Page 77 of Venomous Games

“What’s your weapon?”

“Depends, but generally my gun.”

Victor joins us, and we all walk outside. “They won’t be happy you’re there,” I tell her. “They may even try to kill you.”

“As you said, they can try.” She climbs into the back seat without another word, and as she does, I realize she has a knife sheathed at her hip. Of course she does. She knows better than to go somewhere like this without protection.

On the way, Reon calls. I reject his call and look back at her.

“This is probably the dumbest thing you have done,” Victor says to me as he drives.

“Never claimed to be smart, Victor.”

He snorts. “No. You’re just stupid in love.”

Stupid in love? Is that a thing? Is that what I am?

Am I in love with my wife?

I know I want her. Fuck, I wanted her the moment I first saw her.

But in love?

Her blue hair is down, and she stares out the window, seemingly lost in thought. She shouldn’t be coming with us tonight, and I’m an absolute fool for thinking I can protect her. But I’m a bigger fool because I can’t tell her no. Somewhere along the way, I’ve become infatuated with my wife. Not just because of the way she looks, and how I could taste her every single fucking day, but because of who she is as a person.

I imagined when I finally decided to take a wife, that it would be someone who is nice, sweet even. I have the complete opposite of that. She’s smart, sassy, messy, and extremely fucking lethal. And if she could, she’d live off strawberry milkshakes for the rest of her life.

I never thought I could handle someone who lives the way she does. I run a tight ship in my house; it helps keep my mind under control. And yet, I fucking love her mess, but I think it’s because I love the person who’s making it. Which also means if someone wants to try to kill her tonight, I guess we’re both going to be buried out in those fucking woods. Because there’s no chance in hell I will let anyone lay a finger on her.

FORTY-THREE

MAVEN

I’m not an anxious person by any means, but the farther we drive, the darker it gets, and the fact that we haven’t seen another vehicle for over an hour makes me wonder if coming with them was the smartest thing to do. Especially when I know I’m not invited.

From my understanding, the Forsaken Society has been around for a long time, and it has a lot of rules. None of which I care for or want to understand. I’m here for one reason only, and that’s to get the fucking truth.

We slow down at the end of a dirt road, and I see several cars hidden among the trees, and men who I’m guessing are members, standing around. Some of them already have their masks on, while others are still bare-faced. Boston turns in his seat and locks eyes with me as Victor brings the car to a stop.

“Stay in the car until I tell you to come out,” he instructs. “Please.”

I grind my teeth but nod in agreement.

He nods back, then reluctantly gets out of the car. I hear the locks click, and I don’t think they did that because they think I’m going to escape. They did it for my safety.

I keep my gaze trained on Boston as he makes his way over to the group of men milling about. So far, it seems they’re unaware of my presence. I should’ve come with my guns. It was absolutely stupid of me not to come more prepared. But I wasn’t really thinking clearly.

My main objective is to confront the person who set this whole fucking thing in motion. I want to know why they did it, and if I don’t like the answer, I may very well take my knife and stab their fucking eye out. Which could end one of two ways: I die or they die.

Boston runs a hand through his hair as he starts talking. The others pay attention when he speaks, but one set of eyes keeps flicking to the car.

Soren.

He doesn’t say anything, but I know he can see me. I don’t try to hide, and I watch him the whole fucking time to see what he’ll do. But then something pulls my attention, and I see another member dragging someone into the clearing and then pushing them to their knees. They pull the hood from his head, revealing his face.

It’s Rolland.

Reon, who was behind Rolland, kicks him, and he falls onto all fours in the dirt. Rolland tries to get up, but Reon kicks him back down, not allowing him to stand.