Sweet Venom by Rina Kent - 40

I tighten my grip on Violet’s hands that are wrapped around my waist. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Her fingers are unsteady as I bring the bike to a halt, but she nods against my back. “I need to.”

She hesitantly releases me, her body seeming weightless when she hops off the bike. Her hands still tremble when she tries to remove the helmet, so I do it for her, then push a rebellious copper strand from her glittery, expectant eyes.

Violet has been glowing lately. Partly because she’s taking control of her life and learning self-love step by step, but also because Mario is showing signs of waking up after Julian decided to test the new variation of his drug on him.

By decided, I mean that he only agreed to help because it serves his goals. My brother is the most annoying person on earth, but I have to spend some dinners in his company because Violet has become close friends with Annalise for some reason.

Anyway, the most important thing is that Mario will get back to the world of the living soon, and Violet has been over the moon about the news. She’s been preparing him gifts and doing research about how to help with comatose patients’ rehabilitation, and while I don’t like that—yes, I’m jealous of a comatose man, sue me—I love how radiant she looks.

I’d say that’s the reason I’m in a constant state of arousal around her, but the reality is that I’m always ravenous for this woman, no matter what.

She could be sick and ‘feel gross,’ as she tells me, but she’d still be the most beautiful woman on earth for me. With her little smiles, hearty laughter, and that goddamn pure soul that I’ll protect at any cost.

By protect, I mean kill for. You guessed it. I located the foster father who tried to rape her and stabbed him in the crotch, then cut his dick off and shoved it in his mouth. I’m on a mission to find every single person who wronged her and make them pay. Even if it was a random patron at HAVEN who thought it was an awesome idea to cop a feel.

But I won’t tell Violet so she doesn’t feel guilty since she can’t help being such an empathetic soul.

Even though she was jaded and had to suffer her entire life, she still feels for others.

And yes, she was lost, but she’s found her worth, and no one will hurt her now that I’ve come along.

Now that I’ve decided she’ll be mine for eternity.

And because she’s kind and doesn’t like conflict, Violet’s been slowly allowing her father’s side of the family in, but really, she only likes Preston and maybe Lawrence. She made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with their money—not that Winston would listen.

But she doesn’t need their fortune in the first place.

She’s working toward becoming a therapist or a social worker to help those like her and Dahlia, but she’s also been thriving in her online shop. She had to hire a couple of people to keep up with demand and even gifted me some free embroidery.

She told me that I’ve paid her enough for a lifetime, but the joke’s on her.

I still create other accounts and buy all the shit I’ll be decorating our family home with.

And yes, I know it’s too soon, especially since she’s slowly getting mentally better and embracing her younger self. It took her a while to realize that she had nothing to do with her mother’s misfortune.

But whether or not it’s too soon, Violet is the only one I’d start a family with.

And I know she wants that—a family. I can see it in her eyes when she stops to help a kid or when she affectionately smiles at them.

One day, I’ll give her as many kids as she wants. A hockey team’s worth of them if that’s what it takes.

And truly, like Violet, I didn’t have a traditional family. My mother loved me, but not enough to give up on her obsession or to get help, and my father was thoroughly absent.

My relationship with Regis is currently in that complicated phase where I want to keep my distance from him and only use him when I need help.

What?

Most of my life, he’s only ever considered me a tool, too, so I see nothing wrong with doing the same thing.

Besides, I don’t give a fuck about his sob stories and whatever happened between him and my mother. He still tortured me and gave me scars I can never erase. He’s lucky I still talk to him.

Even Violet, who sees the good in everyone, doesn’t comment on my choices or ask me to spend more time with him. She just says to do what feels right, and that she’ll always be there for me.

Which is why I’m also here for her.

Her eyes dart around as she touches her wrist. I can’t see it well since it’s half covered, but she changed her tattoo a couple of months ago.

From ‘Endure’ to ‘I’ve Endured Enough.’

And I couldn’t be prouder of her.

My hand finds her waist, and I draw her against me. “Is it around here?”

“It should be, but…” She searches the area, the morning light casting a glow on her face, turning her eyes liquid blue.

“But?” I stroke her hip beneath her shirt, gentle and slow, and she relaxes. Violet craves all these little touches, and it also happens that I do, too.

I love how she melts in my arms and flashes me a small smile or even hums gently.

“Everything’s changed,” she whispers, still caught up in the unremarkable neighborhood we’re visiting.

Her old neighborhood.

Violet chose to come here as part of her healing journey. An exercise about facing the past and letting it go.

And to finally bury the mother she couldn’t for over a decade.

“The whole neighborhood was redone. Our house has been turned into a grocery store.” She releases a humorless laugh. “Not that it was our house.”

I tighten my grip on her waist. “Does that make you feel bad?”

She shakes her head. “I’m glad it’s gone. Everything, including the closet and the room that smelled of black mold. If anything, I like that it was all demolished and changed shape. I won’t feel anything if I go into that grocery store.”

“So that’s a good thing?”

“Yeah. I can finally let go of this rotten limb that used to drag me down. My mother was dealt a bad hand, but it’s not my fault.”

“Good girl.”

She bites her lower lip. “Don’t call me that in public.”

“Why?” I lower my voice, speaking against her earlobe. “Does it get you hot and bothered?”

She smacks my chest teasingly, laughing. “Jude!”

“What? I’m giving you different memories in the place that tried to break you but failed.”

She faces me, wrapping both her arms around my waist. The way she looks up at me with that trust and love and complete adoration makes me want to shield her from the world.

To go back to the past and slay all her demons. To reach into her nightmares and kill the monsters that make her grow smaller.

She doesn’t have them as often now, and she’s no longer self-conscious about me seeing her in the throes of one. If anything, she wants me to hold her after them, burying her head in my chest and falling back asleep like that.

Violet has the type of soft, kind, and sometimes fiery personality that keeps me on my toes. I honestly refuse to remember my life before her and can’t imagine it without her.

“Thank you.” She smiles. “I’m glad I don’t have to face that closet. Saved you a panic attack.”

“Don’t say that. I don’t only love you on your good days, sweetheart. I love you more when you feel safe to be vulnerable with me. ”

“Who are you, and what have you done with my stalker who used to hate me to bits?”

“You turned that hate into love, sweetheart.”

“I did?”

“Yes. You seem to have a lot of power over me.”

“Do you hate that?”

“Not if it’s you, no.”

“Good. Because you have power over me, too, so we’re equal.”

“God, I love you.” I stroke her cheek. “I don’t know in which ditch I’d be in if you weren’t in my life.”

“I don’t know if I’d still be alive if you weren’t in mine, Jude.” She gets on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “I loved you when I thought people like me don’t deserve love.”

“I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much you of all people deserve that love.”

And then I’m kissing her. Because I can’t stop kissing her.

Looks like I need to marry her soon.

Make her my wife.

My partner.

And the light in my otherwise dark world.

THE END

You can read Preston & Marcus’ book in Tempting Venom .

Next up: Hunt the Villain , a dark MM mafia romance.