Page 88 of Secrets

"Told you," Lex says to a shocked Venom. "Want to come in?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you out here. Alone."

Bodie and Colt both look suspicious, and Lex knows what he wants to talk about. Or, better, who. "I'll be right back," she says to Colt and walks outside, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm sorry to bother-"

"Stop it," she orders. "We're friends. You can stop by and talk to me if you need to. We're on our way to the clubhouse, so you could have just talked to me there."

He shakes his head. "I don't plan to go there unless we have Church."

"What happened?"

"I'm a fucking fool, that's what."

"Venom-"

"William."

Shaking her head, she blinks. "What?"

"That’s my name. William Maddox. If we're friends, I'd like you to call me William. At least, in private."

She didn't even get to call Psycho Carson. "William," she says with a smile. "What happened with Marnie?"

Venom looks beaten up inside, and she wants to reach out and hug him. Give him some type of friendly comfort.

"I can't do it anymore."

"Because of what happened with Snake?"

"Because I fell in love with her, and she'll never see me the same way. She'll never give me a chance to be the man she could love. Instead, she'd rather keep me a secret, and part of me thinks the main reason she liked being with me was the excitement of getting caught. I just... I can't do it anymore."

Fucking Marnie. "What do you need?"

His eyes snap up to hers. "I don't know yet. I think I need to walk. Get away from the club and away from her. I saw her at the bar working, and she flirted with one of the guys she was serving. Which, bartender and tips, I get it. But she let him touch her. His hands were on her in such a possessive way, like he was going to take her home and get inside her, and I wanted to break every one of those fucking fingers."

"You have it bad."

"That's an understatement. I've done things for her. Things I haven't told anyone, and I realize that I'm going to be the person to do anything for her while she treats me like shit on the bottom of her shoe. Until I talked to you, that might've been enough for me, but damn if you didn't get in my head."

Laughing, she shakes her head. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

"I don't know if I can stay here."

"Stay with the Drifters."

"But-"

"You don't have to stay in Summerville to wear the patch."

Venom scoffs and looks at the house. "Who's gonna take me?"

"Hey, Griffin's Beach owes me, well, everything. I've risked my life for them a few times. And the Black Valley President is oneof my best friends. I only have to make one call to get them to approve it."

"You'd do that for me?"

"You don't have to be alone in a club, Venom. I've seen you. You're the one who would jump in and do whatever is needed for anyone in this club. You deserve to have people treat you the same way."

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