Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lettie
A week had passed since Brock drank the tea that made him sick.
Seven days of him visiting, kissing me, making me come in various places around my house until my legs trembled and my mind went blank.
Seven days of my mother’s voice cutting through the haze of pleasure, demanding attention like a petulant child.
Seven days of wanting more and being terrified of what more meant.
He’d tried to sneak down the hall twice now to confront her.
The first time I’d caught him with his hand on her doorknob, jaw set with that stubborn determination that made my stomach flip.
The second time I’d stationed Cerberus outside her door like a sentinel.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to meet her.
Well, okay, I didn’t want him to meet her.
But it was inevitable. One day I’d have to give in.
Today was not that day.
Today was another party at the clubhouse.
My stomach had been twisted in knots since morning, anxiety crawling under my skin like insects burrowing through muscle and sinew.
Brock wanted me to stay the night with him.
I’d argued that I couldn’t leave Cerberus home alone.
He’d tried to insist Cerberus wouldn’t be home alone.
I’d quickly reminded him that my mother was lazy and selfish, and Cerberus would starve before she lifted a finger to help him.
So Cerberus was in the truck with me, bouncing over the dirt and gravel as I sped toward the large building.
My nerves fluttered inside me until it felt like spiders had embedded themselves under my skin, spinning webs through my veins.
My hands gripped the steering wheel tight enough that my knuckles went white, bone pressing against skin.
The vial around my neck swung with each bump in the road, a familiar weight that usually grounded me but today only reminded me how exposed I’d be walking into that clubhouse.
Into his world.
Where women like Echo existed. Women who knew him. Who’d touched him. Who thought they had a claim on something that belonged to me.
I climbed out of the truck and released Cerberus to walk by my side.
The music was loud, like last time, and I felt that familiar sense of déjà vu as I climbed the steps to the porch.
My heart slammed against my ribs. Hard. Fast. Each beat a reminder that I was walking into territory I didn’t fully understand yet.
The front door was open. The same prospect stood guard, giving me a nod as I strolled past him.
The moment I walked in, all heads turned in my direction.
Unlike at the diner, the people here didn’t immediately go back to what they were doing, effectively dismissing my presence.
Eyes tracked me. Assessed me. Calculated my worth and my threat level.
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was me they stared at, or Cerberus.
Probably both. A woman with a massive dog.
Did they know what I’d done? That I’d poisoned their vice president? Word traveled fast in places like this.
Good. Let them know I wasn’t someone to dismiss.
My eyes searched the room, trying my best to ignore the stares burning into my skin.
Zeus was at the bar with the same woman between his legs, and I wondered if he had an old lady.
What would that mean for Reggie and Gus?
Would Gus have an evil stepmother? Because the woman he was practically wearing didn’t scream maternal to anyone’s imagination.
She looked like she’d eat her young if it meant keeping her position.
Zeus watched me for a moment before looking across the room.
I followed his gaze and found Brock leaning against the wall, letting Echo trail a finger down his chest.
The world narrowed to that single point of contact. Her finger. His chest. The casual intimacy of it. The way she leaned into him like she had every right. Like I didn’t exist. Like the past week meant nothing.
Heat flooded through me. Not the pleasant kind. This was rage mixed with something darker. Something possessive and violent that made my fingers itch for the vial around my neck. Made me calculate dosages and delivery methods. Made me wonder how long it would take before she realized she was dying.
“Strike three,” I muttered and walked gracefully across the room to stand beside him. Each step measured. Controlled. Even though inside I was screaming.
“But, Hades, she’s not even here yet. We can be back downstairs before she shows up.”
Cerberus growled beside me, loud enough for them both to hear. The sound vibrated through the air, through my bones, matching the fury coiling in my chest. Fear flashed in Brock’s eyes. Good. He should be afraid. He pushed off the wall and tugged me against him, his body warm and solid and mine.
“What did I tell you?” My voice came out softer than I felt. Sweeter. But underneath was steel and poison and the promise of consequences.
“I was explaining to her how things were.”
“She had her hand on you.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue. Acidic. Like the jimsonweed I’d used on him before.
“And I will again,” she mumbled.
I glared at her back as she walked away.
Watched the sway of her hips. The confidence in her stride.
The way she thought she’d won something.
My mind catalogued her weight, her height, her probable tolerance levels.
How much will it take to make her sick? How much to make her stop breathing?
The calculations came automatically now, a dark reflex in the face of threats.
Brock grabbed my chin, directing my attention back to him. His touch grounded me. Pulled me back from the edge I’d been teetering on.
“Ignore her. The whores play these games to get a rise out of the old ladies. If you let it get to you, she wins.”
I smiled up at him. Let the sweetness flood back into my expression even though darkness churned underneath. “You’re right,” I said sweetly.
If Echo wanted to play, well, I came prepared to play.
Because while Brock might think it was harmless, I knew the truth.
I knew what women like her were capable of.
How they wormed their way in, how they destroyed things from the inside out.
I’d seen it before. And I’d be damned if I let it happen again.
We walked around the room, and Brock introduced me to his brother and father.
His brother was sweet, genuine warmth in his eyes that made something in my chest ache.
But his father watched me closely, assessing me with the same calculating gaze I’d been using on everyone else.
He was never rude, but also not as accepting as Brock’s brother.
His eyes tracked my movements like he was waiting for me to reveal myself as a threat.
Smart man.
Brock had told me about his mom taking off when he and his brother were just kids, so it made sense that Jupiter would be hesitant to accept a woman in his son’s life.
There was an expectation that a father would protect his children.
The same for mothers. Only, I never experienced either, so I was willing to cut him some slack.
For now.
The evening moved on, and I had a great time getting to know Brock’s club brothers. Most of them were rough around the edges but genuine. Loyal. The kind of men who would kill for their family without hesitation. I understood that. Respected it. All except one.
Apollo.
He was polite when Brock introduced us, but his eyes tracked me as I moved around the room, leaving me feeling unsettled.
Exposed. Like he could see through the carefully constructed exterior I showed the world.
Like he knew about the darkness I kept hidden.
The vial around my neck suddenly felt heavier. Warmer. A beacon drawing his attention.
The club whores also watched me as I moved around, Echo especially. Her eyes burned into my back every time I turned away, silently calculating. Plotting. Thinking she still had a chance.
She didn’t.
Silently telling Cerberus to stay, I slipped away from Brock and went to the bar, where I ordered whatever Echo was drinking.
The prospect who took the order looked at me strangely, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
I smiled, hoping it would relax his guard.
Let him think I was just another sweet girl trying to fit in.
He nodded and made the drink, setting it in front of me.
It was purple.
Whatever it was, it didn’t look appealing, but I thanked him and picked up the glass.
Felt the weight of it in my hand. The cool condensation against my palm.
The knowledge of what I was about to do settled into my bones like an old friend.
I waited for the prospect to turn away and let the powder slip through the drink, dissolving almost instantly.
I walked straight toward Echo and stopped in front of her.
She eyed me warily until I apologized, “I’m sorry, Echo.
I know I’m new here and you and Hades have known each other for a while.
I brought you a peace offering.” I paused, letting the words sink in.
“I read up on MCs when I moved in next door a few years back, and I can only imagine how upsetting it must be to have a woman come in and take your place.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off.
“I promise that’s not what I’m doing. Hades’ infatuation with me right now is because I’m shiny and new. Give it a few weeks and that’ll wear off, and you’ll have him back. I swear.”
The lies tasted sweet on my tongue. Honeyed poison. Because I knew the truth. Brock was mine. Would always be mine. And if she touched him again, I’d make sure she regretted it.
Permanently next time.
Echo glanced at the girl beside her, who whispered, “Finally, a bitch who knows her place.”
I held my tongue and asked, “What’s your name?” Even though I wanted to tell her exactly where her place was. Six feet under if she kept pushing.