Sweet Venom by Rina Kent - 10
10 “ F uck yes!” Preston shouts, standing up and dancing mockingly while waggling his brows. The game controller dangles from his hand before he throws it on the table and lounges back on the sofa, taking a sip of beer. We’re chilling in my penthouse, on the farthest side of Ravenswood Hill—an exclu...
10
“ F uck yes!” Preston shouts, standing up and dancing mockingly while waggling his brows.
The game controller dangles from his hand before he throws it on the table and lounges back on the sofa, taking a sip of beer.
We’re chilling in my penthouse, on the farthest side of Ravenswood Hill—an exclusive gated community up the hill that overlooks Graystone Ridge, where founding members live.
It’s shadowed by trees and has iron-clad security that forces anyone with a wish to survive to stay away.
The place I live in is sparse with little to no furniture. The only reason I have a sofa, TV, and a gaming console is because Preston brought them over. Or the men he sent did. At seven in the fucking morning the day after I moved in.
That was a few months ago, following my mother’s death. I had no plan to continue living with Regis in that large, unfeeling Callahan mansion he calls home.
“My Highness would be open to teaching you some skills, peasant.” Preston leans back against the sofa, grinning at me with that provocative edge. “All you have to do is get on your knees, call me Master , and beg. ”
“Says the loser who demanded we keep playing until you win.”
“Never happened. Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He passes me the bottle of beer and I take a sip, throwing down my game controller as the score is displayed on the screen.
Pres has been here since last night. When I came back from a run, I found him sleeping on the couch, upside down, with the TV playing some Tom and Jerry cartoon. He loves crashing here most of the time since he has furniture and essentials here and can get a good night’s sleep. Though we both prefer to barge into Kane’s space and make him cook for us, that weirdo loves working out on his days off, while Preston and I love doing nothing.
Actually, we prefer maiming people to doing nothing.
“Besides—” He kicks my side. “—you should let me win after you took away my kill the other day.”
“It wasn’t your kill. He was my target.”
“What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is also mine.” He snatches the bottle of beer. “Where the fuck did you take that loser anyway?”
“To one of the safe houses.”
“Aw, and I wasn’t invited? I’m so fucking offended right now.”
Thinking about the mess from about a week ago, Preston would’ve just been the last straw of chaos.
I haven’t been going to Violet’s workplace or neighborhood, but Mario has, and he said everything looks ‘normal.’ That guy needs to be specific about what’s considered normal .
Or I can go and watch personally, but even I realize I need to stop getting fucking distracted by a nobody .
A nobody who said I’d be a disappointing fuck.
Not entirely, but it was something along those lines.
“Hey, Pres?”
“Nah, I won’t accept your apology.”
“That’s not it.”
“Might consider it if you let me kill the next…five targets.”
“No.”
“I’m being generous here. Okay, four. Final offer. Cross my heart and never die.”
“It’s cross my heart and hope to die.”
“I meant it the other way. Don’t be boring.”
“Just shut up for a second. I have a question.” I tilt my head in his direction. “What vibes do I give when it comes to sex?”
“Eh…thought of asking your fuck buddies?”
“They say I’m hot and would let me bend them in two.”
“Ew. Cringe.”
What the fuck? “ I am cringe?”
“Sometimes. But I was talking about the girls who are desperate to get your D. They should try mine. Just saying.”
“So you wouldn’t say the girls who want to fuck me expect disappointment?”
Preston stares at me with one narrowed eye. “Disappointment? Who have you been hanging out with? Need names, addresses, social security numbers, and actual phone numbers because, fuck me, you look offended. Shit’s interesting.”
“Fuck off.” I shove his face away with a throw pillow, then stand up. “Let’s go to Kane’s for food.”
It’s supposed to be our day off, but he won’t mind us pestering him to cook. Though, he’ll spend the whole time talking bullshit about strength training and all that jazz. The guy doesn’t know how to just chill.
Not that I’m any better, but I don’t need a lot of technicalities to prepare for the hockey season or win my games. I just do, with the help of some violence.
Okay, a lot.
Preston stands up as I head to the bedroom. “Such a killjoy. Totally paying a shit ton of Daddy dearest’s money to advertisement agencies searching for new friends. The ones I have certainly don’t appreciate my genius. Hmm. Where to start…”
His grumbles lower in volume, but he’s still speaking. I halt a few steps away and look back to check if he’s actually talking to me and not himself.
Thankfully, he’s glaring at me, and his mumbles stop as he kicks the couch and goes back to drinking.
A long breath whooshes out of me. He’s all right.
I think.
Ever since we were kids, Preston has been kind of…fucked up, thanks to his useless damn parents and the world we live in. After the three of us were shipped to an all-boys boarding school, Kane and I promised we’d never leave him alone. Especially after he was assaulted by a teacher and the three of us killed the motherfucker.
We’ve made it our mission to just…be there for Pres at all times. Kill his demons—whether they’re physical or mental.
While Pres is built like a mountain now and is often preening about his ‘perfect’ physique, he had girly looks when we were younger. It didn’t help that he used to have his blond hair long and was a scrawny little twerp whose biting words exceeded his size.
All the bullies picked on him, not only because of his looks but also because he was—and still is—a provocateur who truly doesn’t know when to shut up.
Always asking for trouble. Attention. Fights. Altercations.
Anything.
And although we grew up in the same world, I at least had Mom, but Pres didn’t have anyone.
Well, except me and Kane.
And now that Mom’s gone, he’s the only one I have who I’ll protect with everything in me.
I groan when my phone on the table flashes with Julian’s name.
Pres fetches it and waves it at me. “Aren’t you going to get this?”
“No. He’ll just nag.”
“It’s a horrible fucking idea to be on Julian’s bad side, big man. Don’t be an idiot. I don’t include those in my close circle.” He picks up with a singsong tone. “Julian! It’s been a while, man.”
“You fucking—” I rush toward him.
“Jude? Yeah, he’s right here. Byyyye!”
Preston thrusts the phone in my face, and I kick him when I take it, leaving him groaning as he grabs his shin and grunts, causing more drama than needed.
He punches me before disappearing into the kitchen, probably to raid my fridge.
“What do you want?” I say to my brother.
“You didn’t join us for dinner over the weekend. Father was livid.”
“I know. He called and texted about his feelings.”
“You need to show up to family dinners, Jude. Don’t make me force you.”
My free hand clenches and unclenches. “Don’t know about you, but I have no reason to see Regis’s face anymore, and I certainly don’t need to keep up appearances.”
“You think I do?”
“You de facto had him step down from being the company’s CEO to an honorary chairman, so I’m not sure why you’re licking the old man’s boots.”
“You seem to be forgetting that his power with the Callahan empire and the organization remains the same.” My brother’s voice is crisp and firm. Every word is spoken with a meaning, sometimes hidden, sometimes clear.
Just like Pres, Mom always told me to be on his side, not against him, but he’s the one who tried to bury her fucking death.
I stare at the darkness through the floor-to-ceiling window. “An organization I have little to no interest in.”
“An organization your life is built around and that you’ll never leave unless it’s in a casket. Don’t be ridiculous, Jude.”
“You know what’s ridiculous? The love my mom showed you before you ended up covering up for her murderer.”
“For the thousandth time, he killed himself soon after Susie died. I gave you his body, didn’t I?”
“And then erased all the footage?”
“Not fast enough since Kane has it and has been enabling your violent sprees.” There’s a pause that’s followed by a long sigh. “Jude. I’m telling you this as your older brother who cares about your well-being as much as Susie. Stop these impulsive hunting games and using our safe houses and resources for murder.”
I tap my fingers on my thigh.
He knows.
I mean, he’s well aware of the hunts, but I wasn’t so sure news about the safe houses would reach him .
Julian has a vast network of Vencor and non-Vencor people whose entire job is surveillance.
The last thing I need is for him to learn about Violet. If he knows she’s a target that I didn’t kill like the others, he’ll be inclined to find out why.
Julian, of all people, knows I don’t do things without a purpose or deviate from my usual course of action without external stimuli.
Not that I know the reason myself, but Julian’s nose still needs to stay out of my goddamn business.
When I say nothing, he releases a sigh. “You think Susie would be happy to see you’re spiraling because of her?”
“The dead don’t have any opinions. Stop fucking meddling.”
I hang up, breathing harshly.
As I stare at the phone, multiple notifications come from the chat I have with Kane and Pres, that the latter keeps renaming with stupid shit.
The most recent one is ‘Pres’s Sidekicks.’
Preston
So, Kane, got enough groceries? We’re coming over for food.
Kane
I’m not a restaurant.
Preston
Restaurant? Who the fuck says that? You’re a cook.
Kane
Just let me chill for one fucking day, Pres.
Preston
Nah, you’ll develop depression without my godly presence.
Kane
More like clownish.
Preston
Shush, don’t be rude. Anyway, I have a lot of tea to spill about the big man. Apparently, a girl called sex with him disappointing, and he’s been moping like a bored housewife.
Kane
Really?
Preston
Heck yeah. He’s been asking about his sexual performance and stuff. I’m telling you, he’s going through a crisis of epic proportions. That and he’s being scolded senseless by Julian, judging by his extra-grumpy replies from the other room. He might need a pick-me-up.
Me
I’m going to knock your teeth out, Pres. If you’re going to talk shit about me, shouldn’t you do it in private and not in the group chat I’m in?
Preston
Nah, I believe in inclusion. Anyway, we’re on our way, Kane! Prepare the popcorn. Big man is done being chewed up by Julian.
I’m on my way to the kitchen to choke the fuck out of him when my phone pings in my hand.
Mario
We have a situation.