13. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Grey
"Christopher," I draw out slowly, resting against the doorframe of his office. "Fancy finding you here."
He glances up from the file on his desk, clocking me and Theo watching him. A laugh rips through my body at the bruise on his cheek and swollen nose, making his light eyes look even more vibrant from the color contrast. For once, he doesn't look put together like the professional he pretends he is. My artwork is splattered all over his face, traces of my assault clear for everyone to see.
I don't pretend to be innocent. I want everyone to know who hurt him.
Better still, I want them to know why.
"Come to hit me some more, Grey?" he asks casually, leaning back in his chair. His gaze flicks over to Theo, raising an eyebrow. "This is an unexpected alliance."
"Amazing that individuals can be brought together for a common cause," I murmur, stepping into his office. "I guess we have you to thank for that."
Christopher smiles, unfazed. "I'll always be the villain to you, won't I? It's easier to blame someone else instead of turning the mirror around."
"Villains recognize other villains," I reply. "I'm fine with what I am. Are you ?"
Crossing his arms, he motions with his hand for us to sit down. "I assume this is about Avery," he says, ignoring my question. "How is she?"
I don't sit down and neither does Theo, the two of us glaring down at him in the leather chair.
"How the fuck do you think she is?" I spit out. "Those cunts tortured her."
Surprisingly, a faint look of despair crosses over his face—along with regret.
"I know," Christopher answers, sounding disappointed. "But I heard she's back with the other patients. Is that right?"
"What else have you heard?" Theo asks before I can respond. He cuts to the chase, more interested in getting information rather than stabbing this fucker's hands with a letter opener like I want to do.
Christopher looks over at him, somewhat surprised. I can only assume Theo doesn't speak much to the staff here, let alone show that he cares about anyone. "Unfortunately, not much. Arthur sent a brief email this morning mentioning that two students were back and set to resume their schedules."
"Are you involved in these schedules?" Theo questions.
I raise an eyebrow at Christopher, interested in his answer.
He sighs. "I'm not assigned to Avery if that's what you are asking. As for other patients, I can't disclose that information."
"Since when have you cared about doctor-patient confidentiality?" I scoff.
"If we're going to start this topic again, may I remind you that it was you and Damon that attempted to steal files?" he shoots back. "And I tried to stop that from happening."
Laughing, I lean forward, resting my hands on the edge of his desk. "And a whole lot of fucking good that did," I say sarcastically. "Her file still got stolen—by Vivian Capello nonetheless. That girl can barely function with her minimal brain cells, yet she was able to break in."
At least Christopher has the nerve to look guilty.
"I'm aware of what she did," he snaps with frustration. "And I've done my best to rectify that. But things aren't always within my control. You know this."
I roll my eyes. "Sure, blame your dear uncle. I'm curious—what has he had to say on the matter?"
The mention of Alexander has Christopher sitting up straight, locking eyes with me. If looks could kill, I'd be in a puddle of blood—pretty much the way I intend to go if I can't be balls-deep in Avery post-nut when I die.
"I have no fucking idea what he has to say," he answers, breaking his professional persona. "I've been cut out of all intel between him and Arthur, thanks to my involvement in trying to protect Avery."
Theo looks at me briefly, piecing things together silently. I've filled him in as much as possible lately, but even as an outsider, he saw firsthand the mess the whole situation created with Avery's arrest. All he knows is what Christopher told us the day she was taken—he was the one who framed her with the access card. While he can pretend to be a good Samaritan, the truth is he drove them to Avery. Between her involvement with Cirque des Morts and Christopher's meddling, it made her an even bigger target.
At least we tried to protect her. He blemished her record with an arrest, forcing even more trauma on her innocent self. For someone masquerading around as a professional, he made sure to fuck her up in all the wrong ways.
What was the end game here? Because if Avery was out of the picture, Alexander and Arthur would keep coming. Was Christopher going to meddle and protect all one hundred patients?
Probably fucking not.
"You did more harm than good," Theo tells him, echoing my thoughts. "You sent her down into a spiral, isolating her from the only people who care about her."
I stiffen slightly at his words. I agree, but the cold reminder of how I treated her after the arrest still pains me with guilt. It's not my proudest moment—I was hurt, trying to figure out why I wasn't enough for her. Even though I was mad, I was still trying to protect her from afar. I followed her every moment, making sure she was safe. I convinced Damon not to unleash his fury on her, agreeing to keep her close for the sake of our goal. But it was obvious it was for my benefit too—having her nearby, as agonizing as it was, made me feel better.
I was always going to protect her, even if I couldn't have her. But now that she is mine, the desire and need to keep her safe is greater than anything else I've ever experienced.
It also makes me recognize that how I felt about Leah was only a fraction of what I do for Avery.
I cared about Leah. I was obsessed with her—but that's all it seemed to be.
Obsession.
But my obsession with Avery knows no bounds. I was never ready to turn my back on Damon for Leah. I never considered burning my whole life down—until I met Avery.
It took ages to realize that I wasn't just obsessed with Avery. No, it was far more intense than that. It was love.
Love was not an emotion I was familiar with. It was never given and it was never something I could earn. All I knew about love was what was portrayed in fiction. It seemed sickening—full of flowers and sweetness, the need to be a certain type of person when it came to love. So, I resigned myself to the fact I wasn't capable of love because I am none of those things.
But Avery made me realize that love is more than pink hearts and romance. It's aggressive, violent—a danger. It can be all-consuming, obsessive, making every single personality trait and emotion appear.
Good and bad.
And she never once made me feel like I wasn't worthy of love. Avery loves every side of me—never shying away from the darkness that lies within me.
Most people want to tame their darkness. Not me.
I would change for her if I had to. But I don't—because she accepts all of me.
She's watched me murder people in cold blood, laid hands on anyone who dared to wrong her. Most people would be scared, terrified of what I'm capable of.
But not Avery.
And that… is love. Or at least, our fucked-up version of it.
"Avery doesn't deserve to be here," Christopher says, for once saying something I agree with.
"No, she doesn't," I answer in a low tone. "But that doesn't give you the right to meddle in our business. We had it under control. You might think you're better than us, Christopher. But your Ivy League degree, money, and expensive suits don't mean you're ready to play with the big boys. Power is not something you can just pretend to have. It's built from the ground up. You'll never be on Damon's level and the faster you accept that, the quicker we can move on."
I wait for some snarky remark but it doesn't come. Instead, he nods slowly, deep in thought.
"What is it that you need from me?" he asks, exasperated. "Because I don't have answers for you, Grey. Despite your obvious hatred for me, I'm not in bed with Alexander. I had nothing to do with Avery's kidnapping nor do I hold any decision-making power within Lilydale."
Finally, I sit down across from him, resting my ankle over my knee. "I need you to find out what happened that day. She was drugged in Markel's office. We questioned the old bastard, but he is practically senile. Short of ripping his jugular out, I don't think he had a hand in it."
The interrogation this morning went nowhere. Markel was too focused on Avery, singing stupid songs, and acting oblivious. Either he's worthy of an Oscar, or he knows nothing. Theo and I both agree that it's unlikely he was the one who switched her drugs. Someone took advantage of his less than adequate setup to instigate this. I nearly killed him for being so trusting and stupid. It was only his genuine concern for Avery's wellbeing that saved him from an untimely death.
"I can try," Christopher grumbles. "But most of the professional staff are in Arthur's pocket. He pays them well so I doubt any of them will talk."
"Try is not good enough. Someone is going down for this and if I don't have a specific name, I'll just take them all down one-by-one."
He sighs. "And where will that get you, Grey? Locked away from Avery and Damon for the rest of your life."
I slam my hands on the desk, finally losing my shit. "Don't you dare fucking use them against me. You lost the right to any opinion when you fucked us over."
Theo grabs my shoulder, jerking me backward into the chair. "Start with Elsher," he says to Christopher. "Psychiatrists can prescribe drugs. He could easily access whatever they gave her without it raising a red flag. She was in session with him when it happened."
It's right at this very moment that I'm thankful for dragging Theo here with me. Oddly enough, he's quite a calming presence for a psychopath.
Or maybe it's because I'm a psychopath too.
"I'll do my best," Christopher answers, turning to me. " My best . You'll have to just accept that, Grey. If you want my help, you'll take what you're given."
"If you don't want my fist in your face again, you'll be sure to obtain answers," I send back sweetly.
Theo laughs, surprising both of us. I send him a look of betrayal for breaking character, watching him shake his head at the two of us.
"Make no mistake," he says, eyes focusing on Christopher. "If you hurt Avery again, it won't be Grey you'll be answering to. It will be me—and I promise whatever he does will look like amateur hour compared to whatever I dish out."
"Don't threaten me, Theo," Christopher sighs. "You might have this little bromance, bad cop-bad cop thing happening here, but I don't respond well to threats. I'm trying to help out of the goodness of my heart. I care about Avery's wellbeing, as I do with all my patients. But despite whatever you might feel about power and control ," he pauses, glancing at me. "I still have more freedom than you ever will. You need me—face it."
Cracking my knuckles, I lean back casually in my chair, holding his gaze. "We don't need you, Christopher. But one day, we're going to burn this madhouse to the ground. The question will be whether or not we'll leave you inside when it turns to ash."