Page 27 of Venus

Mama studied image. Holding it close to really look at it. When she met my gaze again, her expression gave nothing away. “What else?”

“I know you’re Josephine Peyton. And that you’re supposed to be dead along with Michael Wilbanks. I also know CIA would lay waste to Bones if they knew you were still alive and Bones had been hiding you all this time.”

“What do you want from this, Venus?” Mama was as direct as I’d always known her to be.

“I want Godforsaken chip out of my fuckin’ shoulder. After that, I want to kill Victor.”

“And us?” She raised an eyebrow.

This was it. The moment Mama decided my worth. Never in my life had I expected someone’s opinion of me would matter so much. Piston’s opinion mattered, but I knew where I stood with him. He’d been the one to pursue me. Not the other way around like I was doing with Mama. I could have kept all this from her and remained in background, content to watch from afar. But that’s not what I wanted.

“I want to claim my family.”

Mama smiled then, the sight warm and welcoming. “My dear Venus, you have always been family.” She stepped toward me and laid her palm on my cheek. “The only thing this changes now is you don’t get to go your own way. Even though more than one of us has been concerned you’re too much of a loner, we’ve all given you space because Thorn said that’s what you preferred. Now you don’t get that luxury. You tell us what you need. We make it happen.”

“I swear to fucking God, if you make me cry, I’m disowning you.” I muttered. “I haven’t cried since I was child until couple of days ago. Now I can’t seem to stop with that nonsense.”

Mama smiled. “Doesn’t matter if you do or not. I’m not disowning you. Ever. Now. Come here. Your Aunt Jo needs a hug from one of her two favorite nieces.”

Yeah. I was going to have to eat my words, because I cried like little baby as I clung to Mama. I knew I needed to give Millie heads-up, but it would also be kind of fun to see what happened if I let Mama and Pops blindside her. Yeah. I was bitch. Didn’t mean it wouldn’t be fun to watch. Besides, Millie would get over it.

When Mama finally let me go, I was relieved when she had tears in her own eyes. I supposed if Mama could have moment, so could I. We both laughed.

“I always thought there was something familiar about you but could never put my finger on it.” The older woman now had both my hands in hers, petting me like she might child. I thought she might be trying to reassure me, like she knew how uncomfortable the idea of permanent family had been to me. I had to smile because, for first time since I’d left Russia, I thought of family not with dread or even longing. There was only warmth and fullness in my heart I had no hope of describing or understanding. All I knew was I’d do anything to protect this family. I also realized that I’d had this same family for several years and hadn’t acknowledged it.

“It was all the pink,” I said with chuckle. “I told myself disguise was necessary, but I think it was excuse to hide.”

“So? Pops and I have been hidden for decades. We do what we must to survive and to protect those we love.” She finally let me go. “Now. Taking out his chip should be straightforward. It’s not too deep under the skin. I’ll give you a local. If I have to go deeper than it looks, we’ll talk about something a little stronger.”

“Sounds good.”

Chapter Twelve

Piston

Mama had no trouble removing the tracking chip. The only question was what to do with it. Which, I had a thought.

“I don’t want Giovanni involved in this,” Venus said, pacing back and forth while I sat sprawled on the couch watching her.

She was dressed in jeans that molded her hips and thighs lovingly. Not pink. Just a standard blue denim. The top she wore was a camisole tank in black that showed tantalizing glimpses of her toned abdomen when she moved her arms. Pale blonde locks down to her waist replaced the pink, and her eyes were now a clear, pale blue like a summer sky. Yeah. I was one lucky bastard to have this woman in my bed. Even luckier for her to be mine and no one else’s.

“So? Don’t involve him. He’s been blowing up my phone wondering why we haven’t left, by the way.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That we needed to rest after that last hunt before we made a thirteen-hour ride.”

“He buy it?”

I shrugged. “Hard to say, but if I were guessing, I’d say no.” It was hard to keep the grin off my face. “I didn’t really try too hard to convince him. Bastard thinks he rules the world but I think he’s gettin’ the idea I simply don’t give a fuck.”

She stopped then, giving me a brilliant smile. “Good. I like that.”

“What do you want to do?”

She moved to me, stripping off her shirt and tossing it to the couch. “There’s loaded question if I ever heard one.” Her jeans and panties followed her shirt before she straddled me, her knees on either side of my hips, naked as the day she was born.

I grinned up at her as she reached for my shirt, tugging it off me and tossing it next to us with her own clothing. “I suppose it is.” I rested my hands on her silky thighs. The muscles playing beneath her skin was sexy as shit. All of Venus was sexy. Battle scars marred the perfection of her skin, but instead of making me furious like I thought it should, the reminder of her prowess in battle only filled me with pride.

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