Page 95 of Corrupt Me

I pluck the necklace I bought from my pocket. As I approach her, it dangles from my fingers. She takes it in, her hand moving to her chest.

“Turn around,” I say gruffly, emotions scratching at my throat. I brush some strands of hair from her skin and lock the chain around her neck. I can see her reflection in the mirror as she clutches it, and her eyes shine with pure emotions.

“It’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful, Bailey. You redefine beauty. You embody beauty.”

“Please, don’t break my heart, Hunter,” she whispers.

“I’d sooner break my own,” I vow.

That organ in my chest is yours.

“I will take care of it. I promise.”

I want to tell her not to make promises she can’t keep, but I’m too far gone for her.

The place is packed as we move to the most shadowed corner of the club. With the dim lighting and music pounding, we move incognito among the throng of partygoers. Our table is in a discrete spot in the back, surrounded by an oval leather couch. While the guys chat, drinking from their champagne glasses, Abi eyes me curiously.

“Since when did you get that?” she says, pointing at my necklace. Nothing ever escapes her.

As I palm it, a smile teases my lips, and a surge of happiness instantly overcomes me. “Hunter surprised me with it today.”

She elbows me playfully. “He has good taste. But again, he went for you. Finally.”

Mia stands up and starts dancing, gesturing for us to follow her to the dance floor. Surrounded by my girls, with the guys watching over us like hawks while absorbed in deep, amicable conversation, a sense of peace envelops me.

We all giggle when a few guys approach us, but they hurry away just as fast at the dark energy radiating from our men.

Three songs later, my bladder is full, and my friends accompany me to the bathroom. After I wash my hands, they all stop and look at me knowingly.

Mia smiles brightly. “I don’t know what you did to my brother, but I’ve never seen him like that.”

I blink, having trouble discerning if this is real or not. “Am I dreaming?”

“No, you’re not. You deserve all the best things. I might be biased, but Hunter’s the type who would lay the world at your feet,” Celine says assuredly.

“But you warned me off him,” I remind her.

“And I am glad you didn’t listen. I was trying to protect you from that distant, cold side of him… I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”

“I love him.”

“Really? Wouldn’t have noticed,” Abi says with a touch of worry. “But opening up for love means you’re inviting heartbreak too. And I will—” Mia and Celine cast an intent look her way, and Abi inhales deeply. “Fine, a bit of torture if he hurts you.”

“I think my brother has realized some things, and I doubt he’ll hurt you,” Mia says earnestly.

“We should go before they barge in,” Celine suggests, and we all quickly reapply our lipstick.

When we return to the table, the guys are huddled around in hushed conversation.

Abi shakes her head at them. “I’m sure they were planning how to come after us.”

“We can never fully relax,” Celine sighs.

Mia nods. “But soon, hopefully.”

Suddenly, all four of them stand up, seemingly ready for battle. It’s only then the guys see us standing nearby.

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