Page 57 of The Vipers and Their Vendetta

He nods, and a part of me wishes that he’d put up a bit of a fight and ask me to stay. Maybe write down that he doesn’t want me to leave, and that he can’t stand to sleep without me tonight. But he does none of those things, and I remind myself that this is just sex. No feelings involved.

I kiss him one more time, and then get out of the bed and put my clothes on. I walk into the bathroom and quickly use the facilities. I wash my hands at the sink and check out my reflection in the mirror above to make sure I don’t look too disheveled.

I use the small towel hanging from a hook next to the sink to dry my hands, and as I’m about to turn, I catch my reflection in the mirror once more?—

A shriek bursts from my lungs.

Zane is standing right behind me, and he has a knife in his hand, the blade pointed at my neck. I freeze, my heart clattering against the inside of my ribs. The air is trapped in my lungs, and I can’t seem to either inhale or exhale.

He taps the blade against my throat.

“Zane!” I manage to squeak.

Oh, my God, I think I’ve totally underestimated this man. Is he going to do something insane?

I don’t dare move, terrified that trying to run will prompt him to do something terrible.

He traces the knife down my throat, following the large vein there almost lovingly. He watches me in the mirror, and then leans in and kisses my cheek, while the tip of the blade presses hard enough to cause me a flash of pain. A tiny pinprick of blood blooms on my skin, and I suck in air desperately. My nipples tighten, and my core contracts.

“Please,” I beg, though I’m not completely sure what I’m begging for.

For him to release me, to not hurt me, to let me go?

Or for him to take me back to bed and fuck me all over again because crazy Zane is also undeniably hot Zane.

Zane bends down, moves the knife away, and slowly licks that one drop of blood. His eyes stay locked on mine in the mirror. He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and then runs his fingers—of the hand not holding the knife—through my hair and arranges it prettily over my shoulders.

He walks out, leaving me alone once more. I’m shaking all over, and the tiny nick on my neck continues to bleed. I grab a wad of toilet paper and bunch it to my skin until the bleeding stops. When I finally compose myself enough to leave the bathroom, I find him sitting in the same chair I had been in earlier. He holds out one hand and, between two fingers, is a piece of paper.

The note reminds me of the one I got under my door, and I hitch a breath. Is he the person responsible?

Still trembling, I take the note and read it.

Don’t take me for a fool, Venom, darling. That would be a dangerous thing for you to do. I hope you sleep now that you’ve got what you needed.

Holy hell, I’m playing with fire.

I swallow hard and grab my sweater, pulling it over my head. Before I leave the room, I risk one last glance back at Zane, but his expression is impenetrable.

I don’t know what the hell he is thinking.

Have I just made a terrible mistake?

CHAPTER 21

Saint

I’ve decidedto skip classes today.

Instead, I brought my art supplies and foldout stool out to the clearing. I need nature and fresh air and paint to clear my head.

I lift my face to the sky. It was bright sunshine earlier, but now a thick white cloud has crept in. The temperature seems to have dropped as well. I didn’t think a storm was forecast for today.

Last night keeps playing on my mind, and I know I won’t be able to concentrate. I’m going to spend the day painting and listening to music, maybe even drinking a beer or two to drive the troubling thoughts away.

Vani’s face when Lex and I told her our secret.

What had I seen there? Horror, dismay, revulsion, pity? Maybe it had been a mix of all those things. What fucking possessed me? I don’t want or need her damn pity! We were the ones who’d tied her up and were torturing her, and she’d have the nerve to feel sorry forus? Hadn’t she realized how utterly helpless she’d been in that moment, how we could have done anything we wanted to her and there was nothing she could have done to stop it?

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