Page 78 of Viper

“Then we’re in very similar situations.”

“Crazy, isn’t it,” Mia marveled. “So, this is how you know Neta, then?”

“Who?”

“The blonde you were talking with earlier. Dice and I once bumped into her, and she made no bones about eye-fucking him. He told me her ultimate goal is to be claimed by Viper.”

Ella felt her eyelid twitch, possessiveness clutching her chest. No happier, her demon cricked its neck. “I see. That explains why she wants me off the scene.”

“So she’s aware you’re doing the sexual rodeo with Viper?”

“I think it’s more of a guess on her part. She didn’t threaten to tell people. Actually, she said shewouldn’ttell. But I’m not sure I believe her.”

“She might mean it. If she revealed stuff she shouldn’t, it would piss off Viper in a mega way. She won’t want to do that. It won’t actually endear him to her,” Mia pointed out.

“She said he’ll never commit to me because he has the kind of secrets only descendants and celestials would understand. I don’t know what exactly she meant by that.”

Mia nibbled on her lower lip. “Dice admitted to me that he is keeping secrets. The club as a whole are secretive. I’ve asked him to part with at least one, but he says he can’t. And really, why should he? We’re not serious. We’re just having fun.”

“I’ve asked Viper some personal questions. He often teasingly blows me off. Which would annoy me, but I don’t get the feeling he wants to hold me at a distance; just that he’s not in a position to share easily.”

Mia hummed. “I can’t complain, because I know all about keeping your own council and holding your secrets close.”

“Yeah, you don’t go round dropping secrets like they’re candy. You share them with people you know will stick around. And I don’t know if Viper even wants me to stick around.”

“All you can do is see how things play out. Fingers crossed they play out in your favor.”

“Fingers crossed.”

Hearing a knock on his bedroom door, Viper slipped on his jacket as he called out, “Come in.”

Dice stalked inside, an uncharacteristic uncertainty in his gaze. “You got a minute?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

He planted his feet, flexing one hand. “You should know that this might piss you off, but … I’ve been seeing Mia.”

Both Viper and his inner entity went still. “Mia?”

“It ain’t anything serious, but—”

“As in Ella’s sister Mia?”

Dice notched up his chin. “I first slept with her shortly after you fucked Ella at the Red Rooms. I can’t even tell you how it happened. It just did. I never lose control. But every bit of rationality I had went out the damn window,” he grumbled.

Viper blinked. It was true that his VP was always in complete control of himself. “And it didn’t stop at one night?”

“I meant for it to, but no. Like I said, I’m not all that rational around Mia. I do shit I shouldn’t. Like refuse to give her my dick again unless she agreed to an exclusive arrangement.” Dice shook his head in a kind of resentful wonder.

Viper ran his tongue over his front teeth, amused despite himself.

“I like what we have, but I can’t say it will go the distance. I’m not built for relationships, and Mia’s not looking for one anyway. If you want me to walk away from … Why don’t you look pissed?”

“Why would I be pissed?”

Dice’s brow creased. “I can think of several reasons.”

“I don’t like that you kept this from me. I don’t like that you slept with her regularly knowing her connection to Ella—if things had gone badly with you and Mia, she might have told Ella, and that might have made it harder for me to get on my woman’s good side. But I’m the last person who’s in a position to judge someone for going after the woman they want.”

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