Page 100 of Morally Corrupt

"Where was I… oh yes. This Adrian fought for Andrew for four years. Apparently, he had almost weekly matches. Can you imagine the body count?" Vlad turns to me when he asks that, and I'm mentally already doing the math, and it's around two hundred ish. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm almost impressed.

"Then he just disappeared. Poof." Vlad makes a sound, and I raise an eyebrow. Get to the point already. "Around the same time, Theodore Hastings enrolled into Harvard."

"Pretty tale, but I don't see the point," Theo finally says, but Vlad isn't done.

"The point is that Michael Barnett was involved in a project to take Jimenez down. Allegedly, he compiled a list of high-level officials and wealthy patrons investing with Jimenez."

"So what, you're saying I'm this Barnett guy?"

"I'm not saying. You are. That little physical exertion was my proof. But if you want more…" Vlad says before heading to his safe and opening it, withdrawing a folder. Within the folder are a few photographs that he hands directly to me. All of them depict the same man, in various injury stages, and within a fighting ring. While the man in the pictures is bulkier and more massive than Theo, there's no doubt they're the same.

"So, you're Adrian Barnett?" I cock my head and study my husband, suddenly seeing him with new eyes.

He's… perfect.

My eyes eat him up as I realize just how similar we are. He's killed before too. I instinctively lick my lips. He knows what it's like to take someone's life.

Not all is lost.

We can be together.

And we can kill together.

Oh, my God!

I'm already lost in a fantasy scenario, imagining what it would be like to have Theo… no, Adrian at my side on a mission. I'm deep in when I vaguely hear him speak.

"How do you know that?" He looks at Vlad, who just shrugs.

"Maybe you haven't noticed until now, but there are no secrets I don't have access to."

More words are exchanged, but I'm still within my own fantasy, so I don't register what's being spoken. Instead, I act on instinct and fling myself at Theo… erm, Adrian. I wrap my arms around him. I feel him tense for a second before untangling himself from my grasp.

I only pout, Pink style, and plaster myself to his side. He turns and frowns at me.

"Why are you doing this? Have you not heard a word until now? I'm not Theodore Hastings."

"I know. Now we can be together." I hug his arm tighter.

"What?" he exclaims and shoves me away. I cock my head and frown.

"We're not that different. You kill. I kill. We're the same."

"We're not the same, Bianca. I killed out of necessity. You kill because you like it."

"Was it really a necessity? Who pointed a gun at you and forced you to kill? And don't tell me there wasn't a moment when you felt human life seep through your hands, and you didn't enjoy it. "

Theo's about to respond when Vlad intervenes.

"Enough of that. I think we have more important things to discuss. Don't worry, Hastings, your secret is safe here. Now, let me put things this way. You want to get Jimenez. I want information on Enzo. I think we can help each other."

37

ADRIAN

I'm trying my hardest to resist this proximity to Bianca. She's still at my side, and her scent keeps on invading my nostrils. When I first saw her, I couldn't believe how good she looked. I was almost taken aback by my body's response to seeing her again, even if it's only been days.

So, I try to ignore her.