Page 52 of Venomous as a Snake

I return his smile with one of my own. “Speaking of things we both know… If Clay comes after me, I’m going to kill him for ruining my life. That’s not unappealing to you.”

I blink out of my thoughts before answering Walker’s question. “Fangs cares too much about me to let the abuse continue. And that makes Clay jealous. We had plenty of issues before that, but I could slink out of the way before they became violent.”

“He thought dancing was a waste, so starting there didn’t surprise me,” Walker admits quietly.

“Me either.” I laugh despite the dark mood hanging over us. “When I wouldn’t fuck him, he’d bring other women into the house. He killed them, though. Didn’t want it getting around that he was cheating on his fiancée. I stabbed him for trying to touch me. And after that, I started drugging him at night so there was no risk of waking up with him—”

“Nope.” Walker shakes his head, stepping closer to me. “Do not tell me he—”

“He didn’t,” I cut him off quickly. “But I heard he went through withdrawals for a few months when I left. So, chances are, he knows I was drugging him now. It won’t be something he throws in my face before I kill him, though. He won’t want people to know.”

I can see the weight of my confession dulling the anger still lingering in his eyes.

“Don’t do that,” I warn him, frowning when he grabs my hand. “I’m fine, Walker. Do not feel bad for me.”

“I never wanted that for you,” he whispers with so much sadness I nearly break. “I’m sorry.”

“You did nothing—”

“I know.” He cups my cheek, his thumb stroking over my cheekbone. “And that’s why I’m sorry.”

I close my eyes, avoiding the intensity of his gaze to collect myself. “I can’t tell you more if you’re going to pity me.”

“It’s not pity,” he rumbles. “It’s regret. I should have—”

“Stop,” I demand, my eyes snapping open to glare at him. “His minions would have continued to try to kill you. My life wasn’t in danger the way yours was. We did the best we could with what we had. It’s time to move on, to leave the past in the past, where it belongs.”

Walker doesn’t pull away from me, which feels like a win, while so many emotions float over his features. I prefer his anger over pity or regret, and he’s well aware of that.

“He knows we’ve found each other,” I murmur, changing the subject to a slightly different topic. “The threats are no longer valid.”

“The threats are going to get worse.”

“He’ll come for us, yes. But they won’t be worse. They’ll be easier to anticipate now that he’s got a singular focus.”

“You.”

I nod. “He knows he can’t kill you or Drew on his own. He’ll test Ali, but that won’t get him very far.”

“This is the same shit Drew was saying—”

“Because he understands how I think. So do you. If I waited this long to make a move against Clay, do you really believe I wouldn’t cover every base?”

He glances away from me, a scowl on his face. “What will you do when he comes for us instead of you?”

“Blow him up.”

“This isn’t the time to make a joke.”

“I’m not Drew,” I snap.

“No. You’re not.” He sets me on the counter, his hands resting on my thighs. “I just can’t understand why.”

I raise my brow, my lips tilting up as I ask, “Why I’m not Drew?”

“Why are you pushing Clay?” he clarifies, unimpressed with my question.

“I can’t say why.” I shrug, running my hand through his dark hair. “Other than I’m tired of living with my back against the corner. To truly be free, he has to die.”