Page 40 of Venomous as a Snake

“Of course she does,” he answers, nonchalant once more. “She’s ready to go head-to-head with him. But she is not ready to have us caught in the crosshairs.”

I chuckle, though it’s far from funny. “She’s always been the most territorial between us, especially when it comes to us. I can’t help but worry, though.”

“Kody will kill him,” Drew states firmly. “I don’t doubt that.”

“You think he’s still underestimating her?” I muse.

“They keep one-upping each other. But she’s sneaky, Walker. Clever. This is going to come down to trust. Between her and us, us and her. If she can’t trust you—”

“I’ll talk to her.”

He snorts at me. “Without being a dick?”

“I can’t turn off my personality,” I admit, even if I wish I could.

“That’s why I’m Mom’s favorite,” my brother teases.

I end the call, not giving him time to laugh. I’ll get plenty of that when he shows up in a couple hours to help me dispose of the body my mate so graciously left me.

Until then, I leave the office, locking the door after pulling the key from my desk drawer. And I spend the rest of the night thinking about Kody.

About how much I fucked up the other day.

How many times I’ve fucked up in the past…

Why I didn’t stop her, ask her what she was doing and if she needed help…

The answer would have been no, because she doesn’t need our help.

But would she have told me what she was doing?

Or lied because she can’t trust me?

That eats holes in my stomach, makes my shot of whiskey taste like water…

Forrest watches me as he makes the last drinks of the night, and I know he’ll have questions. Some I can answer. Some I can’t even begin to comprehend.

Kody has been a killer since we were teens. It’s in her blood, her very DNA. But she doesn’t have to do it alone.

I need to talk to her.

I won’t be the fucking fool who loses her because I’m too worried about what a goddamn swan will do if we’re together.

We’ve always been together.

Kody and her Lawless boys.

One fated, one chosen…

And she still hasn’t told us which is which.

I lie on the floor, panting like I’ve just ran a marathon.

“It wasn’t that heavy,” Ali teases.

“Yes, it was.”

“You lifted the corner,” he points out. “I moved the rest.”