Page 19 of Truths

Part of Venom wants to see Lex in action. Real action. If her words are any indication, she can scrap. And she can probablywin. Like she told Chance, the club is in her blood, and he suspects they’re more than just harsh words in her repertoire.

“I don't know if I can stay here too much longer,” Venom admits. “Seeing Marnie tonight was too hard. I wanted to give in. And until you guys showed up, no one wanted anything to do with me unless they needed something taken care of.”

“It's your decision if you do or not,” she says.

Closing his eyes, he sighs. “But I don't want you to think badly of me. More than people already do.”

“I don't have to agree with your actions to support you. I can't stop you from making mistakes, but I'll be here to help you when you realize them. I might point them out and tell you that I told you so, but I'm not going to stop being your friend because of it.”

Friend. He has a friend. It feels strange. Even though she’d admitted it in the basement, he didn’t really take it to heart until now.

“You have two friends,” Colt says, reading his mind. “Probably more. After how you reacted in that house when we got Dani, I think Dax sees you that way, too. And Undertaker really liked you.”

“I like Undertaker,” Lex says, her voice sounding dreamy.

Opening his eyes, Venom sees her chin in her hand with a goofy grin while Colt rolls his eyes and stands. “I'm getting another beer.”

“What the hell?” Venom asks.

She just giggles. “Something about Undertaker is so captivating, and I think it comes down to that deep voice. I just want him to rock me to sleep reading me a story. But I also do it because it gets a rise out of Colt. And that really benefits me later, if you know what I'm saying.”

“How long have you been married?”

“Longer than most,” she says and smiles. “But you'd think we were newlyweds. Just ask Bodie. He lived with us for a while.”

Kudos to those two. “I was going to ask where the kiddos are tonight.”

“Bodie and Jolie have been staying with them. We all talked and thought it might be good to have me free in case Dax needs help with Dani again. Colt said you suggested having me come and help when she got combative in the basement.”

“I seriously want to murder every Kingsmen I see now. She looked so broken. I've never had someone beg to die before.” Lex raises an eyebrow, and he smirks. “Without me torturing them first,” he clarifies.

“It was a smart move. In a situation like that, especially when our imaginations of what she went through likely aren't even touching the surface of her reality, having another woman in there can help ease things a bit.”

He just shrugs. “I figure if you can comfort me, you can comfort a scared woman.”

“I comfort you?” she asks, her lip sticking out in a happy pout. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

Laughing, he shakes his head. When was the last time he laughed with someone? Really laughed and had a normal conversation without hidden sexual tension and secrecy? “Yes.”

“I'm touched!”

Colt sits down and places three beers on the table for them. “Better not be.”

“He says I comfort him,” she says and clinks her bottle with both of them.

Venom stares at the beer in his hand. Colt thought to bring him one. Again, something so simple yet so out of the ordinary for him. “Thanks.”

“You gotta stop looking surprised when people do common courtesies, man.”

“No one does this. Hell, no one would sit here and talk to me without it being club related. Usually asking a favor.”

“Well, I have a favor,” Lex says and leans back.

His eyes narrow. “Yeah?”

“Stop acting like you don't deserve this. You do, so please stop looking so surprised that we want to befriend you. It makes me hate she-who-shall-not-be-said even more because I have a feeling you still feel like what she gave you is all you deserve from someone.”

Swallowing, he looks at the beer. “It's all I've ever been told.”

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