Passion & Venom (Venom Trilogy Book 1) Page 15

  By the soreness alone, I know I’m not very appealing to the eye right now.

  I enter my bedroom quietly, shutting the door behind me and tossing all of my things in the recliner. When I look towards the vanity, I notice the chocolate cosmos are still there.

  I don’t know why I thought they’d be gone. I don’t deserve them.

  They still have life, and their fragrance has permeated this bedroom.

  My mouth twitches as I stare at them. I walk closer to them, running my finger across one of the petals. I then pull one out and sniff it. It smells good. So good that it relaxes me.

  Tucking the flower away, I walk to the closet and pull down an outfit. For a split second I realize I’m wondering where Draco is. When did he leave last night? Why didn’t he actually punish me?

  I have to admit that even though he was there, I slept like a baby. He didn’t bother me again after forcing that orgasm out of me. I would remember.

  He painted for some time. I dozed off after about an hour, when I realized he was actually leaving me alone.

  I have to say…it was the best sleep I’ve had since being here.

  In this bedroom, I sleep with one eye open. I make sure that when those footsteps go past my door, my guard is up and I am ready to pounce.

  But last night, the man that lurks this very door was only a few feet away from me. He had no reason to sneak by. And I had nothing to fear other than another form of punishment.

  No one else was going to intrude. He would have put a stop to it before it even happened…and something about that made me feel safe.

  Fuck me. Safe while being held captive?

  What kind of shit is that?

  I think I’m becoming just as twisted as they are.

  After my shower, I brush my hair and it collects around my heart-shaped face. The bruise on my forehead is darker, and the stitches above my lip are red around the edges.

  I look battered.

  There are still dark circles beneath my eyes and I can tell I’ve lost some weight but I feel…better. Hell, why couldn’t I lose these pounds before my wedding?

  After last night, something has shifted, and I hate that I don’t feel as much weight as I once did.

  I hate that I am starting to feel sheltered.

  It shouldn’t be this way.

  But he makes it so hard to see it otherwise.

  Wicked bastard.

  This is probably part of his plan. This is exactly what he wants.

  For me to feel protected by him. For me to call on him when I feel threatened. For me to reach out to him when I need something, like a day at the beach or a fucking alarm clock just so I can make it to breakfast on time.

  He wants me to need him.

  He wants me to crave him.

  He wants me to rest on my knees and give myself to him.

  He wants me…all of me, or nothing at all.

  This twisted game he’s playing confuses me. What in the hell does he see in me anyway? I am not the woman he should want.

  I am the woman with a wrath he should be afraid of.

  I waltz out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around me, running a finger over my sore stitches. As I pick up my head, I spot a figure by the chocolate cosmos and I freeze.

  The sunlight from the window across the room reveals her, and when she turns halfway, she grimaces. Francesca.

  “Why the hell are you in my room?” I demand, scowling.

  “You still call this your room,” she scoffs, turning in my direction and folding her arms. “This room you’re in is only temporary. You’ll be gone soon.”

  My eyelids grow thin. “Get the fuck out of my room,” I growl.

  She smirks. “You think you’re winning him over, don’t you?” I don’t speak. I don’t have to answer to her. When she takes a step closer, I take one back, squaring my shoulders. When she takes note of my hostile stance, she freezes, and then she laughs. “I can’t figure out why he let you sleep in there,” she mutters. “You’re no better looking than I am and I can give him so much more.”

  “You’re afraid of him,” I bite out. “I’m not. That’s the difference.”

  She looks me over. “You should be.”

  “Well, I’m not. Now get the hell out of my room.”

  Her irritating laughter fills the room and then she turns with her hands in the air. “I can’t wait to see how he breaks you too. You’re not afraid now, but trust me…that will change. You think you’re safe…but you have no fucking idea. Watch your back, bitch.”

  She’s out of the bedroom before I know it, the door slamming behind her. I swallow thickly, focusing on the flowers. There is one that has been pulled out. It’s resting on top of the vanity and it’s petals have been plucked.

  My eyebrows narrow as I rush forward and pick up the petals and then the stem, tossing it in the trash. But it’s when I return to the room that I see something.

  A carved image of a skull. It’s small, but the dust surrounding it is fresh. She did this while I was showering. It has been imprinted in the wood vanity, and it looks just like the skull on Draco’s ring.

  I look towards the door, and then back at the window.

  Gooseflesh rises on my skin. My heart pounds much harder.

  I rush to the closet for something to wear and get dressed quickly. I toss my hair up into a bun while pulling the door open and pacing my way out.

  Draco is standing in the dining room when I make it there. His hands are in the front pockets of his brown slacks as a younger man in a white button-down shirt speaks to him.

  When I meet the unknown man’s eyes, a sharp gasp escapes me and both of them look my way when they hear it.

  Kevin. Toni’s driver.

  I freeze solid in my tracks and Draco turns fully to look at me, pulling his hands out of the pockets. Kevin is sporting a casual smirk, his eyes mellow as if he’s never done any wrong.

  “Gianna,” Draco calls, cocking a brow. “Have a seat. Breakfast will be served in a minute.”

  I barely nod my head, walking around the opposite side of the table to reach my chair. I feel Kevin watching me.

  Draco continues talking to him in Spanish, and I’m surprised to hear Kevin exchanging responses in Spanish as well.

  He’s an all-American man. Blonde hair and a clean face. I asked him once if he could speak Spanish when we were in a fender bender with a Hispanic woman and he flat out told me no. He lied. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to know that.

  He’s a liar. And a conspirator.

  Sweat beads up on the back of my neck and my forehead as I look towards Mrs. Molina. She’s knitting away as she waits, but she glances up once before looking away. She doesn’t want to be involved today. Maybe she knows I slept in the galería.

  Is she against it now?

  The idea of Draco and me…?

  “Don’t worry about it right now. Come join us for breakfast.” Draco’s voice fills the dining room as he caps Kevin’s shoulder.

  “I am pretty damn hungry.” Kevin’s lips stretch to smile.

  When Draco turns and walks towards his chair, Kevin comes in my direction and takes the seat right beside me.

  Francesca plops down in the chair beside Mrs. Molina moments later and when we are all gathered at the table, the butlers come out with hot food.

  I remain quiet as Draco and Kevin continue talking amongst themselves, realizing that Francesca is now the least of my worries.

  With my fork clutched in hand, I breathe as evenly as possible, staring down at my omelet and the coffee on the side.

  As they speak cordially, I focus on the knife inside my cloth. It’s nestled there, and I’m sure Draco hasn’t even given it a second thought that I have a knife in reach.

  My heart is drumming. My eyes feel tight. My palms are clammy around the silver fork, but I use it to cut into the omelet and then chew slowly, pretending I’m okay.

  Something starts to ring and Draco pauses on his meal, looking down.<
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  “You all keep eating. I have to take this,” Draco murmurs as his phone continues to vibrate. He fishes it out, pushes out of his chair, and then leaves the dining room to go down a hallway.

  We hear him answer it, but everyone continues eating. Everyone but me.

  “So, Gia, it’s been a while. How are you liking it here?” Kevin’s voice booms and the sound of it makes my entire body tense up.

  I ignore him, picking at my breakfast.

  “Look, I know you’re surprised to see me, and I know you want to hate me,” he chuckles, “but what Toni failed to realize when he hired me is that I’m a floater. I work for whoever pays me the most. No hard feelings or anything. It was just business.” He holds his hands out in a nonchalant gesture. “My orders were to cause a distraction and let his men take care of the rest.” He holds his hands up in the air, carelessly shrugging. “You can’t really be upset about something you couldn’t control.” He chews some more and then picks up his coffee. “The way I see it, you got lucky. You didn’t need to be married to that jackass anyway.”

  Before he takes a sip, he says, “Toni was a fucking asshole. Fucking stupid, too. I wasn’t going to last long with him anyway. You should be glad you’re here. Better off with Jefe than that dipshit. I can’t imagine how you feel though. I mean, you hate me and I know it, but you have to hate him more. He’s the one who called the hit.” His lips purse to fight a smile as he side eyes me.

  He takes a sip of his coffee.

  I watch him swallow it with a smirk, my knee bouncing.

  His hand is on the table.

  I don’t hesitate on the urge that sweeps through me.

  I pick up the knife in front of me and I don’t waver. I stab the sharp end of the blade through the hand he has resting on the table.

  Francesca and Mrs. Molina gasp aloud.

  Kevin roars with agony and I shoot out of my chair, but I don’t run. I refuse to run this time. I want him to look me in the eye and know why this was done. It should be much worse than this for him. After what he did to Toni, setting all that shit up, and then pistol-whipping me.

  He should suffer.

  “I fucking hate you! Toni trusted you! I trusted you!” I scream.

  I take his cup of hot coffee and toss it at his face. He wails even more from the burn.

  I feel Francesca and Mrs. Molina staring at me and when I glance over, their eyes are wider than I’ve ever seen them before. Ignoring them, I reach over for Kevin’s knife and aim right for his throat as he tries yanking the other knife out of his hand.

  But I don’t make it in time.

  A hand clamps down on my wrist and then I’m yanked away and forced down in my chair.

  I look up, meeting heavy, hard brown eyes.

  Draco’s nostrils are flared, his fists clenched as he grips the handle of the knife.

  “What the fuck is your problem?!” Kevin shouts, still struggling to pull the knife out. “Stupid, miserable fucking bitch!”

  Draco turns and snatches the knife out of his hand, and Kevin howls, clutching his bloody hand to his chest.

  “Mama, take Kevin to Juanita to see what she can do for him.” Juanita is the maid that stitched me up. “Francesca, get the fuck out.” Draco’s tone is way to calm. Eerily calm.

  Both Francesca and Mrs. Molina hop up out of their chairs. They look at me once more, stunned.

  Mrs. Molina demands Kevin to get up and follow her and when they are all out of the dining room and the door is closed, Draco focuses on me. His face is as hard as stone. His eyebrows are stitched together, his lips pressed tight, jaw ticking.

  He seizes my body and tosses me over his shoulder.

  “Put me down!” I shout.

  He storms towards the french doors, stalking out of the dining room and hurrying down the corridor.

  I expect him to go towards the galería but he doesn’t. He takes a sharp right turn and opens a wide black door.

  He walks in, slams it behind him, and then spins around.

  He slams my back down on an unknown bed. I don’t know where we are, but it’s a large room with navy blue walls and a massive California king bed. The bed is covered in white sheets, and I notice a portrait on the wall behind him.

  There’s a man. He looks just like Draco.

  My jeans are unbuttoned and yanked down, and then my panties, causing me to pull my gaze away from the portrait.

  “Get off of me!” I grimace, shoving a hand on his face.

  He ignores me, tossing my hand away and shoving my shirt and bra up to reveal my breasts. He clutches my breasts in hand and then his mouth wraps around my nipple, sucking fiercely.

  I gasp and my pussy clenches tight. I yank on his hair by the roots to wrench him away. He releases my nipple, but that was stupid of me to do.

  He unbuckles his belt, undoes his button, drops his pants and briefs in unison, and then his massive cock springs free.

  “Why’d you try to kill him?” he demands, pressing his cock on my entrance. My wrists are now clasped in his large hands and glued to the bed.

  “Because he’s a backstabber. He was a part of your fucked-up plan to kill Toni!” I spit, scowling up at him.

  “And that means stab him in my house and leave his blood all over my fucking table?” He grabs my chin. “I brought him here for a reason.”

  “Why would you invite him to breakfast after what he did?”

  “Because you’re right. He’s a backstabber and I don’t like backstabbers. Or liars.”

  I’m confused now. I narrow my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

  “I brought him here so I can kill him.”

  “Over a lie?!”

  “No. For my safety and yours. He’s looking for more money. He’s here to kill me.” He pauses very briefly. “You don’t know this, but there is a warrant out for my arrest. No one knows where the fuck I am unless I let him or her know. And I let him know because I know what he wants. He wants the reward for my capture. Dead or alive, they want me.”

  “You’re wanted?” I pant, easing up on my resistance.

  “The reward is for three million dollars.” He shrugs one shoulder. “What man can resist?”

  My eyes stretch wide and the back of my head lands on the bed again. I ease up, only slightly.

  “You injured him for me—put his guard down for now. You’ll make killing him a lot easier. Not that I needed help in the first place. He’s a fucking idiot for coming into my home with no back up.” The tip of his cock pushes in and a harsh breath shoots past my lips. Thick. So damn thick. “And seeing you so angry—so eager to get rid of a man that betrayed you— has made me too fucking hard to not fuck you right now. It makes me wonder how far you’d go to try and get rid of me.” His smirk makes my throat feel thick. “I’ve been patient with you, but I won’t pass up this opportunity. I’m done fucking around, Gianna. I want you now.”

  His hot mouth presses on the crook of my neck, and with no hesitation at all, he slides his cock into me.

  My breath is bated as he clutches my wrists in hand and focuses on my face. He watches me—holds me—and then he slams inside me. I feel myself stretching wider for him, my walls holding him snug.

  He moves rapidly, my ass at the edge of the bed, thrusting quickly between my thighs. His grunts are heavy, and as his lips press on the bend of my neck, I sigh.

  The sound of slapping skin ricochets off the blue walls, and my back bows even more.

  I hear Kevin shouting out in pain from a faraway distance, and something about hearing that and having Draco inside me tips me right over the edge.

  It gives me a sense of power.

  Control.

  “I have wanted to make you mine for a long time, niñita,” he rasps in my ear. He lowers his head and his mouth closes around one of my nipples again.

  “Oh, God,” I whimper, pulsing around him. It’s been so long since I’ve had this. So long. And it feels way too good.

  A mixture of guil
t and pleasure swims through my bloodstream. I hate myself for this—indulging in such a sinful act. I hate myself for not resisting.

  Draco shouldn’t have me like this, right in the palm of his hand. He shouldn’t have gotten in this easily, but I find myself digging my nails into his hips and welcoming him in. Forcing him deeper.

  My fingernails glide up, and then scatter down his back, leaving marks that I know won’t fade for days.

  “Fuck, Gianna,” he groans with a dip of his hips. His mouth is less than an inch away from mine. “He never deserved you,” he murmurs. “No one on this earth deserves you but me.”

  I start to protest against his words, my hands dropping to shove against his chest, but he grips my forearms, slams them to the bed again, and then places his mouth on mine.

  His tongue thrashes through my lips, while his cock drives harder and deeper, bringing me higher—filling me up with forbidden ecstasy.

  He pulls both hands away, cupping the back of my neck with one while using the other to press his thumb down on my clit. He applies just the right amount of pressure as he drives his cock slower.

  The feeling is too much.

  My body is overheated with lust, desire, and shame.

  My heart doesn’t know what to do.

  And my mind…fuck. My mind is so lost. So confused.

  I swore he wouldn’t get to my heart or my mind…but I was so fucking wrong. He’s forced his way in and I don’t know how to come back from this.

  I can’t stop it—he feels so amazing.

  “Your pussy feels so good wrapped around me,” he grumbles against my lips. “I can tell you’ve wanted to feel my cock. I know this is exactly what you need in order to finally fucking behave.” His hand slides up and locks around my throat. His grip isn’t tight at all, but the gesture alone is enough to make me explode.

  He’s still stroking with his hot brown eyes locked on me.

  His brows are dipped and his lips are close to mine. He’s drawing me in, soaking up all that I can give. I am in my most vulnerable state.

  Pussy aching.

  Body jolting.

  My moans echoing across the room.

  I need to release. I need to let go. I’m aching so much.