Page 28 of Poison Touch (Monarch Vipers #1)

I open the paper bag that has grease staining its bottom.

Doused in powdered sugar, the fried dough balls call out to me with their sweet aroma.

I take one out of the bag. Holding it between us, I place it in front of his mouth.

He swallows the bite of pizza and dives forward for the dough ball, biting it in half.

He gives an exaggerated “Mmmm.”

The rest of the goodness melts in my mouth.

“Okay, so spill,” he says around a mouthful of food.

My stomach clenches. Here’s the moment I’ve been dreading.

In any other universe, I have nothing to hide from Luca.

Why can’t I just tell him? What if I do?

What’s the worst that could happen? He wouldn’t judge me, but he wouldn’t completely support me, either.

That’s the part that scares me—not having his support.

Or worse, if he tries to talk me out of getting my revenge.

Having to give him something, I start with the easy stuff. “I met a couple of people I think I can consider friends. Eden and Bryce. They remind me of us. He’s gay. She’s an outcast.” I shrug.

He grips his chest. “Stop! They sound like our long-lost twins! Our doppelg?ngers.”

We laugh around mouths full of pizza.

“Actually, Eden is the chancellor’s daughter. But she’s turning out to be cool. She’s wound a little tighter than I’m used to, but Bryce evens her out. You would like him.”

Luca waggles his eyebrows. “Really? Is he cute?”

I nod. “Yeah, not bad. He dresses like he’s strutting the runway every day.”

“I love him already.”

I hold up my hand. “Hey, wait! What happened to Mr. Blake?”

Luca scoffs. “Girl, please, he is as cold as they come. I was wrong about that one. I don’t like to admit it, but I was.” He dismisses the conversation with a wave of his wrist. “Enough about me. What else?”

I wipe my mouth, then take a sip of water. “Monarch is a lot like Maylen in most ways but very different in others.”

“Like how?”

The first thing that comes to mind is Venom. But I don’t start with that. “Their campus is larger than Maylen’s. They have dorms. They have meaner girls who are the bottom-feeders of their daddy’s wallets and think everyone should bow down to them.”

“Uh-oh, what happened?”

I tell him about what Brielle did to Eden in the cafeteria.

He lowers the slice of pizza on the way to his mouth. “Tell me you didn’t get in the middle of their drama?” It comes off less as a question than an all-knowing accusation.

“Well, I couldn’t just stand back and let the bitch cut off my new friend’s hair.

I mean, who does that?” I leave out the part about Edge breaking up my fun.

Then I also leave out the other part about Edge kissing me and everything about him altogether.

Feeling the invisible pressure rising in my chest, I change the subject.

“In art class, I have to paint myself on a canvas.”

“Kins, you and I know you are no artist.”

“Tell me about it. I have no idea what I’m doing.

I’m pretty sure the entire canvas will be considered an abstract.

Then I’ll have to make some crap up about how that’s the way I see myself.

It’ll look like I’m a giant mess of color and squiggly lines that most definitely needs a mental health overhaul.

But on the bright side, my professor is cool. ”

“Still, you’ll need all the help you can get.”

I smack his arm. “Hey!”

“You know it’s true.”

I take a bite of pizza. “Yeah, you’re right.” I think about Gunner’s piece and how amazing it is. If only I had even a small percentage of his talent.

Luca takes a sip of water. “Now, on to the important things. Any hot guys?”

Only all of my enemies.“I guess there are a few, but no one worth mentioning.”

He narrows his eyes at me. At first, I don’t think he’s going to let me off that easily until he does.

“Okay, I’m getting vibes that you’re not ready to head in that direction, so we’ll circle back to that another time.

‘Cause you and I both know there’s a golden nugget in that topic that I will dig up. ”

I swallow the bite without choking.One for me—for now.

“How was the party last night?”

I pause, bracing myself to be caught in the lie.

“It was like all the rest. Solo cups, drunk idiots, half-naked girls…” I tell him about Josh and, in the same breath, tell him it’s nothing to get excited about.

Luca’s face falls with disappointment. “He’s nice and all, too nice, cute, tall, tan, but he’s missing something or has too much of something I can’t seem to get past, but I can’t figure out what it is.

”Actually, I know what it is, and Edge is to blame for it.

Until it’s time to leave, we continue to chat about nothing and everything.

He gives me the highs and lows of his week, new gossip floating around Maylen, who’s hooked up with who.

Except for Luca, none of it makes me wish I were back at Maylen.

This week has been hell, but it’s been new and challenging.

The only thing I miss is seeing my best friend every day.

With the pizza more than half gone and the dessert eaten, we doze off for the next couple of hours and wake just in time for the sun to set.

“You know the invitation to come live with me is still open. My parents love you and would love to have you,” he says as I lock the dojo’s door.

“I know. Thanks, but I’m going to tough it out here for a while. My uncle seems to like the company, and I love being close to the dojo.”

His eyes soften. “For what it’s worth, I love your hard-ass attitude. You take down anyone who gets in your way.”

That’s exactly my plan.

Saying goodbye to Luca is terrible. He’s always been my rock, my go-to for anything. It’s painful how much I miss not seeing him every day. We hug for a long time before we say our final goodbye.

Even after I took a nap at the dojo, exhaustion slams into me as I pull into the driveway.

Falling into bed and sleeping for days sounds like an excellent idea.

Sleeping away everything that has to do with death, revenge, Venom, and all thoughts of my enemy, even the way he touched me.

It’s not lost on me that I separate him from Venom.

Something I need to etch into my skull is that they are one and the same.

And in twelve short hours, we’ll be face to face again.

Uncle Trey is lounging in the Adirondack chair on the back deck. Reggae music plays softly on the portable speaker on the side table next to him. The soft, lazy beats mingle with the waves crashing against the shore in the distance.

“Hey there. Looks like you’re enjoying the night.”

He glances up at me. “Life does not get better than this.”

“Paradise,” I say.

He lets out a long sigh. “Yep, paradise.”

“Thanks for letting us use the dojo. It’s all locked up.”

“My pleasure. I’m glad the place gets used even on a day off.”

As peaceful as the night is, I turn to leave. “I’m tired, and my body is sore, so I’m gonna take a long bath, finish some homework, and then go to bed.”

“Sounds good. Hey, there’s leftover Chinese food in the fridge if you want some.”

“Thanks, but Luca and I ordered pizza.”

I drop my bag on the floor of my bedroom.

Before peeling off my clothes, I turn on the water for the bath.

When the temperature is hot enough, I pour a generous amount of lavender-scented Epson salt to soothe my muscles.

With exhaustion riding my ass like a hellcat, I sink into the steaming water.

Thoughts of Edge and Venom plague the stillness and quiet I long for.

Knowing they fight, they have to train. Where is their dojo?

Tomorrow, I’m going to find out. I could just ask, but I doubt they would tell me.

Besides, asking them outright could raise unwanted suspicion.

Just before the water cools completely, I get out and get ready for bed.

I prop my pillow against my headboard and grab my phone.

I should study, but my brain may explode if I try to comprehend biology or psychology right now.

I check my social media sites, respond and like a few pics of people I follow, when a text pops up on my screen from a number I don’t recognize:

Venom’s bite is deadly. Back the fuck off.

Only two people would send this. The image of them fucking pops into my head. Brielle and Edge. And neither of them has my number.

That’s not how I want to end my day. I slam my fist against the bed. Was I wrong not to tell Luca what I’m up against?

Fuck off!

Is all I respond to the text.

Tomorrow is Monday. I’ll deal with all of them then. I turn my light off, along with my phone.

After what happened in the lifeguard stand, I assume Edge will be waiting for me.