Page 38 of Secrets

Her head shakes. "It can't be a club problem."

This sounds the alarms in his head. "Why not?"

"Because it can't."

"Marnie-"

"Please, don't," she says, her voice barely a whisper. "I have to go to work now."

Venom steps back and lets her leave, but he follows her to the bar. He's been there on more than one occasion in the past, yet he never lets her know he's there. Something about her calls to him, and he both loves and hates it. Ever since her first insult, he feels a spark with her he can't explain and doesn't have with anyone else.

"Can I get you something, sugar?" an older waitress asks as she walks up to him.

"I'll just take a water for now. I'm waiting for someone," he lies.

He watches Marnie interact with the patrons, and he sees her putting on an act for them. She's a damn good bartender for that, and he tries to determine which one of these assholes gives her trouble. Who he's following home and taking care of for her.

"Here you go," the waitress says. "Got a thing for Marnie, huh? She's a hot commodity around here. Everyone loves her. Some too much."

"Like who?" he asks.

"Everyone, but the boss has been a little more attentive with her recently. Her sass to put him in his place seems to have disappeared. Between you and me, I'm kind of worried."

Looking at her, he narrows his eyes. "How many others are you telling about this?"

"Just the one that comes in multiple nights to see her without being seen. The person who wears the same logo as her father and orders water."

"What's your name?"

"Jeanne."

Pulling out a fifty, he hands it to her. "Thanks for the heads up. And for not outing me to her. I'll see if I can't find out what's going on to help take care of things."

"If you kill him, I never talked to you. He's a fucking asshole no one will ever miss," she says, shoving the bill in her bra with a wink.

The guy who owns the bar walks up behind Marnie and whispers in her ear. Her body stiffens immediately, and she gives a curt nod as she looks like she wants to cry. He walks away, she takes a deep breath, and then follows him. They headout the back door, and Venom slips out the front door to circle around to see what's going on.

"Marnie, I'm not asking for much," the man says.

"I don't want to," Marnie says, and the strain in her voice becomes evident.

The man makes a sound with his tongue as Venom moves to see them but staying silent in the shadows. "And I don't want to go to the police with the video I have of your daddy burying my buddy. But we are where we are."

His hand moves along his waist, and the sound of a zipper fills the quiet night air. Even with the sounds of the bar, people shouting and music blaring, it's incredibly quiet outside.

This is why it can't be a club problem. He has a video of Snake getting rid of the issue they had two runs ago. Fuck.

"I'm not asking for much, Marnie. I just want to fuck your mouth. You're a dirty little biker whore, but your sassy mouth has had me wanting to come in it since the day I met you."

A small sob escapes Marnie, and Venom sees the tears streaming down her face as she slowly moves to kneel before this asshat.

"It's not like you don't do this every night in your clubhouse anyway," he says.

Unable to handle this, Venom springs into action and tackles the man to the ground, his pathetic chub falling limp, and Venom punches him in the face until he's dazed enough not to shout.

"Venom?" Marnie asks, and she bursts into all out sobs.

He stands and hurries towards her, pulling her up off of her knees. He'll never be able to see her in that position and not feel rage to kill someone again. "Has he made you do this before?"

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