Page 15 of Theirs to Corrupt

And we know Tremaine won’t rest until he gets his sister back and whores her out. “He’s going to pay.” And he’ll never come near Tessa again.

Pax nods. “Consider it done.”

Then he turns to stride across the room.

“Pax,” I call out, stopping him at the door. “Have someone drive by the bar, see if her car is still there.”

“Planning a visit?” he asks, eyebrow raised.

I nod. “Soon. Very soon.”

Once I’m alone again, I return to my desk and press my palms together thoughtfully.

I’m going to make Tessa Tremaine ours.

And my plan starts now…

CHAPTER FOUR

Three Weeks Later

Tessa

The neon sign of the Rusty Nail flickers in the humid Houston night, casting an eerie red glow over the cracked asphalt of the nearly empty parking lot.

I swipe away a bead of sweat as I push the bar’s heavy back door just a little farther open. The two a.m. air hits me like a wall, thick and heavy with the promise of an approaching storm.

For moments I stand there, surveying the parking lot, glancing at the shadows, watching for any hint of movement or unexpected vehicles, making sure I’m safe.

My beat-up car is beneath the parking lot’s only lamp, and I see nothing out of the ordinary.

“All clear, sugar?” Marge asks from behind me.

I glance back and force a smile. “Yeah. Looks good. Thank you.” I appreciate her so very much. “Good night, Marge.”

“Be safe out there, honey. Call if you need anything.”

Going home this late unnerves me.

The door clicks shut behind me, and she turns the lock, leaving me alone in the stifling darkness.

I dart toward my vehicle, clutching my small purse tightly, keys threaded between my fingers—a makeshift weapon I pray I’ll never have to use. Of course, I also carry pepper spray, but I’m afraid of pointing the nozzle in the wrong direction.

How is this my life?

I ask that question daily.

My parents loved me and supported my dreams of going to college, having a career, and eventually getting married. Two years ago, my future was bright and shiny. I’d enrolled in college, and I was thriving.

Now I’m scraping by, barely able to buy groceries, jumping at shadows, all to escape the cruelty of the one person my parents counted on to protect me.

The image of Axel’s cold, calculating eyes flashes through my mind.

Once, he’d been my hero.

Until greed turned him into an unrecognizable monster.

I’m so lost in my thoughts that I almost miss the sound of approaching footsteps.Almost.