Page 197 of A Love Like Venom

“Because every time you two look at one another I don’t know whether a disappearing act of your clothes are going to happen or not.”

My cheeks burn and I feel it flare down to my chest. “Rosa,” I admonish her suddenly feeling shy even though I have every rightnotto be. Reed and I are like that with one another except I never really thought we were that obvious about it.

She rolls her eyes at me. “Don’t act all innocent with me. Lord knows you can’t be with a man like Snake. Honestly Alice, with a body like his I don’t blame you.” That’s it, my cheeks are the reddest they have ever been. “And the best thing is, it’s all yours.”

My mouth drops open. “Oh my god, you are worse than Grace.” Something I thought that could never happen. She has one of the dirtiest minds I know and she doesn’t care who hears.

“I may be old but I am not dead. And I’ve learned that age doesn’t matter. I want my man just as much as I did when I was young. Probably even more so now and you want to know why?” I nod my head and wait for her to tell me. Her eyes drift to his lovingly before meeting mine again. “Because I fall deeper in love with him everyday. For everything that we have faced together, all that we have given each other, and everything that he has done for me I find him more handsome now then when we were young.”

“That’s beautiful, Rosa.”

“Being in love is but it’s not also without its difficulties. You weather the stormtogether.You fighttogether.You may break down but you healtogether.Always together.”

She is wise beyond her years. Born from a different time. And I take her words and hold them dear.

“Thank you,” I find myself saying to her.

Her brows pitch upwards. “For?”

“For being everything my mother isn’t. It’s nice . . . Really nice to have someone to talk to.”

Her face turns sympathetic once again before she pulls me back in her arms. And it’s more than nice to have that motherly affection. To be embraced. “You’re family, honey. You need me for anything and I’ll be there.” I try not to tear up from her raw sincerity.

Instead of voicing my thanks, afraid I’ll choke on the words, I hug her tighter.

I am so grateful to have someone like her in my life.

Being around her helped distract my mind from drifting down its dangerous path.

Although I may still be worried I feel stronger now.

Pounding happens against the steel door to the main entrance of the compound startling the both of us. They start slow at first and progressively get faster.

Then a booming voice shouts, “Stonesville Sheriff’s Department!” Our wide eyes meet at the same time. “Open the fuck up, Sticks!” The voice is forceful and demanding. “We have a massive fucking problem! Open the door. Now!” My heart that had only a brief reprieve starts speeding up. It beats rapidly inside my chest like it’s about to burst.

Sticks mutters under his breath and slides a frustrated hand down his face. From his phone he accesses the camera to the main entrance and displays it on the TV before us.

When he does we all experience the same emotion.

Horror.

A man who I assume is the Sheriff, based on his attire, is holding up a barely breathing Slater.

Slater.

My heart constricts painfully as I take him in. Tears press at the back of my eyes as my throat begins to burn from swallowing back my cries.

All I see is blood staining his entire leg. So much of it that I can’t believe he’s managing to keep his eyes open. But those piercing blue eyes of his have faded to a dull blue. His lip is busted open and his nose is a bloody catastrophe.

As the steel door opens the Sheriff comes barging inside with a scowl on his face and practically carrying Slater.

We all immediately rush to them. My focus entirely on Slater. I can’t take my eyes away from him.

“Do you have any idea what the fuck is going on?” A deep baritone voice demands of Sticks furiously.

Slater keeps mumbling incoherently. When his eyes finally meet mine his well with fresh tears. Weakly he reaches out to me and I take his hand in mine. I do my best not to cry but the lump in my throat makes it almost impossible.

“Fuck off Blake, we have it under control,” Sticks replies angrily.

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