Corrupt Empire Series: A Dark Romance Boxset

by Sarah Bailey

  Tears fell unbidden. I couldn’t help it. He was pointing a gun at my unconscious husband’s head. Frazier was a fucking bastard. I hated him. And yet he knew exactly how to manipulate me. Fuck. I’d fallen headlong into this trap. Aiden was right. I never should’ve come here tonight. We never should’ve left the flat.

  “Then tell me the truth.”

  “Please,” I sobbed. “Please don’t hurt him.”

  “What do you know?”

  I was fucking done. I’d do anything to save Aiden. Anything. Even revealing what I’d tried to keep hidden this whole time.

  “I’ll tell you if you put the gun down. Promise me you won’t kill him, please.”

  He stared at me. I must’ve looked like a fucking state right then. A sobbing mess of streaked makeup. He lowered the gun slowly.

  “I won’t kill him. Now, tell me what you know and don’t leave anything out.”

  I took a breath, a wracking sob escaping my lips.

  “Everything,” I whispered. “I know everything, Frazier.”

  Chapter Ten

  Aiden

  I heard screaming. It rang in my ears. Why was it so loud? What the fuck happened to me? I tried to raise my head, but it ached like a bitch.

  “No, stop it, let go of me. Please, you promised. You said you wouldn’t hurt him.”

  I knew that voice.

  “Take her out of here. Do whatever the fuck you want with her. It’s no fucking less than she deserves.”

  That sounded distinctly like Frazier Shaw, but I couldn’t be certain. I opened my eyes. There was a woman struggling in someone’s grip whilst another man stood next to me.

  “Please, stop. No,” she screamed. “Let me go.”

  “Stop struggling, Avery. It’ll only be worse for you,” said the voice of the person holding her.

  Holding my fucking wife. I raised my head, staring at the scene. Tristan had Avery by the arms. She was kicking and screaming, trying to get away from him. Frazier stood next to me with a gun in his hand.

  What the actual fuck?

  “Let her go,” I said, my voice sounding hoarse and groggy.

  Frazier’s head snapped to me.

  “Oh, look who’s decided to join the land of the living.”

  “Let her go,” I said more clearly this time.

  He gave me a fake sympathetic look. I wanted to punch his fucking stupid face in. What the hell was going on? I struggled to move as the effects of whatever the fuck drug they’d given me began to wear off. I looked down at myself. I was fucking cable tied to a chair.

  “Aiden,” Avery sobbed. “Aiden, I’m so sorry.”

  “Come on, Avery, it’s time you and I got well acquainted, don’t you think?” Tristan said.

  The grin on his face made me want to smash his head against the fucking floor. He was going to fucking rape her. She knew it. I knew it.

  “Let her go,” I growled. “Don’t you fucking lay a hand on her.”

  Frazier clocked me around the jaw with the butt of the gun he was holding.

  “Shut up, you don’t get a fucking say in what happens to her, you hear me?”

  I ignored him. He would get what was coming to him later.

  “Avery, I’m going to come for you. I promise you, princess, I promise. I’ll always find you. Remember what you said to me, remember that day.”

  Her eyes met mine. Her face was tear streaked and her eyes bloodshot. Fuck. I wanted to go to her so badly. I wanted to wipe away those tears and kiss away her pain. What did they do to her?

  She gave me a slight nod to say she understood what I was trying to tell her. Remember our wedding day when everything was perfect between us and none of this shit had happened yet. I just hoped it would keep her from falling apart completely.

  I didn’t know how, but I’d get out of this fucking situation and I’d get her. And I’d fucking kill both these cunts for this shit. They wouldn’t make it through the rest of the night. I vowed that silently to myself and her.

  Tristan locked his arms around her, beginning to walk backwards. She kicked out, trying to stop him. My princess, so fucking strong. She wouldn’t go down without a fight. I knew she’d never give in willingly.

  “Aiden,” she screamed as Tristan dragged her from the room. “Stop, let go. Aiden!”

  I heard her screams all the way down the hall. It shattered my heart. My fucking wife was about to be tormented and I couldn’t fucking stand it.

  My jaw ached. The back of my head hurt. I still felt groggy as fuck. I tried to shake it off and concentrate. I had to work out how to remedy this situation.

  Frazier turned to me, his eyes narrowed and expression tense.

  “You and I need to have a little talk.”

  He waved the gun in my face. Didn’t surprise me that he had it and probably knew how to use it. Posh twats like him usually did some shit like clay pigeon shooting at the weekends. He did rub shoulders with some of the richest men in London. I questioned whether he acquired it legally or not, but it didn’t matter. He was the one with the weapon and I was currently incapacitated. When my head stopped spinning, I’d work out how the fuck I was going to turn this around.

  “Why did you send her here, hmm? To dig up dirt on me?”

  “Seems you’ve already got all the answers.”

  His eyes flashed with irritation, but he paced away from me. Good. If he kept his distance, he’d be less likely to see me trying to get out of these fucking cable ties. Each ankle was attached to the chair legs and my hands were in front of me. He should’ve fucking had them put behind me. Idiot. Then again, Frazier had likely hired a bunch of thugs to knock me out and bring me here, so they weren’t to know I was ex-army. That would be his first mistake.

  I shifted a little, testing how much resistance they had. Eying them, I noticed they weren’t heavy duty. I could probably snap them if I put my weight behind it. It just meant waiting for the right moment. Bide my time and when I did get the fuck out of them, I’d fuck Frazier up. He wasn’t coming out of this encounter with me alive. The cunt had given my wife to Tristan. That was fucking unacceptable. Not to mention all the other shit he’d done to women over the course of his lifetime. I dreaded to think how many and the extent of the damage he’d inflicted on them all.

  “What did you send her here for?”

  “As if I’m going to tell you shit.”

  He took a deep breath and turned on me. Dark eyes blazed with unconcealed fury.

  “You’ll fucking talk or I’ll put a bullet in your head. Then you won’t see your precious Avery again. And don’t try bullshit me into thinking there’s nothing between you, because she admitted it. She’s in love with you.”

  “What’s it to you anyway?”

  His eyebrow raised.

  “She didn’t like being called your whore. In fact, she cried when I threatened to kill you. Tell me, Aiden, was telling Tristan to let her go an act? Is she your whore? Have you enjoyed abusing that little cunt of hers to get back at her father? I bet Mitch is turning in his fucking grave. You’ve had her for months now. I saw you two together before New Year. Black Night didn’t seem like your type of haunt, but you were there with her and that Benson boy.”

  I clenched my fists but kept my expression neutral. He’d called my wife a whore to her face. The fucking prick. Avery had never been that to me. She was the sun. The only light I had in all the fucking darkness.

  There was no point me denying I knew Avery and that we’d been together. Not when he’d seen us when I’d taken her out on that date so she’d come back to me, but I could keep my emotions out of it. I could lie to Frazier’s face about my feelings for her. Then he couldn’t use those against me. I’d be fucking damned if I was going to show that mother fucker how much his words cut into me like a knife.

  “What do you want me to say, Frazier? You’ve worked it out yourself.”

  “I want to hear it out of your own goddam
n mouth. Is she your whore?”

  “Yes.”

  It killed me to say that, but fuck, there was no other way. A grin spread across his face. It made me sick.

  “I made her fall in love with me so she’d do what I wanted, but I don’t give a shit about her. Why would I? She’s Mitchell’s daughter.”

  His grin got wider. He was such a sadistic fuck. Clearly got off on knowing I tricked her into thinking I cared about her. That was so far from the fucking truth it was laughable. I was so fucking glad she wasn’t here to hear any of this. She wouldn’t believe it, but it’d break her heart and I couldn’t abide by the thought of that.

  “How did you do it? How did you convince her?”

  I shrugged.

  “I told her the truth. Figured she’d come around eventually if she knew how fucked up you all are. Wasn’t hard when you have access to your employer’s security footage.”

  He nodded slowly, putting his hands behind his back and pacing in front of me.

  “Quite the talented hacker. I’ve wanted you on my team for a while, but you always refuse the request from Chuck. I don’t forgive consistent denials easily.” He paused, cocking his head to one side as he paced. “That little bitch doesn’t spread her legs for just anyone. You must’ve laid on the charm. Anyone can see why a woman would fall at your feet.”

  I almost laughed. Heck, I’d tried to stop it all happening. I hadn’t wanted to want her. I certainly didn’t pursue a physical relationship with her, but the pull had been impossible to resist. The need to have her submission. And when she’d given it… fuck it was the best thing to ever happen to me. Her body was my solace. Her love was my balm. Her kind and perfect soul, my salvation.

  “She can’t get what I give her anywhere else. I showed her what she truly needed.”

  “And what would that be?”

  His eyes glinted, his face eager to know more. I didn’t want to fucking tell him anything about our sex life, but Avery’s life was fucking on the line and so was mine. If I could keep him talking and get him to drop his fucking guard, then I’d have the upper hand. I worked my wrists in the cable tie, testing their strength a little as I leant forward to disguise my action.

  “She likes being dominated, told what to do and when to do it. She likes it rough and dirty. She screams when I tie her up and fuck her ruthlessly. She loves every part of it. And you know what the best bit is, Frazier? I’m the first one she let into that tight little virgin arse of hers. Took some persuasion, but it was worth it. She begs for it now. Gets down on her hands and knees and begs me. She’s so desperate for my cock and the things I do to her, she can’t help it. She’s addicted to me.”

  I felt so fucking sick saying these things about my wife. Whilst some of it was true, the way I’d said it made it sound like I was some sick bastard who didn’t care anything about her. I loved her so fucking much and the fact that she even let me do any of that to her, that she enjoyed it, it made me insanely fucking lucky.

  I watched his expression grow gleeful as if what I was telling him made him happy.

  “I knew she’d be a dirty little slut. I have to thank you, Aiden. Trained her to be the perfect whore. When Tristan’s broken her in, she’ll be a toy for us to share.”

  Bile rose up in the back of my throat. Neither of those fucks were going to get their dicks wet in my wife. Fuck. I couldn’t stand this. His words fucking killed me. The thought of him going anywhere near Avery made me want to tear his head from his neck.

  “Good luck with that. She’s tougher than she looks. You think she hasn’t seen what you’re capable of? She has. She’s seen it all. She won’t go down without a fight. I admire her spirit even if she’s Mitchell’s daughter.”

  Frazier stopped pacing, putting a hand on his chin.

  “I’m sure Tristan is capable of handling her. I taught him well.”

  I shrugged.

  “All I’m saying is, don’t underestimate her.” And don’t underestimate me either.

  He turned his back on me. Big fucking mistake. He should’ve kept both eyes on me at all times. It was time to fucking end this sick shit’s life and get my wife. I’d stalled long enough. Avery didn’t have time for me to keep Frazier chatting all night. I needed to get to her and rip Tristan a new one.

  I pulled my wrists apart. The cable tie dug into my skin, but I ignored the pain. It strained for several moments, trying not to buckle under the onslaught, but I worked out every single fucking day. I wasn’t going to let a stupid piece of plastic stop me from getting to my wife.

  When it snapped, it made a slight noise. Frazier began to turn around, but I was faster. I stood, tugged the chair up, slipping the cable ties around my ankles off the legs and stepped forward. I swung the chair around and it connected with his chest. He let out a grunt, stumbling backwards. I was on him immediately, tackling him to the ground. He tried to raise the gun. I knocked it out of his hand, sending it skittering across the floor.

  His dark eyes were full of shock and rage. He shoved against me, but I was bigger and stronger than him.

  “Get the fuck off me,” he grunted.

  He bucked wildly and clocked me on the side of the head. I reared back, the pain radiating across my ear. The momentary distraction allowed him to struggle out from under me. He tried to crawl towards the gun, but I grabbed hold of his ankle and dragged him back towards me.

  “You’re a fucking dead man, Frazier.”

  I wrestled him into sitting position and locked my arm around his neck, squeezing. He flailed against me, trying to dislodge me but I had him held too tight.

  “I’ve got some news for you. Avery isn’t my whore. She’s my wife. You and your son just wanted her for her money. Don’t think we don’t know about the trust fund clause. You were stupid enough to think she’d marry your son and give you what you wanted. Newsflash, that’s never fucking happening because right here, right now, I’m going to kill you. Just like I killed Mitchell and Kathleen.”

  He struggled harder and I tightened my grip, cutting off his airway. His hands clawed at my arm.

  “That’s right, Frazier. It was me. I murdered them in cold fucking blood and I took their daughter captive. I only meant to use her to take you and the rest of the fucking Daniels down. Turns out, Avery is everything I never knew I needed. She’s the bravest fucking girl I’ve ever met. She’ll put up a fight with Tristan. She won’t let him use her. Trust me on that. It’s too fucking bad for you that you’ll never get to watch her destroy everything you and your sick fucking friends built.”

  His movements were becoming weaker. This wasn’t how I usually took people out, but he’d made me so fucking angry. He was the sickest mother fucker I’d ever met. What he did to women was disgusting. Even my sick fuck of a father didn’t torture the women he raped. Frazier loved to cut them, drill into their bones, slice pieces of their flesh from their bodies before he fucked them. He got off on having their blood all over him. Sick fuck.

  “We’re going to rid the world of all the scum like you. You don’t deserve to breathe the same air as Avery. You’re a disgusting excuse for a human being.”

  I watched his eyes bulge in their sockets as I took away his last breath. He lost consciousness, but I kept my arm across his throat. I kept strangling him until I knew he was dead. Only then did I drop the sick fuck to the floor. He lay there, his eyes wide and unblinking. It wasn’t enough. I needed to make sure he wouldn’t fucking be able to get back up ever again.

  I walked over to where the gun lay on the ground. If I picked that up, my fingerprints would be all over it. I’d have to dispose of it, but I was fucking done. I squatted down and collected it off the ground. Straightening, I turned. Frazier was still flat out on the floor. Not breathing.

  I raised my hand, aimed and fired. The sickening sound of the bullet piercing his skull rang in my ears.

  He was dead.

  Frazier Shaw was fucking dead.

 
; And I was fucking glad of it.

  Now, it was time to take out his mother fucking son. If he’d managed to fucking rape my wife, I’d lose my fucking mind. I didn’t have time to think like that. I had to get to her. I had to keep Avery safe.

  I stormed out of the room. I’d fucking clean this shit up later. I ran through the house, searching for where he might have taken her. Then I heard screaming upstairs followed by silence.

  I ran as fast as my legs could fucking carry me, taking the stairs two by two. I had to get to her. I had to fucking stop this.

  And when I threw open the door to the bedroom, the scene I was met with shook me to my fucking core.

  “Avery?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Avery

  I kicked out at Tristan, trying to dislodge him as he dragged me down the corridor away from Aiden and Frazier. Aiden’s expression killed me. I knew he would still be groggy from whatever they’d used to knock him out with, but the agony in his eyes knowing what Tristan had planned sliced into my skin, ripping my heart to shreds. There had been determination too. He told me he’d come for me. Promised me. Aiden didn’t break those. I had to stay strong for him.

  “Let me go, you fucking arsehole,” I screeched, trying to elbow Tristan.

  “The more you struggle, the worse it will be for you,” he told me.

  Up the stairs we went, him dragging me with some considerable effort.

  “For fuck’s sake, Avery. Calm down,” he grunted as I managed to kick him in the shin.

  “No! Fuck you. I’ll fucking kill you.”

  “I’d like to see you try.”

  Tristan didn’t know I had a knife hidden under my dress. I had to reach it before he found it. I had to defend myself against him. I couldn’t wait for Aiden to get away from Frazier because Tristan would no doubt take me if I wasn’t careful.

  He grabbed me by my hair and dragged me down the corridor when we reached the top of the stairs, throwing open his bedroom door. My scalp burnt. I tried to hit him, but he threw me in the room and slammed the door shut behind him. I didn’t get a chance to recover. He dragged me up off the floor by my hair and shoved me against the wall, pinning me there with his body.