Page 68 of Venom
Dropping the gun I quickly rush over to him and cup his cheek which is red from where she’s hit him before I notice the fire and I swallow hard.
“I can’t get us out that way, little man,” I murmur as I look towards the window, “I have an idea, but hopefully your uncles and daddy are waiting below the window.”
Kissing his head, I rush over to the floor near the bed, grab a dirty old sheet, and wrap it around my fist before running towards the window. I notice the nails are still on it from when I was held here, and I look down to see everyone looking my way with wide eyes.
I lock eyes with a tearful Ivy, and I nod once so she knows Hudson is safe at the moment, and she relaxes slightly into Anna before I lock eyes with Cale, who has now made his way near the window.
He nods when I hold up my fisted hand, and I nod in return before I take a deep breath and pull my fist back, then, as hard as I can, I punch the glass window, not willing to use the empty canister, and causing the glass to smash into the fire.
It cracks, and my tears fall, hearing Hudson scream again, and I quickly hit the window again and again until it smashes, screams echoing from the women below me.
I hit all the long bits of glass, ensuring none can hurt Huddy and ignoring the pain in my knuckles and my trauma, I quickly grab the mattress and drag it over to the window, stating, “It’s okay, Huddy, Auntie Raya will get you out of here,” and I mumble, “Even if I don’t.”
I manage to throw the mattress out the window, and I look down to see Cale and Psycho moving the mattress into the perfect position.
“You’ve got this, kitten,” Cale calls, and we lock eyes, his showing fear and pride.
“Raya no!” I hear my Mama scream with terror, realizing what I’m about to do, and Blade shouts,“Greg, quiet her, Raya needs to concentrate!”
Gregory instantly puts his hand over Mama’s mouth, and I lock eyes with Psycho, who nods and confirms, “I’ll catch him, Ray.” I nod once before looking at Cale one more time, then I turn and run over to Huddy, but pick up Cale’s gun before getting him, putting it in the back of my jeans.
Can’t leave any evidence, her body should burn with the house.
“Come on, my little man,” I grunt as I lift him, my back and side protesting, but I ignore it and take Hudson out of the dirty crib while watching the fire spread quickly.
Swallowing hard, I go to the window before climbing up with him in my arms, and screams of terror echo, but I ignore everyone and only focus on Psycho and Cale.
“Throw him, sweetheart, I’ll catch him,” Psycho shouts up, and I nod and reply, “Don’t let him touch that mattress,” and he frowns before looking down, and I see it hit him as he tenses.
He looks at me with a pale face, and he nods once, and I take a deep breath before kissing Huddy’s head, and I mumble, “Okay, little guy, time to fly,” before gently, as I can, throwing Hudson who wails his little heart out towards his father.
Psycho catches him, stumbling back a little, making my pulse lower, and Cale shouts, “Now you, kitten,” and I swallow hard.
Right, yeah, I’ve got to jump as well, unless I want to…
The thought to end it all hits me, my dad's smile comes to me before every man I killed haunts me. Then Clara, and what I went through for four days, having a metal pole shoved inside me and for one second, I debate stepping back, but Cale’s voice interrupts my thoughts, and we lock eyes.
“Where you go, I go, remember that, kitten,” he reminds me, his jaw tense, and my eyes tear up as Blade shouts, “Fucking jump, Raya, or I’m coming in after you.”
I turn my head and look back at the fire to see it’s now near the dirty crib but my eyes widen seeing an oxygen canister sitting by the bed, something I must have missed and I turn to jump out of the window, not caring if I land on the concrete before a massive explosion shoves me out of the window, screams echoing around me as I fall out of the window.
I squeeze my eyes, expecting to die basically, but instead two strong arms wrap around me as I fall to the ground but land on top of a hard body, a grunted “oof,” hitting my ears as my body vibrates not just with pain but also tingles that I only get with Cale’s touch who took the brunt of the fall.
I cough as I lean my head against him, not moving off him, and he chokes, “I’ve got you, kitten, I always fucking got you, my crazy ass woman.”
My eyes tear up as he tightens his hold on me but stills feeling his gun in the back of my jeans. “I killed your mama,” I admit with a cough, and his hand goes to my jeans, grabbing his gun, gently removing it, and he whispers, “I’m so fucking proud of you,” shocking me before he calls, “Blade,” and the man himself shows up above us, shaking his head.
“You are one crazy fucking woman,” he says as Cale subtly hands the gun to his Pres, his best friend, who, in turn, looks at me in shock and with a little pride as he puts the gun in the back of his jeans.
He helps me up, wrapping his arm around my waist gently as he gives Cale his other hand before he kisses my head and whispers, “I’m so fucking proud of you, Raya, you brave girl,” before handing me to Cale and I go willingly with tears in my eyes and without caring about my pain, I wrap my arms around Cale’s waist and lay my head against his chest as the crowd cheers around us.
“Let me see my daughter!” I hear my mama shout, but no one answers her, so I know Gregory is still holding her back as the club surrounds us, all looking at me with pride, but I ignore them, and I lean against Cale. I breathe heavy, my whole body wanting to shut down as I try not to have a coughing fit.
I’m so fricking tired…
Cale kisses my head as he holds me tightly to him, and he murmurs, “You did it, Raya, you did what your dad couldn’t, you saved a child and yourself.”
My tears fall, realizing he’s right, that I managed to do what my dad couldn’t and I know he knew it was something I needed to feel me again. Everything in me settles and for the first time since I first met this annoyingly amazing man, I admit with a sob, “I love you, Cale,” causing him to hold me tighter and return, “I love you too, kitten, have for longer than I even knew and I’m so sorry I was blinded over the years, that I didn’t open my eyes.”
