Page 86 of Venomous Kiss

“Withdraw the offer right now,” I say to him. “Or I will pick up that pen and jab it into your sister’s neck. I wonder how deep it would go and how long it would take for her to bleed out.” I nod to his shiny silver pen that’s lying on the table. “Oh, and if I so much as hear that you’ve gone near my wife without me around, I will kill Maya. No hesitation.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Wife?” Maya gasps. “Wife? You can’t be married.” She looks at Soren. “You told me he will marry me.”

Soren eyes me and doesn’t answer Maya. Instead, he directs his answer to me. “I’ll retract my offer, Reon, and this will end today.”

“Good,” I say, sitting back.

“Married? Hello? How can you be married?” Maya screams as Abigail walks over with Earl. “To her? You could do better. Look at her.” I smile as I look up at Abigail. She looks well put together in a flowy dress, shiny pink lips, and hair the same color as mine.

“I never choose violence as an answer, but sometimes a bitch needs to be put in her place,” Abigail says as she eyes Maya. “My brother would never want you. Have you heard of desperation? Because you stink of it.” Abigail turns to Earl. “Should we sit somewhere else until they’re done?”

Earl nods, but before he can go, Soren says, “That offer we discussed? I retract it.”

“Good. I’d hate to turn you down a second time,” Earl says, smiling, and then leads Abigail back to the bar.

“He turned you down?” I ask Soren, grinning.

“Yes, immediately,” he grumbles.

“Good.”

Soren stands and indicates that Maya should do the same. She eyes me as she rises, and Soren places a hand on her shoulder and nods toward the door. With one final glance at me, she strides off as I stand in front of Soren.

“I want our relationship back, Reon. We were close once.”

“Then you went and got a big fucking head and fucked everything up,” I point out.

He chuckles and nods. “Yes, I guess you’re right.”

“I know I’m right.” I turn away from him and head straight over to Earl.

He looks at me and smiles. “You’re getting a raise,” I tell him.

Abigail claps her hands together. “Yeah, let’s celebrate.” She motions to the bartender and says, “Three shots, please.”

“I’m not doing shots,” I tell her. “I’m going to see my wife.” I like the way that sounds coming from my lips.

Earl’s eyes go wide. “Wife? Did I miss something?”

“Yes, seems we all did. Mr. Bachelor here married Lilith. Do you know her?”

Earl turns to look at me. “The woman from the bar?” he asks, and I nod. “Wow, that was…”

“Unexpected,” Abigail finishes for him as the bartender brings over three shots. I sit down and drink one, and somehow, she convinces me to let Lilith breathe without me for a while.

And for the first time in a long while, I drink way too fucking much alcohol.

THIRTY-TWO

LILITH

My aunt opens the door before I can even get out of the Uber. She rushes straight to me and throws her arms around my body. I cringe from the contact, but let her hold me. It hurts, especially my arm where I’ve been cut but I won’t tell her to stop. I can’t remember the last time she hugged me like this. Actually, that’s a lie; I do remember. It was when I lost my mother—but even so, that’s hardly a memory.

When she finally pulls back, her eyes bore into mine.

“Your father called. Arlo told him what happened. Are you okay?”