Page 70 of Sweet Touch of Venom

My shoulders relax, and I gaze up into his eyes. The man they’ve trained me to hate calms me. “If you want me to leave now, I understand.”

“Absolutely not. We came for blood, and that’s exactly what we are going to get.” Ronan’s fingers leave my chin to cup my face. “I didn’t pull you away because he doesn’t deserve it. I did it because you were hurting yourself for a disgusting human like him.” He grasps my hand softly, lifting it to the middle of us.

I step back, appalled. Not only are my knuckles gashed and damaged, but my nails are also horrendous and covered in his blood. I continue studying my bruised and battered hands. It’s bloody, but I’ve never felt more satisfied.

“Say the word and I’ll shoot him right in the face; we don’t have to prolong this. I’ll slice his throat and end it right now. Give me the word, amor.” His words are promising and oozing with the name they call him—poison.

A tightening pulls at my heartstrings. The wall I’ve built over my heart rumbles and cracks. He holds my hand, the other placed on my lower lumbar. His thumb rubs around the blood, carefully to not touch the gashes. He hoods his eyes at me intensely, showing through silent words thatI’min control. I close my eyes, letting out a sigh. I am calmer than I have been since starting this venture.

“Ok. Let's finish.”

He nods, dragging his hand up my waist and to my shoulder. The simple act sends chills up my spine, and my waist presses into him tighter. He flicks his gaze back to my lips. The Adam’s apple in his throat bulges out before releasing and withdrawing from me. “You go to Dr. Rio after this and get patched up.” Gesturing his head to my bloody knuckles.

I suddenly miss his hold on me; the warmth that was created has evaporated and replaced with shivers and chills. So again, I push those unneeded feelings away. He was just doing what he was trained to do.He would do that with anyone.

I gather myself to face this man who makes me sick to my stomach. My hand is now stinging and throbbing from the aftereffect. His face is puffing from the hits, and frankly, I don’t give a damn. His swollen eyes catch me, and his gaze turns furious.

“You-you crazy fucking?—”

Ronan cuts him off by giving him another blow to his face. “Choose your next words wisely.”

I smooth down my shirt. “Let’s start over. Who paid you to go after my brother and Ronan?” I lean over in front of him.

Cracking a toothy smile, the blood staining his teeth, his head bobbing and eyes dulling. “You’ll find out soon.” He chokes out a cackling laugh.

I look over my shoulder at Ronan while he grabs his brick, my brows furrowing deeper. That doesn’t sound promising.

“We don’t have time for this shit,” Ronan snarls, throwing up the brick and catching it like a baseball.

He strolls back over to this shelf of devices, picking up a handful of things.

I slowly raise and glance at Fred, whose smile is gone. I don’tseeanything apart from the image that rests in my head of his body cut up into chunks and pieces. I pick up the butcher knife, stepping to him as Ronan follows.

Ronan leans over my shoulder, pressing into my back. The heat of his body engulfs me into his shadow, the air from his breath grazing my skin.

Dipping his lips to my ear, brushing over the curves delicately. “Let your venom free, little snake.”

A tingle runs up my gut, bursting into my chest as I stand there, watching Fred bleed out. My eyes dilate as I think back on when I sliced Joe and hung him to bleed out. That was fun.

“Make him suffer,”he whispers menacingly. I tilt my ear to his lips, compelled to his word. He continues his hushed tones into my ear of every intricate thing he wants to see me do to him. Everything I desire. All that I wish for.

“Cut him limb from limb.”

“You deserve this.”

Darkness emanates off him and swirls around me, consuming every part of my soul. He holds out his hand for me to clasp, telling me this where I belong. Take his hand and accept his danger.

And I do.

“Ruin him, little snake.”

Chapter 28

Ronan

Manchester & Chess

“Stop stalling and make your move.”

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