Page 100 of Venomous Kiss

“Lilith, did you ever hear the story of how Keenan went to jail? How he got caught?” I ignore him and follow Reon. “It was Reon. Reon snuck out, recorded him, and gave it to me. I slipped the video to the news, and boom! Caught red-handed.

“It was easy, really, taking the Lord down. He was becoming too cocky, too powerful, that one, and taking things into his own hands. Sometimes, you need to be knocked down to know your place. So, Keenan was taught a lesson, and it was a great one, wouldn’t you say?”

“Get in the car,” Reon orders, opening the door, but Soren’s words echo through my mind.

“Is that true?” I ask Reon. He looks at me, and his expression morphs into a puzzled furrow.

“What? Who cares? It was years ago.”

“Yes, almost sixteen years ago,” I add, and he pauses.

Soren whistles in the background. “Sixteen years. Damn, was it that long ago?” Soren sings.

I turn and search for Arlo, to find him not paying us any attention.

“Arlo?” I call out.

“Caterpillar.” Reon tries to get my attention back on him.

“Arlo, is it true?” I ask.

“Why do you care, and why are you asking Arlo?” Reon questions, trying to pull me back to him, but I don’t move. I can’t. I’m stuck on the spot.

Arlo doesn’t respond, and I need him to answer. This can’t all be fake, can it?

“Caterpillar, why do you care?” Reon asks again. His gaze is locked on me, and I’m so stunned I have to try to get the correct words out.

“Kennan is my father. You took my father from me. You took him away from me,” I scream.

Reon steps back, putting distance between us. “No. Keenan had no family but a sister and a niece,” he says, brow furrowed.

“No, he has a sister and a daughter… the daughter being me,” I say, pointing to myself.

Reon shakes his head in denial. “No. No, that’s not right. I looked. I know.” He eyes me as if he’s seeing me for the first time.

“Did you?” I question.

“Yes. He has no other known relatives. Your birth certificate doesn’t mention a father.”

“Yes, this is true,” Soren breaks in from behind us. “Sneaky, right? Protecting her from the time she was born. Where were you all that time?”

“She was with her aunt.” Arlo finally joins the conversation, and all eyes turn to him.

“You knew?” Reon asks, incredulous.

“Of course, he knew!” I scream at Reon. “Why the fuck did you set up my father?”

“We already went over this,” Soren adds.

“Soren wanted to be Lord, and at the time, I thought it was a good idea,” Reon explains, looking at Soren. “I was a fool. You are more power-hungry than even he was.” Reon turns to me. “Caterpillar, get in the car so we can talk.” When I don’t move or answer him, he looks me dead in the eyes and says with desperation, “Get in the car, Lilith. You’re my wife,” Reon growls.

THIRTY-SEVEN

REON

“You love her?” Soren says, surprised, as my caterpillar stands there.

“I sure as shit don’t marry just any fucking woman now, do I?” I tell him, even though he should know that.