Page 22 of Vengeance

I was, but I’m not anymore. Not because I’m so certain that the deal is still on like Viper is, though. But because I know Viper better than anyone in the world, and yet this is the first time I’ve learned anything to do with the first ten years of his life.

“Tell me more. About your mother.”

“There’s not much to say. She did what she had to do to take care of me, and then I got taken away from her when I was eight because a nosy fucking neighbor called to report that they saw me playing in the yard by myself, and it didn’t look like anyone was home. I didn’t see my mother again after that. An officer came by and put me in car and I became a ward of the state.”

“Did you ever find out what happened? Why she never looked for you?”

“The police searched her house, found her stash of drugs, and a judge took one look at a sex working drug addict who left her kid at home by himself because she couldn’t afford daycare, and threw the book at her. She died not long after that. Some heart condition. Though, in the romanticized version of the story when people write biographies of my infamy in a hundred years, it will probably say something stupid like she died from a broken heart. What do I know. Maybe she did?”

“What was her name?”

“Why?” He places a hand on my belly. “So you can get in your head the idea to name our daughter after her?”

“I never told you if it was a boy or a girl.”

“You don’t have to. I already know. It’s a girl.”

“How would you know?”

Viper shrugs. “A hunch.”

I don’t confirm or deny his suspicion.

“Besides, you couldn’t name her after my mother even if you wanted.”

“Why not?”

“You won’t understand without knowing my mother’s name. And if I tell you, you’re not going to believe me because you’re going to think I’m shitting you.”

“Why? What was your mother’s name?”

“Adele.”

For a moment I’m confused. Because not a day in his life since he’s known me has Viper ever called me by my full name. Then it dawns on me.

“You’re shitting me.”

“I’m not.”

“Adele was absolutelynotyour mother’s name.”

“It was.”

“It’s not even that common.”

“It’s not. But that was her name. And then a feisty little fourteen-year-old came into my life with the exact same name, and I knew it was destiny.”

“You don’t believe in destiny.”

“I don’t. Except for in this case.” Viper rolls over to face me and pulls me close. “You were destined to be right here with me. But the universe knew they had to give me a big neon sign for me to notice. And even then, it took me a while to realize how.”

It occurs to me that I don’t know how much alcohol Viper has had tonight. For a man as huge as he is, it’s never taken much for it to loosen his tongue, which would explain why he’s so forthcoming tonight.

“Fuck,” he mutters into my hair. “I love you.”

I don’t get a chance to answer because suddenly I’m on my back, and he’s settled between my legs. And as I look into blue eyes that enchanted me the first day I laid eyes on him, I realize that even with his tongue loosened by alcohol, what he revealed tonight was a lot for him. Even with me, when his guard is at its least.

He needs me right now. He needs us. He needsthis, and lucky enough, I’m more than horny enough to give it to him.

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