Page 57 of The Bitterness of Venom

Her blue-green eyes are sparkling like they did when we were kids, and I bend down to kiss her. She pulls back, fishing her phone out and hitting play on a song I’ve never heard, and I shake my head. “Are you going to give me a show, Freckles?”

She grins, blinking her eyes innocently. “Of course.”

Blaise grabs the first knife and stabs it through Clint’s right leg. He screams and she smiles at him as his blood coats her stomach. She swipes some of the blood with her finger, painting aBon his forehead. She takes the next knife and thrusts it through his other leg. The third knife goes straight through his dick, and he screams out with a loud cry. Blood seeps through his pants, and I cringe.

But then she smiles down at him, and I wish I wasn’t so sick because that has my dick standing to attention. She brings another knife down and makes four slashes across his stomach. “Four marks for every client you allowed to touch me when I was a child. Sure, nothing happened, but not even a single finger should have landed on my thighs,” she whispers close to his face as he squeezes his eyes shut.

Then she thrusts her knife inside him fifteen times. Blood goes everywhere, coating her entire body. “Fifteen for the age I was when you pulled me into your fucked-up games,” she says louder.

She grabs the Glock, positions it in Clint’s mouth, and pulls the trigger. Brain matter splatters everywhere and my ears ring from the sound of the gunshot. Once the ringing stops, I stalk over to Blaise, cupping my hand around the back of her neck and crashing my lips to hers. I grind my hips into her, picking her up by her ass, growling. I drop her on the table, ripping her panties off her body and shoving myselfdeep inside her. My head drops back as I rock forward. I hear her soft moans and pick up my speed.

“Fuck, Blaise.” I bring my lips to her neck and bite down.

I look deep into her eyes. “Marry me today.” It wasn’t a question, and she knows it.

“Okay,” she pants.

I bring her legs over my shoulders while I thrust in deep, and she cries out with my name on her lips. Over and over again.

I write my name in my uncle’s blood across her stomach. “I’m getting close, Freckles.”

She nibbles her lip with hooded eyes. “Pull out, I just got my contraception device taken out.”

I chuckle, rubbing my hands all over her delicious body. “Fuck that. I’m putting my baby inside you,” I growl.

Five yearslater

I wait for Desmond after the game from the box he reserved for us as his demon children run around screaming and giggling. Children. Two. A four-year-old boy named Clyde and a two-year-old girl named Claire.

And okay, fine. They’reourdemon children.

And I’ve never loved anything or anyone the way I love them.

Even if their screams are echoing off the walls of the box. We always get a private one. Sometimes Destiny and her children join us. Her husband Paul and Desmond signed with the same team after college. It’s been nice to have a friend the past five years.

Claire giggles, pink jersey with her daddy’s name and number on the back. Pink bows on each space bun. She looks like Desmond, but she has my eyes.

Clyde sits beside me, blowing out a breath, eyes wide. “She’s crazy. We should lower her sugar intake.”

Did I mention he’s a genius and talks like a fifty-year-old man who’s seen it all?

“I think all two-year-olds are crazy. You definitely were.”

His nose scrunches, the freckles scattered across the bridge wrinkling. “No way. There is just no way I was that crazy. Look at her.” He points with exasperation, making me chuckle.

Sure enough, Claire is licking the glass that overlooks the hockey arena.

First kid, I would have lost it, but being a mom for the second time? I’m just happy it’s not bird poop or something.

Clyde looks up at me, an eyebrow raised as if to say,“Told you.”

“There is my girl,” Desmond says from behind me.

Claire spins around, eyes wide, a toothy grin on her face as she runs to her dad, arms held up high. He bends, snatching her up and lifting her to his shoulders.

I thought Desmond could never be hotter than he was, but then we had kids, and, well, the dad look is sexy on him.

He runs his free hand through Clyde’s hair, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

Clyde takes my hand, then grabs his dad’s with the other. We walk down the hallway. I look up to Desmond to find himalready staring at me. His eyes promising something dark and delicious.

I love this man so much, but I would throw him in front of a train to save my children if I had to.

He mouths,“I love you.”

And I know there is no doubt he means it.

The End

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