Page 43 of Pitiful Lies

“Who me? No, I’m not brave enough.”

I bite my lip, completely mesmerized by the movement within the glass tank. Buffy is thin, but she must be about six feet long. The tank is clean. I notice a large flat rock and a small branch inside.

“Now, that is something we’ll have to agree to disagree. You’re plenty brave, Koukla. And plenty smart not to want to get close to her. Buffy here is a black mamba, one of the deadliest snakes in the world.”

“Oh my God! And you want me to touch her?” I ask, and glare at him.

“I asked you if you wanted to touch her. I never said I wanted you to,” he corrects, and I roll my eyes at him.

“Same difference.”

“Don’t worry, Little Doll. I wouldn’t let her hurt you. But if she did, rest assured in that little refrigerator beneath her habitat I have plenty of antivenin.”

“Antivenin?”

“Sure. Do you know how mamba’s attack? They’re fast as lightning. First thing you feel is their fangs slicing through your skin. Next, your limbs start to tingle. And within minutes, your entire central nervous system is destroyed. A bite victim who doesn’t get treated with antivenin suffers from painful seizures before they suffocate to death.”

“That sounds horrible.”

My eyes go wide. I wonder why anyone would want a creature like this in their midst.

“It is. And I’ve been bitten a few times. That’s why the antivenin. I work with a local lab. I milk Buffy for her venom once a month, and they provide the antivenin.”

Angel is looking at Buffy as she slowly moves about her tank. His icy pale eyes track her movements, and I’m tracking his.

I can’t help it.

“Holy shit, Angel. Sounds dangerous,” I whisper.

“It is if you don’t know what you’re doing. When you handle something like that, just remember, looks can be deceiving. Buffy might be small, but her venom is stronger than her bite.”

“Oh,” I murmur, and when I turn my head, he’s right there.

I sway on my feet, and the responding rumble that comes from his chest tells me he notices.

Shit. I know I should know better. I should stay away from him.

But there is something about Angel that makes me want to reach out and touch him whenever he’s close.

Stop it. He’s not yours.

“You, uh, want something to drink?”

Angel takes a step back, breaking the spell. I shake my head. But he’s busy looking at where I have my hand pressed down over my heart. A subconscious attempt to control my runaway emotions, I guess.

I clear my throat and move to drop my hand, but he’s faster than me. One big palm goes over mine, and I freeze. My chest rises and falls, and I squirm in place, trying so hard to not let him see how much I like his hands on me.

It’s dumb. I mean, Angel knows I like his touches. How could he not?

He makes a humming sound and tucks a curl behind my ear. Then he turns away, leaving me with my thoughts and Buffy the badass snake.

I’m aware of him on the periphery of my vision. Angel takes his phone and keys out of his pocket. He puts them in a bowl by the door.

I frown.

It’s so homey.

But I guess he would be at home here. Nico is his boss, his king, and his cousin.

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