Page 162 of Seizing Control: Part One

As one, Angelis and Hunter slide out of the second exit.

Next to me, Slash groans. He smells like a brewery that’s been caught downwind from a tobacco factory fire. His normally crystalline gaze is red ringed, and there’s a fresh bruise colouring his jawline. Melancholy hangs around him like a dark cloud. The weight of his unhappiness clear in his hunched shoulders. There’s a raw edge to his perusal when he locks eyes with me. It makes my heart skip a beat, then floods me with remorse.

My presence is hurting him.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come.”

When I go to stand, he anchors me in place with a hand on my leg. “Duchess.”

“Slash.”

My husband bares his teeth at me. I think he’s trying to smile but failing. The energy hanging around him turns lethal as someone knocks on the front door. A glance at the clock on the wall tells me that it’s too early for the Trinity, so it’s most likely a Shamrock.

Although, they aren’t known for knocking.

We all pretty much barge in and out of each other’s homes at will.

As that thought hits, I understand why my arrival upset Crystal.

What I believed was courtesy was actually an insult.

Calmer than she was a minute ago, yet still more agitated than I’ve ever seen her, Crystal snaps, “Can I leave you’se alone for two minutes to get that?’

“Sure.”

Slash’s mother shakes her head, her disbelief in my answer obvious before she darts off.

The fingers clenching my thigh flex. I lower my gaze to Slash’s hand, unsurprised to discover that his knuckles are split. When I check the state of his left hand, the wedding band that I pushed on to his ring finger months ago catches my attention.

When he sees me looking at it, he slides his hand under his outer thigh.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I close my eyes to block him out.

He’s hurt that I ran away.

Well, so am I…

It might sound immature, but he left me first.

The one person I thought I could rely on.

“Carter…” Crystal says her son’s name in clear warning. I reopen my eyes as she leads the newcomer into the dining room. “Gabriel needs to speak to you.”

The sight of my boss is the straw that breaks the metaphorical camel’s back.

Slash is on his feet and storming toward the Adjudicator before I realise what he’s doing. He backs the older man up, pins him to the wall, and gets right in his face. A tremor visibly runs through Slash. He punches the plaster next to Gabriel’s head.

I move to separate them.

Crystal tugs on my wrist to stop me.

The big man is enraged as he says, “Told you not to show ya face here again.”

“The Trinity is on their way.” My boss is completely composed, apparently unruffled to find himself on the receiving end of Slash’s anger. He shrugs when his comment receives zero acknowledgement from my hostile husband. “As the facilitator of this alliance, I am expected to attend.”

“The only fuckin’ thing you’ve facilitated is a farce.” He inhales through his nose, the personification of indignation as his shoulders lift and widen. I press my hand to my stomach when the sight of Slash losing his temper starts to unsettle me. This is foreign territory—I’m only a Venom whisperer. I’ve never had to talk the big man off the ledge since he’s never acted like this before. “You’re an egotistical prick… walkin’ around actin’ like everythin’ hinges on you. Fuck me, my mumma came back from the dead to facilitate this alliance. Venom died to facilitate this bloody alliance.” Slash punches the wall a second time. He hangs his head low, self-loathing in his voice as he says, “I raped my wife to facilitate this alliance. The small part you played was nothin’.”

“Slash. I… you—” My objection is halted when the big man shoves Gabriel to the side and storms off. I rush after him, only to find myself unable to reach him when he locks the internal garage door behind himself. A few seconds later, a Harley starts up. Spinning around, I race out the front door in time to watch him peel rubber down the driveway, then speed off down the street. “Shit. I need to… he’s…”

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