Page 72 of Rawest Venom

“If you say one more goddamn word hailing Strauss? You won’t be invited back here.” If Max’s deep brown eyes could murder me, they would have already.

Taking a deep breath, I keep my voice steady. “Clearly, we are of two different opinions.”

“It’s not an opinion, Cal. It’s afactthat he is a mass murderer and human trafficker. He deserves death, and if you’re trying to undermine our plans for him, then you’re not welcome.”

My sister and I catch each other’s gazes for a moment, an unspoken twin conversation passing between the two of us. She steps back toward Max and places her hand on his forearm in a display of loyalty. “He’s right. My husband is right.”

V steps closer to me, and I place my arm around her waist, then nod at the Freidenbergs. We’re paired off now. Two against two. And Ace with his wolf pack. Though I have a feeling it will be two houses against me. I suppose Max wanted to force a senate vote to take down Strauss…and now I’ve ruined his plan. And I’m definitely going to now.

“Well. I suppose I should say who killed Ashley before you all get to your lovely meal.”

Ace turns to face me fully, the first time I’ve ever seen an expression of fear in his crystal blue eyes. He crosses his arms as if to protect himself from the hurt this will bring him. “Tell me. Who? Who killed my sister, Cal?”

The room grows still and quiet. No one moves, and I gather up some air in my lungs. There are no tears or guilt any longer. Things turned out as they should have. In some alternate universe, probably not in Gnarled Pine Hollow, there are little girls and boys who can enjoy their youth without the dangers our world puts themunder. Maybe one day, I can have that for our children, too. And I’d like that for West Side, and then maybe the rest of the town.

“I did.”

As if I hadn’t said anything aloud, things remain calm. Only Ace’s eyelashes blink rapidly, repeatedly. “Wha-what?”

“I did it.”

Ace’s face turns from a shade of white to salmon to red, the veins bulging in his temples, beating with a rapid pulse as his neck muscles strain. Livia’s jaw drops and Max leans forward over his chair. V’s hand slips from mine as I stand firmly with my confession out in the atmosphere.

It’s light here.

Both of Ace’s tanks make steady movements toward me as Ace suddenly whips out his gun and presses it into my forehead. Some of me expects he’ll just go ahead and pull the trigger, so I close my eyes in goodbye, my only wish that I got to see if V is indeed pregnant or not before I go.

“The fuck?! Explain yourself right the fuck now! You killed my sister?!” Ace screams as Max pulls out his handgun and aims it at both me and Ace, then flashes it around the room at Dash, who pulls out his gun and aims it at Max. Livia grabs Ari and they head into the corner. Everyone is afraid, jumping to action. Someone knocks over a candlestick and a shriek can be heard as their cook backs up into the kitchen, dropping a silver platter. The room is buzzing, angry, and violent…

Except for V.

Veracity. She disarms the wolf in two quick hand movements and holds the gun at Ace’s temple as he slowly raises his bulky arms in the air. Seeing her as my badass spy is such a fucking turn-on. Not just physically, but that she would sacrifice everything to protect me just as I would her… This is love. “Lower your fucking weapons. Now. Everyone. Dash? You, too. Lower them.”

The men step back and stow their weapons as she slowly lowers Ace’s gun to hold it at her side.

“I had to. Ace, I wouldn’t have done it, but she begged me. My father kidnapped, raped, and tortured little girls. He was a sick fuck and so I killed him, too.” Livia’s gasp in horror is audible as she almost hits the floor, but Ari and Max rush to help her. “Ashley was in pain, Ace. He’d hurt her so badly, she begged me to end her. So, I did.”

Ace’s teeth clench, and his eyes fill with raging tears. “I don’t believe you.” His chest rises and falls heavily with every word. Clenching his hands into fists, he presses them against either side of his head. “You killed her… You killed my sister. She was just a kid, and you fucking murdered her.” It’s difficult news for him to hear, I know.

And, yet, I want to laugh, feeling so carefree. It’s over. It’s done with. I did what I had to do. I paid the sins of my father by ending him and helping at least one of his victims rest in peace and another to have a better life. There were so many more things I could have done for the others, but it’s too late for them now. I believe that working with Strauss to end Herodius will lead us out of this mess, but I’m not exactly sure how to do that.

Perhaps it starts with the unknown figure Amalthea.

V takes a deep breath in, but before she can speak, I slip my body in front of her slightly. Despite her holding a weapon, I want to protect her. She lowers her voice and speaks softly to my old friend. “I was there. I was a witness. It’s true what he says.”

Darting his gaze over to my puppet, he says, “Then I don’t believe you, either.” Spit flies from his mouth as he speaks. Before I can even correct Ace for speaking to my fiancée that way, Max interrupts.

“Get out,” Max orders, leaning over his wife protectively.

With one last look around the room, I study everyone’s faces. It’s apparent V and I are the only ones living blissfully at peace now. And we don’t belong here. Gathering V’s hand in mine, we turn to leave, but Ace stops me with his parting words.

“This is war.”

Epilogue

CALUM

Alabaster skin flakes off in shreds as she scratches her leg repeatedly until I place my hand over hers to stop her. Standing, I adjust the beach umbrella so it covers more of her body, then toss my T-shirt over her legs before sitting back on the lounge chair. The heat radiates off the sand as I snatch her bag and grab the lotion bottle inside. “Give,” I say with a wave of my fingers at her. She rolls her beautiful emerald eyes and plops her calf in my lap as I squirt out a long ribbon of white cream, then proceed to massage her and rub it in. “You know, other wives would be thrilled their husbands did this without even being asked,” I say with my tongue darting to my cheek, trying to contain my smile.

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