Page 107 of A Love Like Venom

Next, I introduce her to Pax’s Old Lady, Stella. She has long curly red hair and skin so pale that a porcelain doll would be jealous. She waves at Alice in a friendly manner with a smile on her face. “This is Stella, Pax’s Old Lady,” I tell her.

“Your hair is beautiful,” Alice gushes and Stella’s cheeks turn crimson from the compliment. She’s definitely the most innocent out of the bunch and that even includes my angel.

I can bet every dollar that I have that Stella never helped kill a man.

“Thank you. I’d kill to have your long legs,” Stella says with envy. My mind goes right back down to the gutter because Alice’s legs are fucking fantastic. The things I could do with them wrapped around my waist or neck rather.

My last introduction is the one and only Haven Thorton. The only one who doesn’t have a warm smile on her face but a studying eye. She looks Alice up and down before her eyes fall to me. When she sees my warning glare she smirks.

Before I can introduce her Haven rises from her seat and does so herself. I’ll give my girl credit, for as intimidating as Haven can be Alice doesn’t shrink away from her. “So, you’re the one who has only saw the real him,” she begins. I have no idea where this is going but I want to stop it before it goes any further.

“And?” Alice prompts, waiting for her to say more.

“And I just want to know if you really accept him.”

“Haven.” My voice is low as I say her name in warning.

Alice turns to place her hand over my heart. Giving me a smile, she assures me, “It’s okay, Reed.” I don’t miss the gasps from the others, including the fucking prospect from Alice using my real name. She then turns back to Haven and replies, “I have always accepted him.Always. It was him who had to face himself, but I saw him. I saw all of him and never ran away.”

I swallow, my heart beating heavy in my chest. Because she’s right. It was me who broke that promise and walked away. It was me who didn’t believe her.

She never strayed.

Haven then smiles, a genuine one that reaches her eyes. A smile like that from Haven is rare. She only gives it to people who deserve it.

So, the fact that she’s giving it to Alice has me feeling like I dodged a bullet.

Either way if she accepted Alice or not, I wasn’t going to let her go. But it’s nice to know that Haven will be friendly with her. Given her normal attitude that’s a blessing.

I love Haven like one would their very own sister but that doesn’t take away the fact that she can be bitchy.

Her personality you have to warm up to. It’s definitely an acquired taste. Honestly, I think Dex is the only man,scratch that, only person who can turn her into absolute mush.

Love does that to you.

“I told the fucking idiot he would be wrong. I swear men can be so stupid. I’m Haven by the way. Glad you’re here to finally knock some sense back to him.” She snorts.

“He doesn’t need me to knock the sense back into him. He just needs someone to remind him that he isn’t as bad as he makes himself out to be,” she replies softly. And fuck, I don’t even care that we have an audience, my heart throbs for her.

And damn it I find myself falling more for her.

How did I ever let myself walk away from her?

What in my mind possessed me to think that this beautiful kindhearted woman was ever a demon?

And how in the fuck did she find it within herself to let me back in her life again? To grace me with her presence.

I really hope that one day she doesn’t change her mind because I don’t know what I’ll do without her.

Grasping her chin, I share deeply in her eyes before pressing a lingering kiss to her cheek.

A clearing of the throat from Slater has me breaking away from her and pinning my eyes to him. “You know you’re late for Church, right?” He reminds me. Sad part is I really did forget about the whole ordeal.

She makes everything but her cease to exist.

Glancing at the clock above the bar I try not to wince as it shows that I’m close to thirty minutes late.

Fuck me sideways.

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