Page 54 of Secrets

"He doesn't love you."

The tears fall as she moves to lean against the building. "I know."

"I could love you."

I could love you, too."Don't."

"What are you saying, then?" he asks, and she swears he sounds like he's being strangled, which makes her feel even worse. "Are you saying you want to walk away and pretend this never happened? That we don't fit together so fucking perfectly that we both came in record time against a brick building?"

No! I want to bring you up to my apartment and have somewhere around five more rounds tonight with the brother I always felt should have been the one I was with.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

No! I'm lying. I'm a fucking lying idiot!

"Yes, Max. It was great, but there's too much at stake for you. I can't... I don't want to be the reason you have problems in your life. We should probably take some space and time from each other. I'll... I'll work with Yohan on the plan for the rest of your cover-up so you don’t have a giant blob on your back."

"I'm not getting a tat from anyone but you, but if you want to pretend this never happened, I'll walk away tonight and not bring it up again."

Something in her heart breaks, and she nods. "I think that's for the best."

"Goodbye, Daphne," Max says, turning and walking away without looking back at her.

Crouching down, she hugs her knees and sobs. The last thing Daphne wants is Max Parks walking away from her, but she can't do this to him. Not with Nelson in his club and being his family. How the hell does she feel more pain walking away from Max than Nelson?

Chapter Twenty-One

Summerville

Venom

Venom walks out of the corner store on Broadway and sees a woman wearing a bridal gown running towards him.

"Hey!" she calls out. "You, in the leather!"

He looks around to see if there's anyone else she may be yelling for, but no one else around him wears leather. His finger points at his chest, and she nods as she clacks up to him in her high heels.

"I've always had this weird fantasy about driving off with a runaway bride on the back of my bike, but that was usually some chick I knew, not a stranger on the street. I don't think I'm your guy, sweetheart," he says.

"No," she says, and he's surprised she's not out of breath as she ran almost a block in heels and a dress that has to weigh at least twenty pounds. "You're wearing a Drifter kutte. You're part of the club. I'm looking for a guy."

His eyebrow lifts. "For what?"

"Do you know a guy named Venom?"

He laughs. "Uh, yeah, I do."

"Can you call him or something? I need a favor. Well, my friend needs a favor, but it's kind of my husband's fault."

"What's the favor, and who's your friend?"

"Um, her name is Marnie. Her dad's with the club. She told me about how this guy Venom who helped her with something at work, but she didn't go into detail. Anyway, I need to get her a date for my wedding reception. We're eating dinner here in a few minutes, and I need to get someone here to pretend to be her date that couldn't make it until later."

Marnie. Well, this Saturday evening just got interesting. "Why does she need a fake date?"

"My stupid husband drunkenly invited her ex-boyfriend to our wedding, and I didn't know until I saw him in the receiving line. He brought the skank he cheated on Marnie with, and she was going solo to the wedding because she wasn't dating anyone. I overheard him talking to his date - who I hate, by the way - that Marnie is still hung up on him. I told him she has a date coming, but he couldn't come until later."

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