Page 102 of The Venom We Bleed

“Thanks, but I’ll handle it myself,” I say, my voice biting with frost as I grit the words out.

“You should talk to him, honey.” Morpheus’ hand hovers over my shoulder as if he wants to pull me against him, as if he wants to offer me comfort.

I urge my legs to step back, to move away, but they don’t. I don’t want comfort. I want justice. I want the man who wrecked my life to pay for his crimes. What would talking to him do now?

“Hey, are you okay, Juliet?” Nolan’s voice penetrates the tension between Morpheus Calloway and me. A warm body sidles up next to me and Morpheus immediately takes a step away. I can breathe again.

“I’m fine,” I lie. “I was just saying hi to an old family friend.” My feet start to move, Nolan’s interruption giving them new life. I pivot away. “Thanks for the offer, Mr. Calloway,” I call back over my shoulder as I reach for Nolan’s hand and tug him with me. “I’m okay now though. You don’t need to take care of me anymore.”

Nolan doesn’t say a word, and he doesn’t force me to stop walking and turn back. To my utter relief, he merely swings an arm over my shoulders—the scent of grass and wet dew heavy on his sweaty body—and ushers me over to where Mads is waiting with Gio and Lex. Gio’s eyes move from Morpheus to me, questions in their depths. I look away.

No, I don’t need Morpheus Calloway to take care of me. If there’s one thing I’ve proven in the last several months, it’s that I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.

40

GIO

Juliet is eerily quiet as we drive back to Nolan’s house so he can shower in private—Nolan in Lex’s truck and Juliet in my Firebird. When we pull up to the single-story millhouse, Nolan gets out of the Firebird and heads up the front steps. I glance over to the passenger seat.

“Hey, you want to go get changed?” I offer. “We’re going to a party to celebrate the win. You’re gonna get cold if you stay like that.” I gesture to the basketball shorts and jersey she’s wearing.

Juliet gives me a look that says everything and nothing at all. As if she knows what’s going through my mind because, yeah, it’s not just the cold I’m worried about. Fact is, I don’t like that she’s wearing another guy's jersey—even if he’s already graduated.

In a blink, I can see her in my mind wearing my jersey and nothing else. Her long, toned legs parting as the blue and white fabric rides up. I shift against the seat and shut that shit down as soon as I realize what I’m doing. I really don’t want to get a hard-on here.

“Can I stay behind?” she asks, nodding to the house that’s illuminated by my headlights.

“No.”

She sighs and then nods. “Then, yeah, fine, I’ll get changed.”

I nod and shut off the engine, killing the lights as we both step out of the vehicle. Letting Juliet cross in front of me first and head for the front door, I wave over to Lex to let him know we’ll be back. He nods and lifts his phone, typing away on it—no doubt still managing to work even after a grueling game.

Together, Juliet and I head into Nolan’s house. The sound of squeaking pipes sending water through the walls echoes back as Nolan showers down the hall. “Grab a jacket too,” I tell her as she scurries towards the hall, but she’s already disappeared, ignoring me.

Shaking my head, I turn away from the hall towards the kitchen. Eliza, Nolan’s mom, usually keeps a couple of bottles of tequila under the sink when she’s had a rough day. I find them and the shot glasses. Pouring three shots, I take the first, wincing as the burn cuts down my throat like a knife.

“Jesus!” I mutter, but that’s cheap tequila for you. I pick up the second one before thinking better of it and setting it back down. Maybe I’ll pawn it off on Nolan or Lex. With Juliet hanging around, the likelihood of me actually getting laid tonight is low. I only really need to drink if I’m gonna fuck some chick to relieve the stress.

“Starting early?” Juliet’s voice comes from the kitchen’s open door. I grin and turn to face her as she steps into the darkened room.

My eyes trail down her body. The basketball shorts and jersey have been replaced by jeans and an oversized hoodie that all but swallows her up. Her blue hair has been tossed up into a messy bun and … did she wash her face? Her makeup is gone, and it’s only now that I realize the sound of water pumping through the pipes is gone. Nolan must be out of the shower.

I arch a brow. “I told you we were going to a party,” I remind her.

She frowns as she rounds the counter and stops next to me, her eyes on the two remaining shot glasses. “Yeah, I heard you the first time,” she replies. “Are you going to drink both of those?”

I ignore her question. “If you know that, then why aren’t you more dressed up?” I ask. “You took your makeup off.” There’s a vicious twist in my gut as I imagine her all dressed up, kitted out, and ready to seduce. “Have you given up on finding a rich sugar daddy to take you back to your rightful place?”

The look she sends me would burn me to a crisp if it had the ability. “I’m not looking to be rescued,” she snaps.

“No?” Shut up, G. Despite the internal command, I can’t seem to help myself. “Seems to me you could use a bit of rescuing. Why not get prettied up so you can find some knight that’ll take you under his wings and protect you from the big bad scorpions.”

“Maybe I’ll kiss a frog and he’ll turn into a prince,” she says in the same snide tone.

Why don’t you kiss me and find out, Prep Girl?I manage to keep the offer from falling off my tongue but just barely. The sight of her dressed in some other motherfucker’s number still has me riled and I need to calm down.

Juliet shakes her head and reaches for one of the last remaining shots. “Take your shot,” she tells me, lifting the glass.

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