Page 175 of A Love Like Venom

“Will you tell me what had you distracted?”

I chuckle. “Didn’t forget about that, did you?”

“I couldn’t forget anything surrounding you.”

I smile at that and lightly tease, “That must make me the center of your world.”

She props her head on my chest with her arm so she can look directly in my eyes. I’m captivated. “You’re not the center of it,” she begins softly, emotion heavy in her voice, “you are my world.” In her eyes I know it’s the truth.

“Sometimes I can’t believe that you really mean that,” I confess. It is astounding how someone as good as her freely chooses me.

That an angel can love a sinner.

Her finger traces my brow bone that is scrunched. I immediately relax under her touch. “Sometimes I can’t believe thatyoucan’t believe that. You’re a good person, Reed. Flawed, yes but we all are. You deserve so much more than what you give yourself.”

My hands clasp at her lower back. A lump forms in my throat and I force myself to swallow it down. Tears press at the back of my eyes. All because she understands. This beautiful woman understands me completely. She always has.

Gruffly I say, “All I want is you.”

“Then you shall always have me,” she promises. Her face turns pensive. “But that isn’t what had you distracted. Tell me, Reed Carter, what’s going on in that beautiful dark mind of yours?”

You see, she even calls my darkness beautiful. My heart aches from the sweetness.

“I am not going to let anything happen to you,” I promise.

Emotions stay clogged in my throat. Feelings I can’t describe lodged in my chest. Words I can’t formulate in mind I can’t translate for her to hear.

I just want her to know that I will protect her. That she doesn’t have to worry any longer. Her days of pain and suffering are over.

Those monsters aren’t going to come any where near her.

No harm will be done to her.

I swear it on my life.

“And I believe in you. There is no one on this earth who will protect me like you. You shouldn’t worry. I’m here. Safe. With you.” She emphasizes the last part. “I’m not scared when I’m with you.”

“Here I am scared every fucking second that the next you’ll be gone.”

Her hands come to caress my face. “I’m never leaving you.”

Hearing her say those words with such conviction helps ease the fear of losing her but it’s still there. Some fears you can never overcome. “I know.”

“Then why be afraid?”

“Because the thought of losing you is terrifying. The possibility of Razor capturing you is paralyzing. I don’t think you understand that without you there is nothing for me. Nothing. And if something happens-”

“Nothing is going to happen to me. There is nothing to fear. I promise you.”

I swallow pass the lump in my throat and wish on every fucking star there is that her words are true.

To bring back a light hearted touch to the heaviness I stick out my pinky and hold it out towards her. “Pinky promise?”

She laughs, the musical sound soothing my fears better than her words. Smiling at me cheekily she interlocks her pinky with mine. “Pinky promise.” Then she sweetens the promise with a kiss.

“Are you sure you don’t need back up?” Dex asks Oak the following morning over breakfast.

Rosa and the girls prepared a massive breakfast for all of us to enjoy. To say it’s delicious would be an insult. It’s absolutely fantastic. Way better than the cereal I tend to go towards.

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