Page 53 of Viper
“It’s not their fault either,” she replies, and he huffs before looking at me and asking, “Is she always this stubborn?”
I snort, “Pretty much, the woman refused to let me buy her lunch every time we went out in between her shifts, so I'd end up putting the money in her purse without her realizing,” and she gently pinches me, making me chuckle and tighten my hold on her.
I should have remembered that when I accused her of using me. Fuck I’m an idiot, I mean, don’t get me wrong, she fucked up as well, but still, I’m an idiot.
“You’re missed, sweetheart. My sister is demanding to see you,” Venom says, and Lake sighs as she gently traces my tattoo on my hand that’s on her leg, something she used to always do.
Wonder how she’d react to the extremely large one on my side – her name.
“I miss them too,” she replies, “But I don’t want the girls here.”
“They understand, shorty,” I reassure her.
She nods without looking up before she sighs and looks back at Venom and states, “The reason why she gets pissed every time you accuse her of using Ivy for a brother's patch to piss off Daddy,” she swallows as Venom leans forward and she admits, “Daddy is dead, Venom.”
Shit.
He sits back in shock, and she asks, “Did you ever hear about the firefighter who lost his life trying to save a little girl from a house fire roughly ten years ago?”
“Chase Wilson,” I say remembering that day well, and she nods.
“That was her daddy, her stepfather is Gregory Averie, the club's lawyer,” she finishes, and Venom stares at my girl, clearly not knowing what to say.
“Well, that explains a lot. The rumor was the Hyenas were the cause of the fire,” I mutter.
Lake replies, “They were and she’ll be mad I told you both but that is all I’m going to say, what you do with that information is entirely up to you, Venom. I will warn you, you’ve got a lot to make up for because every time you brought her daddy into an argument, you tore her heart out, reminding her he’s dead and that man was her best friend.”
“Thank you, Lake,” he whispers with pain, and she nods while I gently rub my hand that she’s not tracing through her hair.
“How’s therapy going, shorty?” I ask and she sags against me.
“Hard,” she admits, “Turns out Cherri not wanting me messed me up more than I care to admit.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, knowing nothing else would help her.
I know the feeling well.
She nods before lifting my hand and placing it on her stomach. I furrow my brows, but then I feel movement, and a smile forms.
Our little girl…
I press my lips against Lake’s forehead and close my eyes.
I want to ask about the baby, to see if she’s still adamant about going ahead with an adoption I won’t allow, but I don’t. Instead, I keep my mouth shut, allowing her more time to realize she wants this baby, and I listen to her and Venom talk about med school.
I need a plan, one that won’t set her back but will ensure I get her back where she belongs, in my arms.
It’s fucking surprising how much childhood trauma can be silenced when you see your heart bleeding out in the shower to make you see the reality of life without them in it.
It’s time to win her back.
Chapter 20
Lake – A Week Later
I gently rub against the raised scar on my wrist, a weird feeling filling me as the baby moves in my stomach, reminding me she’s there, of the choices I’m willing to make, to sacrifice my mental health so she has a better life.
“What were you feeling?” Dr. Gren asks, and I look at the woman with kind, light-brown eyes. “You mentioned that you didn’t mean to cut deep, that you slipped, but what were you feeling when you decided to cut just as deep on your other wrist?”
