Page 69 of Guilty as Sin

Chapter 31

Cora

Brady O’Sullivan loves me.

No, Brady O’Sullivan says he loves me. It’s a power play, it has to be, but I can’t make immediate sense of it. For a moment, I’m so shocked that all I can do is stare at him.

It’s a moment too long.

When I say nothing, Brady’s face contorts into anger. He pushes himself off me and away from the bed.

“I own you,” he snarls. “I should fucking command you to say it to me.”

I feel my jaw drop. More than shock, more than anger. Horror consumes me.

I knew he was possessive and arrogant, I knew he didn’t see me as his equal, at least not yet. A delusional part of me thought we could still be partners, that I could somehow prove myself to him, even though it’s his responsibility to get his misogynist head out of his ass.

And now, to say that he owns me? How fucking dare he.

He stalks over to his closet and pulls out a set of gray sweats. He yanks them on with jerking stabs of his arms and legs, sneering at me in disgust the whole time.

My skin is cold with rage, while my insides burn. The shame in me is fury toward Brady and toward myself. This is what I get for letting myself be vulnerable with a man like him, a man I knew had no mercy.

He stalks out of the room and slams the door behind him.

I cover my mouth against a scream of fury. I’ve already shown him too much of myself. I’m not going to let him see any more of my vulnerability.

Chapter 32

Brady

She didn’t say it back.

She didn’t even have the fucking decency to acknowledge that I’d given her what she’d asked for, in my own stupid way. It wasn’t something I’d ever intended to tell her. It slipped out. A fucking mistake, and she let me know how idiotic I was to make it. She might as well have spat in my face.

So I thought of the cruelest thing I could say to her.

I own you. The one thing I knew would make her despise me.

I should fucking command you to say it to me.

But I didn’t. I never would. If she doesn’t love me, so be it. I can’t fucking blame her.

I’m the best because I’m unlovable. I’m ruthless and cruel, virtues I’d thought we’d recognized in each other. If Cora doesn’t want me as I am, then fuck her.

But she’s still my wife. It’s still my duty to keep her safe. And in my world, safe means making sure she hates me. Anything to keep her far away from me.

Especially given what I’m planning to do.

In my burnable clothes, I leave my wife in our penthouse. I take the elevator down, then I freeze the call signal. No one can override it but me.

I’ll need at least the day to prepare. She was right when she said I’m meticulous.

I killed Cora’s attacker, but I haven’t yet punished Seven for hurting my wife. If he weren’t so goddamn untouchable, I’d kill him myself by way of slow torture. As it is, I need to weaken his empire first. He’s too well-connected, too well-funded. The entirety of his protected organization needs to be torn down, but it’s not something I can do brick by brick. In the past, we’ve killed a few of his men, interrupted a few of his shipments. But even the destruction of a dozen shipments wouldn’t put a dent in his business.

My next move needs to be something big. Explosive. Something at the heart of his operations. And I know exactly the shaky ground that it’s built on.

I don’t tell anyone what I’m planning. Not even Liam. It’s best for everyone that I act alone on this one. It’s too dangerous to get anyone else involved, and I need to protect my family in the same way I’m protecting Cora.