Page 39 of Corruption
“Don’t worry, I—”
“You’ve told me not to worry before, and I ended up run off the road.”
“I underestimated their need to make an example, and things hadn’t been fully settled yet.”
“How long have you been planning this?” I asked.
Vince contemplated my question, then raised his lightly trembling hand. “This long.”
“But why them? I mean, I know you’ve had your clashes with them for a while, but Vince, aren’t they better left alone? They’re running an entire underground operation. Is it truly worth fighting them? You’re still the only one offering a certain hitman service,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but since I started shifting my business a bit, we haven’t been on the best of terms. And it wasn’t an outright lie. They did steal some cargo from me, even if it wasn’t Pete who did it.”
“But he was the best target to hit,” I pointed out. “You do realize his father will want to feed me my own balls now, right?”
Vince chuckled slightly. “Yes, the old wolf certainly won’t be pleased, but he has agreed to come to the table for peace.”
“More like a very fragile truce.”
“Whatever I can get, I’ll take,” he assured me.
I sighed, still not entirely at ease with this plan, but with the wheels already set in motion, there was no turning back.
“Very well, I’ll make sure not to doze off during the meeting.”
“I almost thought your pet would bring you more peace. Are we sure she isn’t a trigger?” Vince probed, and for a moment, my heart froze. Regrettably, Vince was dangerously close to the truth. He had an uncanny ability to see through me. But it wasn’t precisely Alison who was a trigger due to our shared and tormented past. It was that traumatic incident with a gun pressed to her head that haunted my mind.
My expression paled, and Vince’s suspicions were confirmed. “It’s not about high school,” I divulged.
“Then what is it about?”
“I don’t know!”
“What does that mean?” he asked.
“It means my night terrors were actual memories—things that happened to me. But this time, it’s different. It’s just my imagination running wild.”
“And what is your mind conjuring that terrifies you?”
A fleeting image of Alison lifeless on the ground, her blood pooling around her, flashed in my mind before I forcefully pushed it away.
“Nothing. It’s not important,” I replied.
“If your pet is making you feel worse, your plan might not be going as expected. Is it?” he pointed out.
“It’s fine. I believe I just need to resolve this entire situation, return to the house, and everything will get better,” I assured him.
“Hmm,” Vince mused, tapping a finger against his arm as he observed me. My feeble words had failed to convince him, and to be honest, I wasn’t entirely convinced myself. This was uncharted territory. Nonetheless, Vince placed his trust in me, and he nodded, accepting my response. “If it gets worse, cut her loose. She’s meant to serve a purpose, not destroy you.”
“I will,” I assured him, although my words felt hollow. I had spent months meticulously planning this. I had purchased a house to be near her, renovated it into her worst nightmare, and humiliated and tortured her in countless ways for the past week. At first, everything had gone smoothly, but now things were shifting, and I couldn’t fathom why. The others I had taken down hadn’t affected me like this, but then again, I hadn’t kept them tied to me for a month, and they weren’t the true masterminds behind what had happened to me. It was Alison who had ordered my torment, and now I had bound myself to the one person I despised more than anyone else. I had thought it would be simple. I believed the month would pass quickly, and once I released her, it would be like setting something free, liberating me from this torment. But now, uncertainty gnawed at me. I had to maintain control, and after watching Vince depart, I picked up the tray of food and returned to the bedroom.
Alison didn’t even turn her head as I entered, and I relished in seeing her submissive demeanor. Placing the tray down, I was about to order her to clean up when I thought of something that would irk her even more. I went to the bathroom, wetted a small towel, and returned to the bedroom. Placing myself in front of her, I lifted her chin with a finger and began to clean her face. As she realized that I was the one tending to her, her eyes filled with resentment. It was an even greater blow to her ego, having her sworn enemy be the one to clean her. It felt like I was stealing power from her in such a way. However, the moment was fleeting, and I tossed the towel into a laundry basket before sitting down on the couch behind her.
“Slave,” I called, and Alison turned her head. I patted my lap, and she stared at me with wide eyes. “Come here.”
She sighed, and I watched as she placed a clenched fist on the couch, pushing herself up. When she was close enough, I pulled her toward me, making her straddle me. As she descended, her breasts came level with my eyes. I leaned in, nuzzling my face against one before teasingly sucking on a nipple, eliciting a gasp from her. However, I was only toying with her. Pulling back, I observed the slight confusion in her eyes as pleasure overtook her anger.
“Feed me,” I ordered her.
