Page 46 of The Bitterness of Venom

The train passes andIspill into her. "I fucking love you, Blaise."

She hums, kissing me back this time. "I love you too, Desmond."

Something in my chest clicks back into place.

Almost as if she's been patching me up a little at a time.

Blaise has always had a grip on me. Obsession and hate have blurred into love. Or maybe it's always been love and I was just too blind to realize it. It doesn't really matter now because she's mine and nothing and no one can take her away from me.

Not even death itself.

Nothing.

THIRTY-TWO

I knowsomething is wrong beforeIeven wake up.That'swhyIsteer my dream back to me.Allowingme to wallow in bliss a few moments longer. Where Desmond andIget our happily ever after. But like love, happiness is just a fleeting feeling ofneurons firing off. Nothing ever lasts.

I glide my hands over the cold sheetsnextto me, my hand landing on somethingsmooth that crinkles under my touch. My eyes shoot open as I bring the note closer. Inspecting the scratchy handwriting. My stomach sinks and myeyes well.

I have something of yours. Meet me at the abandoned warehouse.

You know, the one where you killed an innocent man.

-Clint

I crumple the paper between my hands, rising quickly out of bed. I grab my phone and slip my glasses on my face as I slide my feet into my slippers. Desmond is gone, but his keys are here. And everything inside me is screaming for me to hurry.

My hands tremble as I push the start button on Desmond’s car. I can't even drive; I have no license, but that doesn't matter when I know his life is in danger.

It'sstill dark out and when I look at the clock, I see it's four in the morning. I have no clue how Clint got ahold of Desmond, but maybe with him being his uncle it wasn't that hard to lure him out and into his SUV?

My foot presses on the gas pedal harder as I get to the outskirts of town. Pulling into the location that haunts my soul and leaves invisible bloodstains on my hands. I step out in my frowning face slippers, realizing how fucking ridiculous I look, but not caring as I enter the old decrepit building.

The door slams shut behind me and I move toward the open room. Making out the rope and the bloodstained, makeshift fighting ring. And then I see him. Desmond looks unfazed as he sits on a chair in the middle, chained up. But his eyes widen when he sees me, and he shakes his head once.

Ignoring him, I walk closer and look around the room, finally spotting Clint. He grins when he sees me. "Little one. I raised you better than to have weaknesses. One guy shows you attention and all the time and energy I put into you goes out the window?"

I climb through the rope, stopping mere inches from Desmond. Looking to Clint, I shake my head. “He doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

Clint laughs. “Doesn’t he? Isn’t he why you’re now ignoring me?”

I shake my head again, slowly moving closer to Desmond. "I’ve been ignoring you because you made me kill someone."

Clint laughs louder, this time sounding much crueler. "That's the least of your worries, little one." He tosses a gun to the ground, and it skids to my feet. He nods his head toward it. "Go ahead, pick it up."

I've never held a gun before. I always choose to keep a knife on me, it feels more personal that way. Also, maybe I'm not the badass I made myself out to be, because my hands? They shake. My knees almost knocktogetherasIpick the gun up, the coolmetalsending chills down my spine.

“Now, my little one,Ihave a deal for you.”

Deals from the devil always end in one way, no matter which path you choose—disaster.

“I’m listening.”

“Option one: you kill him and gain your freedom. All debtspaid off.”

I swallow asIlook over to Desmond. He meets my gaze with a single nod, telling me this is the choiceIneed to take. But hedoesn’t know his uncle like I do. The only way out of my debt—out of Clint’s control—is for either him or me to die.

“Option two: you kill yourself.”

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