Page 25 of Venomous as a Snake

“I live behind you.”

I nod. “And how long will you avoid me after this?”

He lumbers into my kitchen, pausing on the other side of the island. The distance is a gnawing void, a black hole sucking all the happiness out of my soul.

“I won’t avoid you, Kody.” He grimaces at me, as if the words on the tip of his tongue taste terrible. “That was a mistake. We got caught up, and we didn’t think about the repercussions of our actions. My actions.”

I nearly scoff at him. “Nothing is going to happen simply because we had sex, if you can even call it that.”

“You’re being watched,” he stresses. “So am I.”

Hooker knocks his paw against the door, so I move to let him out. Walker beats me to it, stopping just outside the threshold. He stares at me like he’s memorizing my features before his final departure.

“If you run, I won’t follow you this time,” I warn him, the truth of that statement burning my eyes. “I spent the last year looking for you, Walker. I can’t do that again.”

“What about—”

Hooker turns his barking to the fence, and Walker rolls his eyes.

“What about Clay?” I finish for him, dragging his attention back to me. “Fangs and I have an agreement.”

“Hooker,” he shouts, running his hand through his hair in frustration as he glowers at my dog.

“How do you know his name?”

The question is quiet, lethal, as I paint this picture of lies in my mind. My sadness hardens into fury and then acceptance as they both pause.

Hooker drops his head like I caught him doing something bad and drags his feet as he comes to stand at my side. Walker glares at my dog as I scratch between his ears. There’s no doubt in my mind that he knows how I’m feeling, which is why he’s being a kiss-ass…

Hooker. Not Walker.

“What?” the asshole asks when I don’t speak again.

“How”—I begin, super slow like he has comprehension issues—“do you. Know. My dog’s. Name? I didn’t tell you.”

He scratches the back of his head as he continues to glare at Hooker. “You did that on purpose.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not you,” he corrects. “Him.”

“How, Walker?” I demand, the growling tone of my cobra slithering into my voice.

He closes his eyes as if he can’t bear to tell me the truth. “I met him at Drew’s house.”

“Last week?”

There’s no need for him to answer. Those captivating amber eyes snap to attention at the anger in my tone, and they say more than I want to know.

I don’t think twice about my actions.

I just slam the door in his face.

I hop the fence, storming past Collin and Forrest without a word. My phone is sitting on the kitchen counter, exactly where I left when I went outside to light the grill.

I’ve lost my appetite for food.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” I snarl as soon as my brother answers.