Page 2 of The Venom We Bleed

“I don’t care.” I’m not afraid of Darrio Vargas. After tonight, I can’t imagine being afraid of anyone ever again. I just put a bullet in the head of my demon. What else matters?

Gio doesn’t respond right away, but his brows crease, forming twin lines between his eyes. I let my gaze drift back to the hole and the half-buried body there. If he could, G would do the same to his father. There are only two things that keep Darrio Vargas’ heart beating:

One, Gio’s mother still loves the bastard and forgives him for all of the insane shit he does to both of them. Two, Gio’s respect for me.

Taking a step towards G, I hold my hand out. “His time will come,” I assure him.

Gio stares at my outstretched arm before slowly raising his gaze to mine. “He keeps shit on everyone who works for him, Nolan,” Gio says, his voice deeper than usual. “That’s how he keeps them in line. He’ll know what you used the gun he gave you for, and he’ll use it against you.”

I don’t drop my arm, not even when my muscles begin to burn. Gio’s words aren’t a warning, they’re a fact. It’s too late now. Showing any sign of weakness or regret will only ruin all that we’ve done here tonight.

“Your father and I have an understanding,” I say. Not dad, because that’s not what the man is. “Despite what he’d have you believe, he’s not infallible.” Gio’s honey-brown eyes glaze over, the minuscule light refracting off the sheen of tears there. “Trust me,” I urge him, nudging him with my hand. His own lifts and we clasp forearms. I let the warmth of his skin on mine seep into my skin. “We’ll use him until we graduate, earn as much money as his dirty profits can afford us, and then we’re out of this shithole town.”

“You want us to leave Silverwood?” Lex asks abruptly, turning to face us fully.

“Yes.” I tighten my grip on G’s arm when he moves to release me. His gaze meets mine and I speak—talking to both of them, but forcing G to hear my words and know their sincerity. “The three of usaregetting the fuck out of Silverwood. We’re going to make money and we’ll go somewhere else. Somewhere far away.” Where no one knows us as monsters or victims or eyes us with pity or fear. “But until then”—I bore into Gio’s gaze, refusing to let go—“we’re going to rule this fucking town and everyone in it.”

Gio’s brow relaxes and the hold he has on me becomes stronger, his grip tightening once again. One hard squeeze, then I release him and he steps back.

“Fuck them,” he finally says, eyes sparking with something sinister—something that matches my own dark pride. “Fuck Xavier, fuck Darrio, and fuck everyone else that thinks we’re garbage. We’re gonna be the fucking Kings of Silverwood.”

I nod. “Then we’ll leave it all behind,” I agree. “Until that day comes, though, no one will ever step on us again.”

Lex remains silent for some time. His eyes are pitch black, sinking into the shadows around us as he glares at me.

I sigh. “You don’t give a fuck about Silverwood,” I remind him. “You have no ties to it other than G and me.”

“What abouther?” he spits out, anger coating his words.

My upper lip curls back.Her?He’s fucking concerned abouther?“She’s nothing,” I snap back. “She doesn’t even know you fucking exist. Let her go.”

A low, animalistic growl erupts from his throat and Lex’s shovel drops to the ground as he stalks towards me. Gio curses and steps between us. I stand tall and straight, waiting. I’ll be fucking damned if I shrink away from his violence now.

“Lex, man, stop!” G presses a hand into Lex’s chest and the other man halts, though he continues to lean against the light hold.

“She’s not nothing,” Lex snaps. “She’smine.”

“She’s a distraction,” I reply, crossing my arms. “Do you honestly think she’ll give you the time of day?”

The specter of this damned girl haunts the air between us, a sore reminder of Lex’s obsession with someone he can never have.

Juliet Donovan.

Her face comes to mind, pretty golden hair with dark roots and eyes the color of the clearest sky. She’s far too perfect for someone like him—like any of us. Rich. Beautiful. Unattainable. I can’t say I blame Lex for his one-sided infatuation with her, but it’s been ten fucking years. Ten years since kindergarten and the one year that kids like us—poor, grubby, and damaged—were allowed to be in the same class as those on the other side of the tracks before Silverwood Prep had been finished.

“She was nice to you once, asshole,” I gripe. “She pitied you.” Somehow the bastard latched on to her and hasn’t let go even though they haven’t even spoken since then.

“You don’t know her!” Lex leans harder against Gio, earning a grunt from our more reasonable friend.

I scoff. “And you do?”

“I knoweverythingabout her!” Lex snaps. “I know her favorite color, her favorite food. I know who she’s friends with and I know about her nightmares.”

“Because you fuckingstalkher.” I bite out the words, loosening the hold of my folded arms to let them fall back to my sides. “Tell me something, Lex, if she’s so fucking important, why haven’t you asked her out yet? Why let her date those stuck-up pricks at Silverwood Prep if she’s so important?”

Lex goes still for a moment, and then, as if my words have the effect of a needle piercing a balloon, he deflates and steps back from Gio’s hold. He doesn’t answer me, not right away, but when he does speak, it’s with a low voice that I have to strain to hear. “You don’t know her like I do,” he whispers. “She’s different … she’s not like them.”

I close my eyes and inhale a deep breath. The only difference about Juliet Donovan lies in the fact a veritable psychopath loves her. Or as much as any of us can love. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. The three of us have always needed something to latch on to in order to get through our days. Lex doesn’t have parents like G and I do. So, if his clinging to the dream of Juliet Donovan will keep him sane, then I have to let him.

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