Page 44 of A Love Like Venom

"Then I fully support you." Her arms wrap me in a hug that helps soothe the pain, if only for a moment.

She then leaves me to myself not before reassuring me again that she has my back.

Turning to the mirror that is cracked in the upper corner and smudged with fingerprints I give myself a hard look.

Ordinary brown eyes are tinged red. Underneath my eyes the bags are puffy. My complexion is pale. Inside my heart is bleeding. I can feel the pain in my chest, but I have to push that aside.

There will be no tears.

No more heartache.

After all, how can you break something when it is already broken?

Pushing my hair back, I right my shoulders and stand with my head held high.

I leave the ladies room a new woman.

One who is holding onto her anger.

As I cross the club, I try to pay no attention to all the male gazes. I can feel their eyes on me, burning my skin. The only thing that helps is that I am fortunate enough that my uniformhas me clothed. I can't imagine parading around more than half naked like majority of the women here do.

When I make my way behind the bar Grace gives me an encouraging smile. I smile back but it's forced. Glancing down at my cheap watch I begin the countdown in my head.

Only three more hours left of this hell until I'm in the comforts of my car.

I don't even bother looking in the direction that Snake and Oak are. Not even a glance. I do my best to stay busy with what small number of customers I do have.

It doesn't mean I can't feel his stare. It's powerful. It's heated. And at times it has me fumbling with glasses. Still, I carry on.

He will be gaining no more satisfaction from seeing me in pain.

Those days are long over.

Fuck him.

With my back turned to the patrons preparing to fill another order I feel a rather large presence behind me. My hands grip on the Jack Daniels bottle tightly. Taking a deep breath, I then turn to find Oak standing across from me.

He really is a massive man. One you can't believe unless you see it for yourself. He towers over me, making me feel infinitely small when I know that I'm not. I'm taller than the average height standing in at five feet, eight inches. In front of Oak, I feel Gracie Mae's size of five feet, four inches, if not shorter.

He's wearing his Vipers MC leather cut again. Underneath he has a charcoal grey tee shirt and pairs it off with black jeans. Up close I can see more of the tattoos that he has. One of his arms is entirely filled with menacing skulls. Behind some of the skulls are broken and tattered wings. Amid all those terrifying skulls is four words, United States Marine Corps.

Somehow it doesn't come to a surprise to me that he belonged in The Marines. Based on the Vice President patch he wears I bet he led in the Marines as well.

After staring at his tattoos too long I meet his gaze shyly. His light blue eyes hold no judgement. They appear almost apologetic.

Although I have no problems yet with Oak, I have my guard up. "Did you need another beer?" I'm proud of how my voice doesn't shake.

He narrows his eyes at me before shaking his head back and forth. "I came to apologize on Snake's behalf."

I can't help but release a bleak laugh. Oak raises an eyebrow at me in question. "Don't apologize for him. The weight of it means nothing if he doesn't mean it."

"Understood." I'm about to turn away from him, ready for him to leave when he says something that causes me to pause. "I always thought it was Caitlin but I'm thinking it was you all along."

Hearing Caitlin's name has me clenching my jaw. She's my sister by blood but she's the furthest thing from it.

But what in the hell does he mean by it has been me all along? What do I have to do with anything?

"I don't understand," I tell him honestly.

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