Passion & Venom (Venom Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  “What?” he asked rhetorically. “You don’t like my song, Gia baby?”

  “You sound like road kill,” I teased.

  “But you love this road kill’s cock, huh?” He stood up from the recliner in the corner of my bedroom, walked towards my bed where I was sitting, and slid between my legs.

  I glanced at the door, giggling as I pushed his chest. “Toni, stop. Daddy is right downstairs.”

  “So what? I’m tired of fucking hiding this, Gia. You’re my fucking woman. I fucking love you and I shouldn’t have to pretend I fucking don’t.”

  My eyes grew as wide as discs. I studied his face, searching for the bullshit behind his statement. But his face was so damn sincere and his blue eyes were so clear. There was no trace of a lie. No shame. He meant it.

  “You love me?” I asked, stroking his cheek.

  “With all of my fucking heart, baby. And I’m going to marry the shit out of you one day. You hear me? I mean it. I want you, baby. You.” He kissed me on the lips. “Nobody else but you, Gia baby.”

  “Wake up. Eat.” The tip of Axe Man’s boot nudges me in the ribs. I roll over weakly, focusing on the slop on the plate.

  “What the hell is this?” I hiss. I don’t even sound like myself anymore. I sound disgusting.

  “Food, bitch. Now eat.”

  I glance at Ronaldo. He shakes his head and I take that as a sign not to argue right now. Instead of doing what I feel deep in my soul—which is grabbing a handful of the pig slop, tossing it in Axe Man’s face, and then kicking him in the balls before making a run for it—I sit up and study it.

  It’s brown and pink in some places. Corn sticks out of it, as well as some other shit I don’t want to know the name of. On the side is a slice of dry sandwich bread and a half rotten apple.

  Axe Man walks back to the cell door and stomps away.

  I watch him until he’s disappeared. I hear the door creak on its hinges and then slam shut, echoing through the hallway.

  “Hope you’ll enjoy drinking your spit after eating that,” Ronaldo says.

  I press my dry lips together. “Do you want some?”

  “Nah, I’m good. You shouldn’t eat it either. I know you’re hungry but it’ll give you a serious case of the shits.”

  I groan, shoving the tray away. Scooting towards the wall, I rest my back on it and stare up at the window above. It’s too high to reach. Even if Ronaldo gave me a boost, I wouldn’t be able to get a good look.

  I try and imagine the beach. I bet it’s lovely—a shimmery, turquoise blue with seagulls and white sand. I hear the gulls often. It’s like they talk to me sometimes—demanding that I find a way out of this shithole.

  “I need to get out of here,” I murmur.

  “You and me both.” Ronaldo drops his head, focusing on the loose hay on the floor. “You asked me about my family. Did you have a lot of family and friends where you came from?”

  I laugh. “Well, my mom and dad died not too long ago. Mom passed away first. Never had any siblings. I had a ton of friends—but I wouldn’t exactly call them friends. More like…acquaintances.” I clear my throat. “All I really needed was Antonio. He was my best friend. My lover. Protector…for a while anyway.”

  “Marriage is a fucking joke,” he states with snide.

  I frown. “No it’s not. Marriage is beautiful. It’s two spirits coming together and bonding into one.”

  “All smoke and mirrors. Straight bullshit.”

  I cross my arms. “I take it you’ve never been in love.”

  “Oh, I have.” He looks up at the ceiling. “Loved her for eight years. Asked her to marry me, she said she couldn’t because I was too unpredictable. What the fuck did she expect after knowing me for eight years? She was a waste of my goddamn time.”

  “That’s only one woman and she clearly didn’t love you if she said something like that after you asked for her hand in marriage. There are plenty of other women out there—”

  “No, see, I’m going to stop you right there.” He lifted one of his stubby arms, scowling at me. “I won’t be getting out of this fucking place. Never. So don’t sit in here and spew that false hope and bullshit. Plus, even if I did, what bitch would want me now? No fucking arms. Not a damn thing to give. I’m grateful they haven’t chopped my fucking cock off yet.”

  My heart pounds as he stares me right in the eyes. “This isn’t a fucking vacation. There is no fucking hope here, don’t you get that? You can pretend something good will happen, but I’ve seen fuckers with the same mindset as you come in and out of this place and never return. I’ve seen some come back and end up fucking dying right in front of me. I’ve seen it all, so don’t feed me some shit that you don’t even fucking believe. We aren’t getting out of here intact. The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be.”

  His jaw flexes as he presses his back to the wall.

  The cell is quiet for a long time. So long that I feel panic settle deep in my bloodstream. I stand up and pace the cell, focusing on the window.

  Ronaldo sighs heavily. “What the fuck are you doing?”

  “Thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “How to get the hell out of this place.”

  “Did you not listen to a word I just said? You’re not getting out of here unless they want you to! So just sit the fuck down and shut up. Accept it and move on.”

  “No,” I hiss. “I won’t accept this! I will not die in this place. I don’t care if I have to fight my way out. I will get out of here. I swear it on my dead husband’s soul I will.”

  Ronaldo grunts, snatching his gaze away. He sports an amused grin on his face, his head moving from left to right.

  “Did I say something funny?” I snap.

  “Not at all. I’m just glad to know you’ve accepted something.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m glad you’ve accepted the fact that these fuckers took your husband away…and that you’ll never get him back, even if you do get out of this shitty place.”

  I don’t know why, but his words hit me hard. Way too hard. Why did I admit that out loud? I’ve had dreams that Toni is alive. Some feel so real that it seems all I need to do is escape this place and make my way back to him.

  Has it really come to this? Exactly what in the hell am I fighting for? I have no family. My father was brutally murdered and my mother got brain cancer that may as well have eaten her alive.

  I have no one.

  I have nothing.

  There’s Toni’s family—his mom and Charlie, but what use would I be to them? Returning without him?

  “Wow,” I breathe as I slump down in a corner. I wrap my arms around my knees. “I…I really have nothing to go back to. No one. Is that the reality I face?”

  “Your reality is here and you should focus on that for now. You can think about escaping, but you have to be smart if you want to survive. You may lose a few limbs in the process, but at least you’d still be breathing.”

  “Fuck that,” I spit. “I’m not losing anything.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart. You’ve already lost something.”

  I pick my head up to look at him, my curiosity outweighing my anger. “What?”

  “Your innocence. Your peace of mind. You would kill just to get out of here, right?”

  “Yes, I would.” And I am so serious. I will do anything to get out.

  “Any person in their right mind wouldn’t go as deep as killing, no matter how tough shit gets.”

  “But those pricks deserve it. Especially the one with the axe tattoo.”

  “You won’t be able to kill him,” he confides, “but you can hurt him.”

  I drop my arms. “What are you saying?”

  “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he carries a pocket knife in his back pocket. Hardly ever uses it.”

  “So? They all have weapons.”

  “Yes, to show authority. He’ll notice a gun missing right away, b
ut a pocketknife…I don’t think so. Not right away at least. That’s why when you get it—and you will—you have to think fast. No hesitation.”

  “But I thought you said there was no way out of here.”

  “Oh there’s not, but their boss comes home in two days.”

  “And…?”

  “Let’s just say causing a scene is the only hope you have.”

  I look towards the cell door, licking my lips. “Tell me about the boss,” I murmur.

  “He’s ruthless, that’s for damn sure. Shows no compassion whatsoever. He’s violent as fuck, but there is one thing about him that is his downfall…”

  “What?”

  “Any man’s downfall…”

  I frown.

  “Pussy,” he hisses, rolling his eyes. “You have one. Be smart and fucking use it.”

  “If you think I’ll willingly give my body to any of them, you’re just as crazy as them!”

  “I didn’t say all of them. Just him.”

  “How in the hell am I supposed to make him want me when I look like this? I smell like piss and my hair is a matted mess. My nails are chipped and my lips are bleeding.”

  “Gia,” Ronaldo chuckles. “Okay, so maybe I was being a little harsh about finding a way out of here. There is always a way out of something, but with a place like this, it won’t come easy.”

  “So what do you suggest I do?”

  He smirks. “You already heard my thoughts. It’s simple. Make the king notice you…or die trying. Either way, you’ll still be out of this place.”

  Chapter Five

  Day 4

  I can hear a woman talking. Her voice isn’t light or sweet. It’s frustrated and clipped.

  My legs are bouncing, the urge to pee way too high.

  “I should try right now,” I whisper to Ronaldo.

  He looks up at me, tossing his greasy hair back. “You should.”

  Those words are all I need to hear. I push up on my hands until I’m standing up straight. I walk to the cell door, gripping the cold, hard steel. “Hey!” I shout.

  The commotion comes to a cease from wherever they are. The door is yanked open in an instant and Axe Man comes storming down the hallway, his hand on the gun he has in the holder.

  “When the fuck will you learn, bitch?”

  A woman steps up behind him. She has long, ebony hair and a black baseball cap on. Her hair is board straight, her thin eyes focused on me. She looks me up and down. “When the fuck did we get a bitch?” she asks in Spanish.

  “Couple days ago. Bitch is starting to piss me off.”

  “What the hell do you want?” she demands in English.

  “I…have to pee.”

  Axe Man chuckles, and the sound of it is like nails to a chalkboard. Irritating. “You’re really doing this shit again? What the fuck did I tell you?”

  “You didn’t tell me anything,” I respond boldly.

  He clenches his fist and steps forward, gripping the metal bar. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”

  The woman rolls her eyes, planting her hands on her hips. “Just let her go to the fucking bathroom. She doesn’t have a cock. We can’t just aim and piss in the fucking corner like you slobs can.” Axe Man looks back at her with a tilted eyebrow. She shrugs, stepping sideways. “It’s filthy in there anyway. No one’s cleaned the shit in fucking months. Might as well let her use it. Wipe her piss with that stupid dress.”

  Axe Man finds delight in her last statement. He sneers, pulling out his keys and unlocking the door. The lock is loud, and the bolt clinks and echoes through the cell. I glance back at Ronaldo.

  He’s not looking at us.

  “Since you have a pussy, you take her.” Axe Man grips my arm and shoves me into the woman’s chest. She throws me off and I land flat on my ass with a grunt as she grimaces at him.

  “Fuck you, you fat fuck!”

  He sniggers as he walks past her and makes his way back to the room they came out of. When he shuts the door behind him, she frowns down at me.

  “Get your stupid ass up,” she snaps. “You have to pee, don’t you? Well, go. Before I change my fucking mind.”

  I stand feebly, turning in the direction she points to and walking.

  I spot a door to the right and she pushes it open.

  Christ.

  She wasn’t kidding when she said it’s filthy.

  This bathroom is disgusting. The walls are covered in shit, grime, and other things I don’t want to know the names of. The toilet is stained brown and yellow, with green mold riding along the bottom and running up one of the walls. The sink is molded too, rusty around the knobs.

  She shoves me in and I look around, cupping my mouth and nose. It smells horrid in here.

  “Go ahead.” I turn back and she’s smirking. “Pee.”

  Truth be told, I’d much rather pee on myself again. I gather my dress up as much as I can and squat over the toilet seat. It takes a while for my pee to come out. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m afraid I’ll catch a disease in this bathroom, because the woman guard is watching me like a hawk, or both.

  Finally, after she snaps at me for taking so long, I pee. It’s the longest pee of my damn life, and it feels so great to empty my full bladder.

  Once I’m finished, I stand and drop my dress. Dribbles run down my thighs. There is no tissue, so I have no choice but to rub the dress between my legs to get rid of them.

  I drag my eyes back up to hers and she steps back, her hand on the gun in her holder.

  “Thank you,” I murmur, walking past her.

  “Don’t fucking thank me.” Her hand presses on the center of my back and she shoves me forward. “Hurry up to the fucking cell.”

  I meet at the door and she unlocks it. I walk in, side-eyeing her once before dropping down in my corner. She locks it up behind her with her eyes on me, shaking her head slowly before walking off.

  When I know she’s gone, I sigh. “I couldn’t get it,” I whisper to Ronaldo.

  “Don’t worry about it. Maybe tomorrow.”

  Chapter Six

  Day 5

  “You have to make a scene this time. Test your limits.” Ronaldo slides closer, looking me hard in the eyes. “It’s the only way he’ll take you seriously.”

  “What should I do?”

  “Demand something from him. Act like they owe you…”

  “Won’t they kill me for doing that?”

  “If they had the option to kill you, you’d be dead by now. My guess is that the boss has told them to leave you alone until he sees you for himself.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Because he has to know what he’s dealing with…and probably find out what you know before he makes a final decision. He’s a fucking maniac, but he’s no fool.”

  “Well, what should I demand?”

  “Think of something you want right now. Something to eat that they could easily get but you know they won’t.”

  I drop my head, staring down at the gray floor. “Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll try it.”

  When the sun is about to set, a door slams shut and footsteps are coming down the hallway. My hands are shaking violently, my pulse accelerating. I’m terrified to do this, but I have to if I want to get out of here.

  Axe Man appears with a foam cup in hand, his eyes trained on me. When he walks in, he places the cup down on the middle of the floor and says, “Drink up…or don’t. I don’t really give a fuck.”

  I frown at the cup, standing rapidly. “I don’t want water! Give me something fruity to drink! Juice or soda. Something!”

  He looks at me as if I’ve lost my damn mind. Perhaps I have. His eyes grow wide, and his shoulders square up.

  “What the fuck did you say?” he growls.

  “I said give me something fruity to drink. Now.” I’m so glad my voice doesn’t tremble, but my entire body is shaking.

  Axe Man looks around the cell, laughing dryly. Ronaldo hasn’t made a move.
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br />   Before I know it, Axe Man puts on a deep scowl and then charges my way, gripping me by the hair and slamming my head against the wall.

  “What a dumb fucking one you are.”

  As he holds me, I haul him closer, pretending to put up a fight, but really my hands are on a search. I pinch some of the fat on his side, scratch at his back. He doesn’t budge. His hot, smelly breath runs past my nose. It reeks like shit.

  When I grunt and pinch his nipple, he brings his other hand up and slaps me with it. The sting is crucial, so crucial that I crumble a bit, my ears ringing. As I fall, I strike him with one hand, the other yanking on his pocket.

  “BITCH!” He releases my hair and tosses me on the ground. I collapse on my side, landing roughly on my right arm. I squeeze the prize in my hand though, and take the blows he gives me as he kicks me in the stomach and the chest.

  Something feels like it cracks inside me but I’m not even sure where it is. When he reaches down again to snatch me up by the hair, he gets close to my face, seething before whacking me across the cheek with his large, rough hand.

  I groan, feeling a chill cloak my body as he drops my head on the ground again.

  I hear a loud BOOM and then there are heavy footsteps rushing our way. Several men come rushing in, yanking Axe Man away and tossing him outside the cell.

  The white haired man grips him by the front of his shirt, furious. He speaks to him in their native tongue. I can tell he’s pissed at him, not proud. I hear the words Jefe and muy furioso in one sentence and I know what that means.

  The boss will be angry with him for what he’s done.

  “He’ll be here soon so calm the fuck down. You know we can’t fucking kill her,” he hisses in Spanish. “We aren’t even supposed to be near her, you fucking dumbass! You better hope she isn’t fucking bruised later.” He pushes Axe Man forward, down the hallway. “Get the fuck out of here!”

  The men follow after him, but the woman is last. She locks the door behind her, giving me a thorough look over before walking off.