Corrupt Empire Series: A Dark Romance Boxset

by Sarah Bailey

  He tugged my underwear down my legs and I shimmied out of them until they lay at my feet. I hadn’t even taken my heels off. He tugged open his fly, freeing his cock. He hitched one of my legs up around his hip before plunging inside me without much warning. My skirt was bunched up at the front in between us, but it didn’t stop him thrusting into me.

  “Aiden…” I groaned.

  “Fuck, Avery. I’m going to fuck you so hard.”

  “Please, please fuck me. I missed you.”

  I wrapped my other leg around him as he picked me up and pressed me into the wall. He fucked me ruthlessly, grinding into me with powerful thrusts until I was panting and moaning, my fingers digging into his shoulders. I felt so hot in this dress. Sweat beaded at the back of my neck, but I didn’t ask him to stop and take it off. All I wanted was the sweet release he’d give me.

  He bit down on my earlobe, causing me to cry out. The sensations rushed through me all at once. I came apart on his cock, completely undone by the magic of the day. He grunted through his own end. My head lolled on his shoulder. Fuck. Aiden really did give me the most intense orgasms. I couldn’t get enough of them or him.

  “I love you,” I whispered. “I’m yours forever now.”

  “My wife.”

  Hearing him say that made me smile. Happiness bloomed inside me.

  “My husband.”

  He pulled me away from the wall and carried me into the room on his hips, still nestled inside me. He laid me down on the huge bed, which was covered in rose petals, and stared down at me.

  “You couldn’t be more beautiful if you tried,” he told me. “You’re everything to me. My reason for existing.”

  He knelt on the floor and slipped off my shoes before tugging me up so he could unzip the back of the dress. He slowly pulled it off me, leaving me naked before him since he’d already discarded my underwear. He folded it over the back of a chair so as not to ruin it before coming back over to me. He let me help him out of his clothes.

  “I should really put cream on your tattoos before we go to sleep,” he said as he pressed me back down onto the bed and crawled over me. “Remind me.”

  I nodded. I’d had to get Gert to help me yesterday. She’d done my shoulder whilst I’d made sure to do my arm and wrist. I’d only got inked two weeks ago by Ben. Whilst it was healing up nicely, it still itched like crazy on occasion.

  I reached up, cupping his face with one hand and running my thumb over his lip.

  “Aiden… You’ve always been the one. You found a way into my heart and branded yourself on it, making it entirely impossible for me to ever really walk away from you. We’ve hurt each other, done things we’re not proud of, but today… none of that matters. I love you forever. I’m yours. Every part of me. Whatever happens, remember this as the day I gave myself to you freely. Remember I love you unconditionally. Remember that no matter how much pain and heartbreak we go through, we always have each other.”

  There was a long second of silence as he stared down at me.

  “Fuck… princess,” he said, his voice breaking on the word.

  A single tear slipped down his right cheek. An emotion I’d never thought I’d ever witness from Aiden. My strong, fiercely protective husband cried. I knew they weren’t tears of sadness, but something else. Something so much deeper. He hadn’t even cried when he told me about his mother’s murder. This was the moment I realised the true depth of his feelings for me. We didn’t need words any longer.

  I pulled him towards me and kissed him. Despite his threat earlier to fuck me roughly, Aiden pressed my legs open and took me with gentle thrusts. I savoured every moment his hands were on me, fingers brushing across my skin as mine wound around his back. The whispered ‘I love yous’ as we kissed and made love to each other.

  As we both lay there, wrapped up in each other’s arms after we’d reached a mutual conclusion, I knew that if everything else fell apart after this, I’d have this one day to hold onto. This one memory of a day between us which was perfect and untainted.

  Little did I know it came to be the only thing which kept me from falling into a dark pit of despair.

  And Aiden… he was the only person who would ever understand the pain my actions caused.

  The ones that left a permanent stain on my soul.

  Chapter Six

  Aiden

  Present Day

  I wasn’t sure why I’d decided to come up to the roof of the building instead of going into the flat. It was a little chilly and windy up here, but I didn’t care. I used to come up here when I needed a minute just to breathe. Tonight had been fucking shit. Having to watch my wife pretend to be engaged to another man drove me fucking crazy. Avery was mine. Mine for fuck’s sake.

  I twirled around the ring on my finger, having slipped it back on when I got in the car to leave the venue earlier. The symbol of our love for each other. We had a few of those now. The rings we wore and the ink tattooed on our skin.

  I’d die for that girl. I’d really fucking die for her if it came to it. I didn’t trust Frazier nor Tristan. I was fucking worried about this dinner she had to go to next week. The one where she’d finally get the evidence we needed. Our focus had been on them, but John and I had still been looking into who The Collector was. The person who ran the girls for Chuck. The biggest issue was he rarely spoke to the person. They apparently had full control of the whole fucking thing. And things would only get worse now they knew Sophie and Cora had escaped their clutches.

  It couldn’t be helped. Those girls needed saving. It would’ve weighed too heavily on me if I’d left them in Robert Bassington’s hands. It reminded me I should probably pay that prick another visit considering he’d blabbed to Chuck. I wouldn’t though because Avery would fucking kill me. She’d tell me I’d be putting us in even more danger than we were already in. And we were in a fuck ton, especially her. It wasn’t just me on my own any longer. I had to think about her too.

  We’d only been married a week. It didn’t change much between us. If anything, it’d only strengthened the bond we shared. Cemented our partnership. Bound us together for life.

  And I really wanted to have her in my arms.

  I walked back into the building, shutting the door behind me and took the stairs two by two until I reached our floor. Unlocking the front door to our flat, I stepped in. It was silent and dark. I wasn’t sure if she’d be back yet having left before her. I loosened my tie and kicked off my shoes before going into the bedroom.

  There she was, huddled up in the covers. My beautiful wife. Fuck. I tugged off my clothes and crawled in next to her. She was fast asleep so I didn’t want to wake her up. She had to be exhausted.

  I kissed her shoulder and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her to me. She felt so small and delicate. I’d always seen her as such a tiny, fragile girl even though she possessed an inner strength which knew no bounds. The urge to protect her never went away. The need to keep her safe.

  The reality was I couldn’t always do that. She kept walking into dangerous situations in order to secure our future. Each and every time, it killed me. Tearing my insides to pieces. I didn’t want her to go to this dinner. I hated the thought of her being alone with Tristan and Frazier without anyone to protect her. They were capable of anything. Anything and everything. Tristan had tried to rape her the last time they were alone together.

  “Where were you?” she mumbled.

  She shifted, turning in my arms and staring up at me with half-lidded eyes.

  “The roof.”

  “Why?”

  “Needed a minute is all, princess.”

  She snuggled closer to me, pressing her face into my chest and wrapping an arm around me, her fingers trailing down my back.

  “You told my uncle Rick took me and that he showed me some sick shit.”

  Her voice was low, but devoid of any accusations. It was merely a statement.

  “Robert told him
about Sophie and Cora and mentioned I’d threatened to kill Rick. I had to say something.”

  “He wouldn’t leave it alone. So I told him I was taking Frazier and Tristan down to shut him up.”

  I stiffened.

  “You did what?”

  “You put me in a difficult situation. If I told him I know about the girls, what do you think he would do? Like you, I had to give him something.”

  Fuck. We’d really fucked up tonight. Nothing was ever going to run smoothly. You could make all the plans in the world, but when it came to reality, there was always some thinking on your feet when unexpected situations arose.

  “What did he say?”

  “Just that he hoped I knew what I was doing. Plus he was pretty pissed about Frazier wanting our money. I think that outweighed anything else. He hates the Shaws. I mean full on loathes them.”

  Chuck didn’t like many people and he trusted less than a handful. Paranoid little fuck, but we could use that to our advantage.

  “I don’t fucking trust him.”

  She pressed closer, her whole body flush with mine. I felt every soft curve and fuck did it not help matters. My fingers slipped under her t-shirt, brushing across her bare skin.

  “Me either. I feel like he keeps trying to get me on side so he can manipulate me.”

  Her body distracted me. I knew she could feel my cock pressed into her stomach, but she didn’t say or do anything about it. Fuck. I’d already had her earlier. Had her in that dress, on her hands and knees in our bed. And right now, I wanted to tie her up even though she was exhausted.

  “Most likely,” I whispered, pressing my face into her hair and breathing in.

  She smelt of coconut, her perfume and sex. It made my cock twitch in anticipation of being buried deep inside her. I pushed up her t-shirt slightly so I could have access to her skin, needing it against mine. It wasn’t enough. I wanted her fully naked body pressed against me.

  “Take your clothes off, princess.”

  She shifted, staring up at me.

  “I’m tired, Aiden.”

  “Clothes, please. I want to feel you.”

  She sighed but tugged her t-shirt over her head before discarding the rest of her clothes. I didn’t take my boxers off because I knew if I did, I wouldn’t hold back. I pressed her to me, savouring the way her skin felt against mine.

  “Thank you,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

  “This is really all you wanted?”

  “Mmmhmm.”

  She kissed my chest, wrapping her arm around me again.

  “You don’t usually ask me to sleep naked.”

  “Feeling you soothes me, princess.”

  I trailed my fingers down her spine. She trembled at my touch, so I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. I brushed my fingers over her side and down across her stomach. Her breathing became a little heavier and her palm flattened on my back.

  It struck me that we didn’t argue or fight over what happened with Chuck this evening. A couple of months ago, we’d be at each other’s throats leading to explosive makeup sex. Now, we just talked and it felt good. Although, I couldn’t deny I missed the desperate way we fucked each other. The anger and the pain bleeding into it. I just didn’t want that with her now. I hated Avery experiencing any sort of pain or hurt.

  “Aiden,” she breathed, pulling me back to the present where I was still stroking her skin.

  “Mmm?”

  “Please.”

  She trembled in my hold. I had a feeling I knew what she was asking, but I wanted her to tell me. Wanted her to say it.

  “Please what?”

  “Touch me, please.”

  “I am.”

  She bucked, moaning quietly.

  “No, touch me properly.”

  “You’re going to have to elaborate.”

  “Aiden, please.”

  I shouldn’t tease her but hearing her beg was always so fucking sweet.

  “Tell me what you want, princess.”

  “Please, please touch my clit, make me come. I’m so wet for you.”

  I trailed my fingers down her stomach and lower until they brushed against her entrance. She wasn’t lying, but then again, she told me sometimes I only had to look at her to get her wet.

  Fuck. I coated my fingers in her arousal and did as she asked. Her responding moan was like music to my ears. This girl did things to me. She made me ache with want and need. I loved her with an intensity which threatened to break me in half. I needed her. I fucking well needed her like I needed air.

  I pulled her head back by her hair and kissed her, devouring her mouth like I was fucking drowning. She arched into me, pressing harder against my fingers. Fuck. The heat radiating from her drove me fucking crazy.

  She moved, pressing her hands on my chest and forcing me flat on my back. Tugging my boxers down enough, she freed my cock, swung a leg over me and sunk down on it. I grunted, feeling her tight heat encasing me fully. Fuck. She rocked back and forth, her hands on my chest. Her doe eyes were wild with desire and affection.

  “Fuck, you feel so good,” she told me.

  “I thought you were tired.”

  “Shut up and kiss me.”

  I didn’t have a chance to respond. Her lips were on mine, taking exactly what she wanted. I gave in. Letting her have control. Letting her set the pace. Allowing her this moment to fuck me. I’d worked her up and this was my fucking reward for it.

  Perhaps I should’ve let her fall asleep in my arms. My beautiful dark haired wife who was currently grinding her hips into mine. She grabbed my hand and pressed my fingers between her legs. Avery knew exactly what she wanted and I gave it to her. It didn’t take long before she was shuddering above me, her tits bouncing on her chest as she came. Fuck she looked so beautiful, crying out my name as the waves of pleasure rushed over her.

  When her trembling subsided, I flipped her over on her back and thrust inside her. I fucked my wife without a fucking care for how erratic and rough my movements were. She held onto me, cursing at the intensity, but never once telling me to stop. I slammed into her over and over until she came again, crying out as her nails dug into my shoulders. And I let go too, giving into the unadulterated bliss she always brought on.

  We were both a panting, sweaty mess, lying there together with her head on my chest.

  “Tomorrow, Mrs Lockhart,” I whispered. “I’m going to tie you up and make sure you don’t leave this bed all day.”

  She squirmed against me.

  “I can’t wait,” she whispered back.

  ~~~

  Two Weeks Prior

  “So what you’re saying is The Collector is someone in her family?” I said, staring at John intently.

  He nodded.

  “It has to be. I think it’s a title handed down. I can’t ask Chuck any further questions about it. He’s getting really suspicious.”

  John had been snooping, but we were still running into dead ends. We had to find out who it was so we could find the girls. I had information on them up until six years ago when the trail dried up. Whoever it was had started hiding their tracks better.

  “So, it was Mitchell for a time, but it changed when he took over Daniels Holdings after Nick got sick. We know it didn’t fall into Chuck’s hands. So it could’ve gone to Troy or Arthur.”

  The youngest of Mitchell’s cousins, Arthur, was a reclusive little fuck who kept to himself. He didn’t work for Daniels Holdings. Instead, he’d started his own investment company who mostly owned restaurants across the country along with a few other ventures. I knew he had a hand in the sex trafficking, but he didn’t seem to be as deeply involved as Mitchell, Chuck and Troy were. We couldn’t, however, completely rule him out.

  “Most likely. I’ll do some more digging into them. Not easy when I have to look after Avery, but I’m doing my best under the circumstances.”

  “I know… we need to nail them. They�
�re the key to everything. We get them, the empire falls.”

  John nodded, looking over at where Avery was sat in the armchair by the window sketching. I knew she was only semi paying attention to our conversation. She’d been a little quiet for the past few days. Nerves about next week and the wedding were kicking in. For both of us.

  “How’s she holding up?” he asked, dropping his voice low.

  “Okay, I guess. Hates Frazier constantly being at the office, but not much else we can do about it.”

  “And is everything else okay, the planning and all that?”

  “Things are as ready as they can be. So far, no one else knows. I think we’re in the clear but we can never be too careful.”

  Anyone finding out about our wedding would fuck all our plans up. When everything was legal, it wouldn’t matter as much. They couldn’t change it then. We couldn’t do anything about the trust fund until all of this was resolved, but at least her money would be safe. I didn’t want it. I’d keep it away from Frazier Shaw though. For as long as my lungs still breathed air and my heart beat in my chest. Protecting Avery was the single most important thing to me.

  “I’m honoured you two want me there.”

  “Avery insisted. Said it wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t. You saw her grow up and have done so much for the two of us.”

  He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “You’re going to make a grown man get all emotional in a minute.”

  “Soppy git.”

  “You’re a fine one to talk. Don’t forget I’ve seen how you care for that girl on a daily basis.”

  I rolled my eyes. Sure, I’d become sort of soft when it came to Avery, but I cared about her. I wanted to make her happy. She had enough of my brutality in the bedroom. Outside of it, she needed someone who’d be her partner, not a man who ranted and ordered her around all the time. I’d tried to leave that version of me behind. So I could deserve her even though I probably never would.