Page 84 of Jagger's Remorse
"Still. You came for me. You and Jagger both." She manages a small smile. "That means something to me, it really does."
Before I can respond, footsteps echo in the hallway.
Raven appears, already dressed despite the early hour.
Her eyes narrow when she sees me.
"Mel, honey, why don't you go try to rest?" Raven suggests, though it sounds more like an order. "Doc left some sleeping pills if you need them."
Mel glances between us, senses the tension. "Okay," she says quietly. "Thanks again, Scarlett."
She leaves, and Raven turns her full attention to me.
"Stay away from her," Raven says flatly.
"I was just checking on her," I explain.
"Sure you were." Raven crosses her arms. "Just like you were 'just' trying to help when you got our men killed."
"I'm trying to show you all that you can trust me," I say, hating how desperate it sounds.
Raven laughs, harsh and bitter. "Trust? You?" She shakes her head. "You're a snake, little girl. I see you for what you are."
The words hit harder than any physical blow.
"I'm not—" I start.
"Yes, you are," Raven cuts me off. "You slithered in here with your poison and your plans. You might have Jagger fooled, might have some of the others thinking you're able to be reformed, but I know better. I’ve been in this life a long time, and I’ve met women like you more times than I can count."
"I saved Mel," I point out.
"You put her in danger first," Raven counters. "That's what vipers do. Create the problem, then solve it, and expect gratitude."
"That's not what happened," I insist.
"Isn't it?" She steps closer. "Everything that's happened since you arrived has been calculated. Every move, every word, every fuck—all part of your plan."
I want to deny it.
Can't.
Because she's not wrong.
Or at least, she wasn't wrong.
"People change," I say quietly.
"No," Raven says firmly. "They don't. You're a snake, and I will never trust a snake. And neither should they."
She turns to leave, then pauses.
"When you betray him—and you will—I'll be the one who puts you down," she promises. "That's what we do to snakes who threaten the rest."
She's gone before I can respond.
I sit there, her words echoing in my head.
Viper.
