Page 87 of Toxic Love

I’ve pictured this scenario a thousand times from the safety of my own bed. I’ve imagined hunting down the pieces of shit who killed Nina and killing them in ways that would make Quentin Tarantino blush.

But fantasies are one thing. Reality is another. And suddenly, I’m being forced to ask myself:do Ihave it in me to do this?

“Tell me,” the man growls as we come to a stop in front of a blood-red door with the black Club Venom emblem of a viper on it. “Will you scream for me?”

My stomach heaves.

“Depends,” I manage to choke out in what I hope is a sexy voice. “Will you make me scream?”

His eyes level with mine. “Oh, definitely.”

He opens the door, pulling me roughly inside before shutting it behind us.

I’ve made three other visits to Venom, but this is the first time I’ve been in one of the opulent private rooms. All matte black, blood red, and gold. No windows. Dark leather furniture, a roaring fireplace taking up an entire wall, a bar, and a huge four-poster bed draped with a red duvet emblazoned with a gold viper.

And a table.

It’s laid out with what I can only describe as instruments oftorture.

Fear rakes its nails down my back and I glance nervously toward the bar.

“Maybe we should have another drink?—”

I choke as the man grabs me by the neck and slams me into a wall.

“How about instead youget on your fucking knees,” he snarls. “So I?—”

“Let me…” it takes everything I have to smile coquettishly at him. “Let me gofreshen up. Get out of all these clothes?”

“Yes,” he purrs. “Yes, go do that. Take italloff. I want the full canvas of your skin to mark.”

Fuck you,you motherfucker.

I manage one last smile as I slip out from between him and the wall and cross the room toward the ensuite bathroom next tothe fireplace. Just before I walk in, my eyes drop to the iron fire-poker sitting in its little stand next to the flickering flames.

The bathroom door is barely shut before I sink against it, shaking.

What the fuck am I doing?

I hug myself, trying to take slow, steadying breaths. But I’m shaking so hard my teeth are chattering.

My mind wanders back to the poker sitting right outside the door.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the man out there is one of the two motherfuckers who killed my best friend in the world.

I could do it…

And what the hell do I have to lose? I could walk back out there and smash that fucking predator over the head with the fire poker. Then I could leave, and when Venom discovers the body andmaybelaunches an investigation…yeah, it’ll trace back to Taylor, which I feel terrible about. But she’ll obviously be able to prove she wasn’t here tonight. If they keep looking, it could take months, or years.

And within six months, the killer will be dead anyway.

My pulse skips as I stare at myself in the mirror. I mean I’ve dreamed and fantasized about avenging Nina a million times from the comfort of my own bed. But now, here, alone with one of her killers in the flesh, I start to wonder if I seriously have this in me.

You can do this.

For Nina.

Except the thing is, if I just run out there swinging a fire poker around, Imightcatch him by surprise. But I have no idea if I could overpower him. And I only get one shot.

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