Page 95 of Venomous Vows

“Spencer has a girlfriend,” Zane starts. “Amelia. She’s a CPA, works at a dingy-ass strip mall, and drives a 2002 Impala. He steals cars and roughs up dudes who owe him money. The motherfucker doesn’t have a schedule. He makes it up in his head the moment his eyes crack open. However, there’s a bar…and every Friday night, he fucks a stripper named Kandy and he moans like a bitch.”

I inwardly scoff and lean back in my chair, proud that my brother pulled all this information out of his ass in less than six hours.

Because that’s the amount of time that he’s known that I’m still alive. I had a message sent to him—our code word if something ever happened to us—that would ensure we were still present on this Earth.

And Zane knew exactly what to do, who it was, and what I’d need.

“I want him out by the end of the week.”

My brother smirks. “How about tomorrow night? It’s Friday…we could make it look like an overdose.”

“Does he do drugs?”

“He dabbles. My only issue is family. He has an older brother, Reid, who I hear is a mean motherfucker. However, he works out of Chicago, doing his own little whatever.”

I lift a brow. “Drugs?”

“Gambling, mostly, but he does offer drugs at his clubs.”

“You think he’ll step up and try to regroup The Disciples?” I ask evenly because it is something we’d need to think about and strategize.

“Honestly, probably not. The gang is unorganized, and Reid is. He might recruit some assholes, but I don’t think he’s going to save it.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we have to. Meanwhile, I want Elena and her family safe. And I’m a bit pissed off at this dickhead’s balls.”

My brother bows his head. “Consider it done then.”

“You up for a ride?”

He smirks and looks heavenward with a chuckle. “You up for telling your wife?”

“Touché, asshole,” I mutter. “However, I don’t want her to worry about nothing.”

“She’s also going to question why you’re not home at two in the morning.”

“I’m busy.”

“And she’s not stupid.”

She’s not.

Yet, I’m not used to sharing every move I make with someone. And there are going to be some things that I do that she’s going to loathe with every fiber of her being.

“I’ll think about it,” I reply, rising to my feet.

“Think about consequences, brother. You’ve just started to win her over. Don’t fuck it up now.”

“I have a business to run, Zane,” I argue. “And that doesn’t stop?—”

“But you wanted a wife,” my brother counters, stepping forward with a cocky little grin. “And you picked Elena, who is going to speak her mind and keep you in line. She’s going to hold you accountable for your shit. She’s going to make sure that you’re not fucking around.”

I hear him, I do. But my whole work life can’t change because Elena feels differently about some things. I’ll change for her in means of having a healthy relationship, but when it comes to what I do for a living, it’s something she’s going to have to bend on.

“Anything else?” I press the moment Elena starts coming down the stairs.

“I think we’re good.”

I turn toward the stairs and find a smiling Elena. It almost takes me aback a bit because I’m not used to her doing that to me.

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