Sweet Venom (Crazy in Love #1)

by Kirsty-Anne Still

  Table of Content

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THIRTY

  THIRTY-ONE

  THIRTY-TWO

  THIRTY-THREE

  THIRTY-FOUR

  THIRTY-FIVE

  PLAYLIST

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  ALSO BY

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  SWEET VENOM

  Copyright © 2017 Kirsty-Anne Still

  Cover design – KIRSTY-ANNE STILL

  All rights reserved. Please keep this book in its complete original form with the exception of quotes used in reviews. No alteration of the contents is allowed. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means – electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopying) recording, or otherwise – without prior permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This is a ROMANTIC THRILLER novel recommended for readers over the age of 18 due to, swearing, violence, and some scenes of sexual content. You have been warned it is for an older audience.

  This is for those hopeless dreamers –

  who push boundaries, dare their wildest dreams,

  and be who they want to be.

  “You chose well.”

  His fingers touch my hip at first before the whole of his palm smothers me. The heat immediately pierces my dress, but just before it can touch my skin, he moves. I feel the rush of his hand across my waist, moving onto my lower back as he steps around me, his eyes inspecting every inch of my being.

  Moving in front of me, his eyes meet mine before they drop and he runs a hand over the graying stubble across his jawline. Slowly, he steps to the side, continuing his inspection of me until I sense him standing directly behind me – right back where he started.

  “They’ll like this,” he states as he closes the gap between us, our bodies now flush, almost one.

  I close my eyes, allowing him his fun. It’s standard protocol when Bryce wants to drag me out and show me off. He throws the orders; I wear the dress, I become perfect.

  Except we’re anything but perfect.

  Dysfunctional doesn’t even cover it.

  We never had a chance to find a pacing in the life we share, never held much hope of discovering it along the way, but we became something neither expected.

  When he spoke, I listened.

  When he ordered, I obeyed.

  When he bent, I broke.

  Bryce hated me in the beginning, but I believed at some point he grew to love me in his own sick and twisted way. I’m not sure where along our short-lived life together it happened, but I know he loved the idea of having me all to himself. He indulged in the fact I gave myself so willingly so early on, and eventually, he just admitted that I was here to stay.

  “You know what you have to do, right?” he asks, reaching out only to move hair out from my face so he can tuck it over my shoulder. “You’re going to be a lady for them and show that Bryce Rainey can have a real woman by his side. I want you to make every man jealous of me tonight, Ashley.” His hand slips onto my waist once more, pulling me impossibly close to his body. “Understood?”

  I close my eyes as his fingers continue to roam the shape of my body. I take too long, and as his hand reaches for my bicep, he tightens his grasp on me, forcing pain to explode. I hiss, but open my eyes and calm myself.

  “Understood,” I breathe through barely parted lips.

  Taking command, I shake him off enough to twirl on the spot, matching his stance as we stand now chest-to-chest. I place my hands delicately against his chest, fingers curling around the lapels of his suit jacket.

  “Do we really need to go?” I ask, playing coy. “Do they really need our presence?”

  “Yes,” he says, his eyes flickering between my plump, red lips and my eyes. “This is a really important event and one I intend to enjoy every moment of,” he trails off, leaning in as he does. “With you.”

  His lips collide with mine, and I wait for the stars to explode – just how I always dreamed they would. When they don’t, I remain suspended in the moment, giving Bryce what he desires. I give enough effort to make the kiss believable, allowing Bryce his moment to believe that the love he found for me is reciprocal. I strived for so long to find love in this dark place, but Bryce never allowed me to feel anything but hatred for him. While he fell for me, I begged my cold heart to feel something – anything – that would make this easier.

  It never happened that easily.

  “Let’s go,” he says as he pulls away.

  No. The relationship that I fell for was one that only Bryce took sheer delight in. I just went along for the ride because fate was only ever going to be an enemy of mine.

  He puts a hand out for me and like every obedient moment before I take it.

  I’m prepared to make Bryce believe he’s the luckiest man alive.

  If it weren't for a bitter twist of fate, he wouldn’t be so lucky to have a girl like me look his way.

  I watch Bryce from the corner of my eye while he’s using the blacked out screen of his phone to pick at his teeth.

  I once thought Bryce was a gentleman.

  At the beginning that was, when I was scared and naïve to the man I had come to meet. I thought I had landed myself a real gent with everything to offer me. You would have thought that by the time I reached twenty-four, I would have another idea about life. Sadly, I still had a hell of a lot to learn about men who dabble in the unknown.

  Bryce Rainey was a dirty lawyer. He accepted extortionate amounts of money to free the guiltiest of men. He drank a lot, indulged in drugs even more, and made sure I was more than well aware we weren’t mutually exclusive.

  No, the man I met wasn’t a gentleman. He was a greedy pig who would do anything to get his feel of any girl within reaching distance, and he did so with the belief his wealth allowed him the right.

  In the recent months, I came to accept that while Bryce was insanely handsome, he was flawed beyond belief. With dark hair peppered with gray, green eyes and kissable lips he was every girl’s carnal sin dressed in a suit – but sinfully hot didn’t mean absolute gentleman.

  “Tonight will be something truly unforgettable,” he says, cutting my thoughts away as he finally looks away from the screen.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, taking the bait straight away. “Isn’t it just drinks?”

  Slowly, his lips pull into a small grin that holds no humor.

  “I never wanted you, you know?” he sneers, the Bryce that evolved over the months disappearing in that instance. “But I think I’ve found an answer to all our problems.”

  My heart starts to race. We always knew the answer, but we never mentioned it. I found myself becoming fond of the lifestyle Bryce allowed me, keeping me locked away to do what I pleased, only
dragging me to be by his side when he so wanted me to be there.

  I never even imagined an end.

  “I spent a lot of sleepless nights wondering how I could have been dealt the cards I was. I mean I got away with murder and found you, I should’ve found you some sort of consolation prize, but really, Ashley, you’re nothing more than a punishment.”

  I gulp, now unable to look at him.

  “I tried my hardest to love you,” he says, his eyes softening as I finally take a glance over to him. “I wanted to believe you were a ready-made partner for life, but you made it difficult.”

  “You didn’t make it particularly easy,” I mutter, finally meeting his eyes with defiance. “You think you had it hard well you should’ve been me.”

  “What’s that meant to mean?” he asks, stiffening as he becomes defensive. “I gave you everything you wanted.”

  “Hardly,” I snap, feeling the harshness of my words. “You threw money at me and expected me to be happy when you wanted a little physicality. I tried to show you affection, tried everything to make you see me as the girl who kept your bed warm … but you only ever saw me as an inconvenience.”

  I may be stretching the reality of the situation, but this is all I have in life – Bryce.

  He was it.

  “You really want me gone?” I ask after a bitter moment of silence.

  “Yes,” he replies, settling back into his seat. “I thought this could be it, Ashley, but it wasn’t a deal I wanted or one I could live with for the rest of my life.”

  “Why?” I ask, cocking a brow. “Because I was a permanent reminder of your dirty deeds?” I question and see him look taken back by it. “Was I a reminder of what you did to Harvey?”

  “Don’t you dare say his fucking name to me,” he snarls.

  “Why?” I ask, my bitterness getting hotter. “Don’t want to remember what you did that night?” I question, finding my fear morphing into antagonism. “I watched what you did. I saw it all. Nothing you do will ever change that … not even getting rid of me.”

  Bryce launches himself across the car at me. His hand violently threads into my hair, holding tightly at the base of my skull. I hiss as he pulls me toward him, his face inches from mine, his breath hotter than fire.

  “You listen here,” he starts through clenched teeth, his eyes boring into mine, seeking the blackened soul inside me. “We played a good fucking game, but you never learned that I was the one playing the game. I own you, Ashley. That’s the bottom line. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes,” I say back, my teeth clenched tightly in a fight to ignore the burning of my scalp. “Now, get your hands off me, you filthy piece of shit,” I say, allowing my bravado one last kick before it shrivels and dies. “You’ve had enough fucking fun with me to last anyone a lifetime.”

  He lets me go, resuming his position on his side of the car and the silence settles as if nothing ever happened. Except this moment is another token my memory will harbor. With that thought, another part of me ices over. A slow sliver of hope that one day one morsel of my being would ebb Bryce’s name withers and dies. The thought wasn’t about making this easier, but came from the idea that it was finally time I had a small piece of happiness. Bryce had single-handedly presented me with the idea and was now ripping it away from me. All because we were playing the same game at duping the other into thinking it was the good life we were living.

  Neither of us speaks, especially not Bryce’s driver, Neil. He’s never been one to speak, but he absorbs everything that happens. He’s more aware than anyone who and what his boss is, he’s even more aware of the things Bryce has done to me to appease his sexual motives. Yet he never spoke a word, never offered a helping hand, and never argued with the boss. He was what Bryce wanted me to be. We should’ve been the male and female equivalent of dutiful slaves.

  Except I chose to break the mold every damn time.

  I watch the streets pass us by as no one even so much as breathes too heavily. If I’m honest, the weight of the air is suffocating, and I’m struggling not to hyperventilate on the thought of what this evening has in store.

  I knew I was damned, but I never expected to evoke such an immense hatred in a man that he would double cross me like this. Every strained plan I had for Bryce was now fraying at the edges, preparing to fall apart.

  What was a girl meant to do when the only chance she had didn’t want her anymore?

  I close my eyes, sending yet another silent prayer before opening my eyes to watch the outside world continue to pass us by. I only look over to Bryce when we pull up in a darkened alleyway.

  “Neil, park up and then come and find us inside,” Bryce orders, leaning forward before he gets out, leaving me to get myself out, but I’m hesitant.

  “Better get going, Love,” Neil says to me, his New Orleans’ accent thickening with his glee at the thought of me going. “Don’t want to keep the boss waiting.”

  I don’t answer him, don’t play his stupid game and get out of the car myself. I slam the door, allowing the noise to echo down the alleyway and as Neil accelerates, I turn and face Bryce. He takes a moment to look me up and down, drinking in the sight of me before he puts his arm out for me to link onto.

  “Let’s enjoy the evening, Ashley,” he utters as I join him and we walk further into the darkness of the abandoned alley.

  “Where the hell are we?”

  “Just a club,” he tells me calmly, a peaceful smile on his lips.

  Like I believe that for even a second.

  “It’s just a club,” I parrot, giving him a sideward look as my eyebrow rises. “Then it’s not just a club.”

  He sniggers, still leading the way. “You’ve grown to know me so well, Ashley.” He doesn’t stop as the guard on the step opens the door and allows us in. “It’s such a shame it had to come to this,” he tells me, leading me down some stairs as the music begins to pump louder and louder around me. “But I had to do it… and I did. I found a way to make you disappear for good.”

  Leading me through the curtained doorway, I find myself immediately immersed in the hubbub of a busy underground club. I look around the club and make out the faces in a sea of men, each waiting and watching.

  “Bryce,” I say, grabbing his hand to stop him moving any further inside. “What is this?” I can hear the echo of my own fear as I ask that. “What are we doing here?”

  A callous hand comes to rest against my face. It’s tender, caring almost. However, Bryce’s face tells me that he feels very little concern for me or my well-being.

  “I’m selling you, Ashley.”

  Panic rises like bile, scalding me from the inside out.

  “But you can’t!” I exclaim, that panic a suffocating emotion. “You can’t sell me!”

  A wicked grin curls upon his lips, and he drops his hand from my chest to take my hand. Slowly, he guides me through the crowds and out through a side door until we’re cloistered in a long, sterile white corridor.

  “You’ve called the shots for too long, my dear,” he starts, pushing me against the wall behind me. “Now, is not the time to argue with me.”

  “You know the rules,” I state, my voice losing its fight. “Only death do we part.”

  He chuckles, sniggering in pure disbelief. “If only that were true, Ashley,” he says, rubbing his jaw. “You see, I’ve gathered the finest of men here tonight. And believe me, some of them know how to make any person disappear into a corner of hell never to be found again.”

  “They’d find you. They’d find me,” I say, panicking as I argue. “You know it’ll happen. I’ll be back on your doorstep by sunrise.”

  “No, Ashley, not with these men,” he says, so calm, so casually. “They know how to make sure you never see the light of day again and make sure our paths never cross ever again.”

  “I thought you were starting to feel something for me,” I say, trying to play on his heart strings, hoping in vain he’ll feel something – anything – that w
ill make him rethink.

  “It’s called keeping you sweet,” he sneers, his eyes staring at me with an icy glaze. “It worked. I managed to get my kicks out of you while keeping you firmly on my side. You helped get yourself here.”

  He can see I’m about to erupt into a verbal onslaught, so he pushes me to the side, keeping me away from the main crowds.

  “You’re mine until the gavel drops on the highest bidder, so I suggest you fucking behave yourself,” he tells me, a threatening tone starts to sober me up.

  “And if I don’t?” I ask, striving for strength and conviction.

  “I’m not afraid to lay a finger on you, Ashley,” he threatens through clenched teeth. “You’re well versed in my dark side. Don’t make a scene.” As a couple of men in expensive suits make their way to the bar beside us, Bryce releases a chuckle, placing a tender palm to my cheek, drawing my head closer to his. “No one said it was my death that had to end this.”

  I could rebel, disobey him for a few chaste moments of freedom, but what good will it do? If he sells me, I start all over. If he doesn’t, I have to stay with him. Neither carries worthy consequences that I want to experience.

  “Choice is yours, darling,” he says, pulling away from me. “There are a handful of men who would find you a challenge they would do anything to get their hands on. They wouldn’t be as forgiving as I have been.”

  I suppress the urge to laugh in his face and chastise him for that comment. I swallow hard around every word that tips the end of my tongue and beg myself to not become insubordinate in the club.

  Bryce Rainey has been anything but forgiving. In the beginning, I expected it, waited for the attention to wane, but the longer he had me locked away in his corrupt life, the more he lusted for me. At first, I fought it, contested every feeling he had for me until I caved. I tried to make this life easier, sought love in a gloomy place with the hope that I could transform my own fate.

  It seems the player played me.

  He forces me to watch girl after girl placed on the pedestal, all men watch carefully, all writing in the books they have, but no bids are taken.

  “Your turn,” Bryce says, catching me by surprise.