Page 45 of Venomous Desires

I became her anchor during those dark times. She called me her angel, the one who guided her through the darkness. Yet, in truth, I merely encouraged her to keep going, to not let the grief consume us. I didn’t understand her painfully, but I knew we couldn’t let it define our lives. In the end, it wasn’t about dismissing our loss but about finding the strength to live beyond it.

The complexity of the human brain was beyond my grasp, but he—there was not a single nerve or bone in him I could relate to or understand. One minute he threatened me and hurtme, and the next he was so close that I forgot whose air I was breathing. He had me moulded into his hands, twisting me in whatever way he preferred, and then he let go, not realizing I was shattering there. Or maybe he simply didn’t care enough to even ponder that.

A toy. That’s what I felt like.

When I struggled to my trembling legs, he was already striding forward with his cane.

Kyle was there, and I stood paralyzed, unsure of what to do next. Cruel. That’s what he was. He wielded his cruelty like a weapon, knowing exactly how to get under my skin and make me feel small.

Gathering my sanity off the ground, I stood.

Judas stopped, and so did I and my breaths. Looking around with unsure eyes, I realised we were in a corridor. I watched him cautiously as he extended his hand.

“Little bird?” I hated the tinge of nerves that rushed through me at his deep and suspiciously calm voice, as if he hadn’t cornered me just a few minutes ago.

I took a deep breath and then stepped forward. He wanted my hand. I gave it to him before pulling the sleeves of my sweater over my nails so that my skin wouldn’t touch him. A small tilt of his lips as he rubbed my sweater-clad hands with his thumb, but to my relief, he remained quiet.

“We are here, sir,” Kyle said, and Judas nodded.

I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a black hole appearing in front of my eyes as if it’d suck me in. Though there was a clothed wall between us, I could feel the warmth of his palm.

Kyle opened the door, and the noise hit me all at once.

Voices, cigarette smoke, and alcohol flooded my senses, making my nose wrinkle. I hated it instantly.

Every head turned toward the door.

“Welcome back,” A man wearing a dusty brown fur coat andan ugly smirk mumbled, raising his glass toward Judas. “We’ve been waiting.”

I swallowed as Judas gave my hand a small tug. Right. He was waiting for me. I guided him to the empty couch and helped him sit before taking the seat beside him.

Kyle followed a moment later, stopping behind the couch with his hands folded neatly in front of him.

The man, built like an oversized bear, rounded the table without taking his eyes off Judas. He slipped a cigar between his fingers, lit it, and took a slow drag.

“Glad to see you made it back, little lion.”

Judas settled back against the couch, all traces of his earlier amusement gone. This was a different version of him.

Smoke curled lazily from Judas’s lips. “Where’s the rat?”

The man hesitated. It lasted less than a heartbeat.

“Rat?”

“Don’t waste my time, Dontello.” His voice remained calm as he spoke fluent Russian. “You know who I am talking about.”

The man swallowed and threw a quick glance over his shoulder.

The others understood without a word.

Three leather couches surrounded the low table in the center of the room. The one across from us held only two men—a blond and another with a tattoo stretched across his shaved forehead.

They didn’t bother looking up as they leaned over the white powder on the table.

“The rat has been... dealt with,” My ears perked up though I barely understood. “But I assure you, it won’t be a problem anymore.”

A dark chuckle rumbled beside me, sending a shiver through my bones. I glanced at Judas from beneath my lashes. His head tipped back as the chuckle deepened into quiet laughter. Iswallowed. It was the first time I’d heard him laugh like that.