Page 96 of Corruption
She sighed but accepted the offer. I ate while she got herself ready. When she came back, I patted the spot on the couch beside me. She walked over to me, completely naked, and I felt my body ready to have her again, but I couldn’t lose focus now. I had a job to get done first. Alison sat down beside me and began eating, occasionally shifting her eyes to me a little nervously.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m just wondering if you have more punishment in store for me today,” she admitted, making me smile.
“You do deserve days of it after the stunt you pulled, but I don’t have time today.”
“Why?”
“I will be gone for a little while, and while I am, you’re going to be good and stay here,” I told her.
“Where are you going?”
“Alison,” I warned, reminding her that was a question.
“Will you never tell me anything?”
“Why do you want to know? Don’t you want to go back to your old life and never think about this again?” I asked her.
“You took me to a place filled with what I can only believe were powerful and dangerous people. You showed me to all of them, and yet I don’t get to ask a single question?” she asked, her tone growing desperate. We had only been here for a week, and the need to know more was pressing too hard now. She needed just a little.
“Remember that knowledge isn’t power. Not when you know too much. I wish I didn’t know everything I do,” I told her, then held up one finger. “One question. You get to ask one.”
Alison sighed, contemplating what the best one to ask was. She bit down on her lower lip, chewing on it. I could sense how she battled with herself because there was so much that she wanted to know. However, Alison had to realize that she couldn’t go back if she knew too much. It was better if I had no reason to kill her, because I knew I would have to if she asked too many questions.
“Why did those men try to kill me? Who were they?” she finally asked.
“That’s two, but I will allow it,” I said, then leaned against the back of the couch. “I killed someone.”
“I heard.”
“Yes, well, that person wasn’t just a nobody as I thought. I was sent out to kill him, thinking he was being taught a lesson. Then I learned he was connected to a very powerful family, and when I killed him, I sort of sealed my fate,” I explained.
“So they were looking for you?” Alison asked.
“They were,” I confirmed. “Vince thought I would have brought you with me before they came to get you, but as you noticed, I was a bit worked up and in a lot of pain. So I wasn’t even thinking about taking you with me.”
“You said you sold yourself so we could go back, to create peace again. I’m guessing that person you killed was connected to Astrid and her family,” she pointed out.
“He was. He was actually her brother.”
“What? And she still wants to marry you?” she asked.
“Well, he was thrown out of the family. He was an addict and couldn’t be trusted.”
“But he is still family.”
“Doesn’t mean they cared for him. Blood doesn’t mean family,” I reminded her, and she sighed, nodding. Then she opened her mouth, and I could see another question was coming. “No more.”
“But—”
I raised an eyebrow, and she groaned in frustration, now hungry for more information, but I wasn’t going to give it to her. This was plenty, and only because I could see she could no longer take it.
“But are we going back?” she asked instead.
“I hope so. I hope maybe even after tonight we can start packing.”
“Why after tonight?”
