: Abigail’s and Bailey’s parents, the Vosses and the Fairchilds.

Nothing has changed since the last time I was here. Bailey’s parents prefer to stay in the city, and they only come to the compound when the seniors have a meeting.

We’re not invited to those. It’s a different generation with a different mindset, even though we’re the heirs and the future of the Family.

Opening the safe again, I go through the same papers—wedding and birth certificates, property documents, some jewelry, and stacks of money—nothing out of the ordinary.

The front door clicks open. Either my cover is blown, or one of Bailey’s parents is home. I shut the safe quickly and wait behind the door for my chance to slip out. The sharp click of a woman’s heels echoes down the hallway, approaching the home office. My breathing remains steady—nothing fazes me. I would take her down before she even sensed I was here.

“I don’t understand why you’re obsessed with her birth certificate now. No one will find out,” Rebecca says to the person on the phone. “You’ve never cared much about anything other than your stupid power.”

She hangs up and punches in the code to the safe. Bailey resembles Rebecca physically, but that’s where the similarities end. Bailey is so expressive; it’s no wonder I like riling her up just to experience the spark in her eyes—a spark that could light up the entire world.

It’s bad when I’m around. It’s worse when I am away. She has infected my blood with a strange sickness, and I don’t know what it is, let alone how to cure it.

Rebecca takes all the documents with her and then disappears down the hallway, leaving me wondering what she meant about the birth certificate.

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