Page 3 of The Vipers and Their Venom

Big Mike shakes his head. “This asshole was assaulting your daughter. We caught him in the act.”

His expression darkens with fury. My dad is the overprotective type. More than overprotective. He doesn’t even let the other club members look at me. They have to avert their eyes when I walk past. Half the time, I feel utterly invisible.

“He did what? Clip the fucker.” He turns his attention to me. “You okay, Vani?”

I blink back tears and sniff. “Yeah, I think so.”

Dad grits his teeth. “How did he think he was going to get away with this?”

“I’m guessing it wasn’t his head he was thinking with,” Big Mike says. “Don’t worry, he’s not going to be hurting anyone again.”

My dad helps me to my feet and pulls me in for a hug. I allow myself to be held. I’m shaking from the adrenaline.

“Let’s get you back inside,” he says.

I let him guide me back into the bar, where he takes me into the office at the rear. He pulls a chair out for me, and I drop into it. I’m aware of my torn shirt, and I pull the material over the top of my bra, suddenly self-conscious. My lip is throbbing and feels too fat for my face.

The cover band is still playing, the musicians and most of the customers completely unaware of the dead body lying in the alleyway just outside.

“Jesus Christ. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” He shakes his head and drags his hand through his hair. “I know you think I go overboard, but this is exactly the sort of thing I’ve been fearful of, Ivani. Just the thought of him touching my baby girl makes me want to have him killed all over again. How could something like this happen?”

His gaze lands on my torn shirt and the spots of blood on my skin—though the blood isn’t mine. He balls his fists, his shoulders bunched.

“What do you expect, Dad?” I say with a deliberate lower lip tremble. “I’m always around these guys. You might have rules in place for how the club members treat me, but when people come in from out of town, they’re not going to know who I am. Something like this was going to happen eventually, and it’ll probably happen again.”

He glowers, a muscle beneath his eye ticking. “People should have enough fucking respect for me to know not to lay a finger on you.”

“Dad, people know who you are, and they do respect you,”because they’re fucking terrified of you, I don’t add, "but you have to realize they don’t know whoIam. Maybe when I was a little girl, it was obvious I’m your daughter, but now I just look like one of the other ol’ ladies or sweet butts who hang around this place.”

Horror crosses his face as it dawns on him that I’m right. I’m not a little girl anymore, and I’m bound to attract the attention of the kind of men who spend time in the clubhouse.

He grinds his teeth. “I’ll put a couple of my best guys on you. Make sure you’re not bothered by anyone again.”

I raise an eyebrow. “What? For the rest of my life? How’s that going to work, Dad? I would like an actual life one day. Besides, isn’t it pretty much already destined that I’m going to end up as part of the club? I guess I’m just going to end up marrying one of the club members and having babies one day.” I purposefully make myself sound resigned at the prospect.

The horror on his expression deepens. “Fuck that. You’re smart, Vani. I don’t want you marrying one of these assholes.”

I quirk a wry smile. “Like Mom did, you mean.”

He snorts at that. “Yeah, like your mom did, God bless her soul.”

Mom’s been dead six months now. It was an accident. A guy on a motorcycle drove straight into her when she was just minding her own business outside of the clubhouse. The man driving the bike had a heart attack. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but Dad still blames himself for Mom even being there when it happened. The doctors thought she was going to live, but, after a week in the hospital, she got sepsis, and her body was too weak to fight anymore. Losing her broke both our hearts.

“I don’t want you to end up like your mom. She deserved better, too.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Dad. I’m surrounded by bikes and bikers. It’s not like I can avoid them. I mean, if you let me go to college…”

His lips pinch. “What, where we can keep even less of an eye on you? Not happening, kiddo.”

I bite my lower lip. “What if the place was miles away from anywhere? Somewhere…discreet.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I found this place. It’s called Verona Falls University. You won’t find it on any of the regular prospectuses. It’s exclusive.”

A couple of lines appear between his brows. “How did you find out about it, then?”

“Through a friend of a friend,” I lie. “I’d never have found out about the place otherwise.”

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