Page 157 of Beautiful Venom

He finally picks up, a sound of shuffles echoing on his end as he lets out a groan and speaks in a husky tone, “Ever heard of a thing called sleeping time?”

“Nice to hear from you, too, Uncle. I’m glad you missed me.”

“I’d miss you more during reasonable hours.” He lets out a sigh. “What do you want?”

“Your help.”

The sound of steps padding across the floor stops, and a long silence stretches between us.

“Since when do you ask for help?” he asks slowly, all sleep gone from his voice.

“Since I made a miscalculation.”

“Explain.”

I tell him about the Dahlia thing, and how the very fucking fact of her existence is ruining all the strategies I devised to bring Grant down.

So now that I’ve decided to keep her, I’m unsure whether or not I can proceed with my agenda. Uncle Kayden knows I’ve already won over half of the board members and that I’m working on the other half.

It was supposed to be a matter of months before I snatched the reins of power and brought back Uncle Kayden and all the other family members—mostly women—that my father kicked out.

Once I graduate and become a Founder member, I’d turn the tables on Grant, facilitate his being voted out by his own people, and then take over. Little by little, I plan to undo all his decisions and rebuild the Davenport name the way I see fit.

Truly, it’s Grant’s fault for having me be so involved in the company. He wanted to train me properly, but I’ve been using that chance to corner him.

My uncle listens without interrupting. While Kayden is Grant’s younger brother, they couldn’t be any more different. They also never really liked each other.

Since Uncle Kayden caused quite a stir last year and got banished from the organization and the state, he’s lucky to be alive.

But then again, his much younger menace of a boyfriend, Gareth, wouldn’t allow it and provided him the protection of the Russian mafia.

Also, even though Kayden got banished from Vencor, he still owns half of the Davenport empire. He has considerable influence over directors and would take my side when it’s time to bring Grant down.

“You know the precise solution to this clusterfuck,” he says after I finish talking.

“I’m not letting her go.”

“I was going to suggest neutralizing her.”

My fingers tighten around the phone, wishing I could reach the other end and punch him. “That won’t be happening.”

“She’s a weakness that will cause your downfall.”

“Just like Gareth was.”

“That’s different. Gareth is self-sufficient and comes from a strong family that would start a war to protect him. She’s a nobody. Grant knows that and will eliminate or use her to cage you further under his thumb.”

“You’re underestimating her.” Dahlia might not have Russian mafia ties and come from an empire like Gareth Carson, but she’s the strongest person I know.

She’s been through so much shit, but she’s always, without fail, bounced back up, ready for another fight.

“You’reoverestimating her.” Kayden’s deep voice carries in the silence like a knife. “You’re also presenting your weakness to Grant on a silver platter. Take my advice and eliminate her before it backfires. If you can’t kill her, send her to a different coast or, better yet, country. If you care about her, surely you know she won’t survive in that world. Do you wish to create another version of your mother? An aimless ghost who survives on pills and talks to fish?”

“She’s not Helena.”

“Right now, she’s not. Do you think Helena was always like that? She used to be cheerful and antidepressant-free. She used to have a soul, but it was crushed into the dust of time. Just like everyone else’s.”

“That won’t happen to Dahlia,” I insist in a clear voice, even though his words stab me in the chest. “If you’re done being a pessimist, I havea plan I need your help with.”

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