Page 76 of Tempting Fate

It’s noisy, but I can still hear Slash grumbling under his breath as he tucks my hands inside the bottom hem of his jacket. “The man’s a fuckin’ millionaire, you’d think he could buy his woman a pair of gloves.”

Heart in my throat, mind whirling with more questions than I’ll likely ever have answered, I refrain from explaining to Slash that I have a dozen pairs of riding gloves. I just never need them when I’m riding with Zeke. He prefers my palms against his skin.

I thought I preferred the same.

Now, it just feels like a bittersweet memory we’ve made in the midst of lies.

All the things that we have in common, all the experiences we’ve shared, it all feels contrived. Where I once believed that Zeke was my destiny, I’m left to wonder if everything—my hopes, my dreams, my thoughts, my preferences—was built on a foundation of untruth.

Because that’s all he does…

The man I love lies to me.

Betrayal, confusion, and regret cloak me.

Weigh me down.

Push me lower than ever.

Yet, another step in my descent back toward rock bottom…

14

VENOM

Every ounce of my being wants to chase after Lily, so I can explain the exact circumstances that led to me providing Sander with weed six years ago and why I hid Nadia’s involvement in his ensuing spiral into addiction, but I know that now isn’t the time. Brutus is outside, holding court with the boss of the Maddison clan and the father of the man he once secretly planned get to marry his daughter. The three of them are probably concocting a similar scheme now that they think they’ve stirred trouble between me and Lily.

“Righto,” I tell the Shamrocks in front of me. “It’s clear this was a fuckin’ ambush organised by our own prez… think it’s time we reined him in and headed back to the compound. The Maddison’s aren’t worth spittin’ on, let alone negotiatin’ with.”

“That’s a generous assessment,” Toker voices his disapproval. The other men nod their agreement with his harsh sentiment. “Seems to me that Brutus is spoilin’ for a bullet to the head. A man who sells out his daughter and his club ain’t fit to lead… or hold a patch.”

The members of the Maddison clan watch me with suspicion as I jerk my chin toward the open doors that Slash just led Lily through and the Shamrocks start to troop outside without protest. Hugh St. James, in particular, seems upset to be denied the fight he was trying to pick. I spare him one last look, dismissing him a moment later. He’s a non-entity in this battle. The man standing next to him, heir to the Maddison throne, possessor of hands stained by my woman’s blood, owner of ears that have basked in her pain, is the real threat.

And he knows it.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” Alex calls after me when I move to follow my club. “But it’s even sweeter knowing that you won’t be touching my angel again anytime soon.”

I swing around to face him.

Toker grabs me. “Don’t give him the satisfaction.”

“Yeah, Venom, be a good boy.”

“Fuck you.”

Alex grins, then he chuckles. Cocking his head to the side, he scans my face with devious eyes that I’d love to pluck out of his skull with a rusty spoon. “You’re not my type… now, offer me a tall blonde with curves that fit perfectly in my hands, and I’ll be apt to take you up on your offer.”

“Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged,” Hugh interjects. He sights me up with his handgun. I brace, readying for the burning pain of a bullet wound. “I owe you more than one.”

“Ah, yes… the garage torture,” Toker replies with a laugh. “Hard to believe that was only yesterday when so many other Maddison’s have been fucked up in the meantime.”

The reminder of our little excursion this morning is the final straw.

Poor Hugh. His little brother will be laid up for quite a while.

“Jesus Christ.” Alex pushes Hugh’s forearm down as he shoots at me. The bullet goes wide, pinging off the cement in front of us. Dust kicks up and the slug ricochets off the steel frame. “Grandfather said no gunfire.”

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