Sweet Venom (Crazy in Love #1)

by Kirsty-Anne Still

  “You know very well I have eyes and ears all over the city,” my father muses, his southern drool more pronounced as he sinks into the chair opposite me. “Now … who is she?”

  I shrug, partly because I haven’t a fucking clue, and partly because I don’t want my father to know. If he sees her an asset that’ll be her life over.

  “She says her name is Ashley. She was there hidin’ when I killed Bryce. Turns out the fucker has a lot more indiscretion than even you knew.”

  “What do you mean?” he asks, taking a thoughtful sip of his drink.

  “He was tryin’ to sell her,” I tell him, keeping an even tone. “Could’ve taken down a whole horde of the fucking bastards had we known.”

  “But we didn’t,” my father replies. “I’ll make sure Club Ninety-Nine is put on the radar. I’ll have some of our guys investigate, and we’ll go from there. You know we don’t do things without thoughtful plannin’ and motive.”

  “What other motive do you need beside blatant human trafficking?” I ask, cocking a brow. “He paid a man to buy her, father. Paid him good money to make her disappear.”

  “Not the worst breakup technique I’ve heard,” my father grouses, taking another sip as he gives me a pointed look. “Why did he need to sell her?”

  “I don’t know,” I say, honestly. I don’t know the entire story; there hasn’t been much time to discuss the details. “I wanted to take her back to the loft, make her sign all the relevant paperwork and get rid of her, but she says that’s not possible.” I look down at the scotch, swirling the liquid in the circular glass. “Somethin’ about it wouldn’t work. She’d be brought back to me.”

  “By who?” he asks.

  “I haven’t had the chance to find that much out,” I tell him, meeting his gaze across the coffee table.

  “Why not?” he asks, pressing the matter.

  I feel my breathing change rapidly.

  This is it.

  I decide to give in.

  The curiosity has been making me far more inquisitive than ever, and I need to ask my father about what we witnessed before I hear it from anyone else. Seeing so many men I had dealt with for most of my life now lying dead in a warehouse in an abandoned area of New Orleans will not be something that will leave me easily.

  “Can we discuss the evident massacre that took place?” I ask, stopping him from getting up. “That was a lot of our men in there, father. What the hell happened?”

  “They planned to make sure The Firm had a change of hands,” he tells me, feeding me as much as he wishes.

  “And that required mass executions?” I ask, pushing the matter just as he did.

  “Yes,” my father admits, draining his glass of the liquor only to set the tumbler down in front of us. “When my family’s name is in jeopardy I’ll do whatever to prevent its ruin,” my father grouses, a bitterness lacing the words he speaks.

  “Just the family name?” I question unimpressed. “You only have Randall to give you any information, and we all know that he loves to lie through his teeth to get his daily bread.”

  “Believe me,” my father starts, finally standing up. “When I’m done with him he’ll be singin’ the right song.”

  “So … we aren’t going to discuss this?” I ask, still unmoved.

  “No,” my father tells me bluntly. “There’s nothing to discuss, Lawson. You were on the job when it happened. It happened. We resolved the issue, and we’ll get all of the information we need before the end of the night.” He watches me, his lips twisting with a smirk. “Now,” he starts, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s go and meet this girl.”

  “I’ll go and get her,” I say, swallowing the liquor in one solid gulp before forcing myself up. “Wait here.”

  He waves me off, turning his back on me to walk over to his desk.

  I leave the office with a palpable anger. My father is the only one who can push me to such a level in such little time. It’s why I rarely spend time with my family. It doesn’t matter my loyalty I will never be enough for my father. I have lost a lot of myself to remain by his side. I’ve become a hollow shell of a man to keep up with the image of the Matthews family tree.

  Like many before me, I had a killer instinct I was not to deny.

  I am his personal little killer, and while it’s not my first choice in life, I can’t deny who I am by trying to break the mold I would eventually fall into.

  What gets me is the blatant fact it’ll never be enough for him.

  I catch sight of Liam standing in the courtyard, looking off through one of the doorways.

  “Where’s Ashley?” I ask as I close the gap.

  “Caught up in some bullshit with Kelvin,” he states, his eyes not leaving the sight before us. “I saw them talkin’, but now he’s getting quite hands on with her.”

  “Where?” I ask, coming to stand beside him.

  “There,” he answers, putting his arm out to point at the sight before us.

  I watch Ashley as she sits beside a man who must be only a few years older than her. Kelvin sits there in a plain gray cheap as fuck suit, his scuffed shoes pointing at Ashley, his body language more than consumed with her.

  I watch as he puts his hand on her thigh, her fingers slipping under the hem of her skirt and while Ashley closes her eyes, the way her head moves, tilted aware from him with her lips pulled tight I know she’s disgusted with him.

  My hands start to clench. Unfolding for a few minutes to clench back again.

  I mentally dare him to go higher, to test me right now, to take me on, but there’s something about the way Ashley looks when she opens her eyes. Her body stiffens, her eyes look full with unspent rage.

  “Ain’t leavin’ this any longer,” Liam states, going to take the first stride forward after evidently watching too much.

  “No,” I say, grabbing Liam by the arm. “I want to see what the girl is capable of.”

  “Boss,” he says, a cautious tone used at me.

  “Watch her,” I tell him, pointing at Ashley.

  He takes my initiative, falling back behind me as we watch the situation before us. I don’t even care why she moved, why she went through into that corridor, all I’m curious about is how she’ll deal with a sexual predator like Kelvin.

  My inquisitive nature has me pressing forward, just enough so I can clearly hear everything but remain well out of the way.

  “Come on, Ashley, show an old friend some love,” he says, pushing harder against her. He inches forward, balancing on the edge of his own chair to help occupy hers. “You used to be a lot friendlier.” His fingers come to push her coat she’s worn aside, allowing him to play with the strap on her dress the moment he touches it. I watch as calloused skin and sharp nails touch her bare skin and he starts to pull the strap away from her shoulder. “C’mon, for old times.”

  “Get off me!” she snarls in a low, dangerous tone, looking at his fingers on her arm and then up at his face. I can see there’s a sense of fear in her expression, but it’s diluted by a rage that sits in her eyes “I’m not your toy anymore.”

  He gets up as she states that, realizing she’s not going to give in quite so easily anymore. If taking her from Bryce enabled this then Bryce was my sanest kill to date.

  “Wow, how you’ve changed, Ashley,” he says, snickering at her a little as he bends down in front of her. He goes over to the window, chuckling to himself in total disbelief. He then turns back to her, his eyes set on her. “You know the girl who used to give it up to us was a lot more fun than you are now. Finally learned how to fight back, have you?”

  While I learn more about what she’s gone through, Ashley gets up, following his steps to get him away from the main corridor. Her shoulders are square now, solid with anger.

  “You don’t get to know me anymore!” she states, pushing him so hard he hits the wall behind. “Every little hold you had on me ended the moment…”

  “The moment you killed my boss,” he sneers, his gaze
turning deathly. “Yeah, yeah, I was there, Baby. So, who’s the latest victim?”

  “It’s none of your business, Kelvin,” she argues, trying to stop him.

  I watch as she heaves on her exhales, dragging back in her inhales as she tries to not cause a scene, but really I can see the struggle she’s fallen into. She’s prepared to reap hell on him, and a part of me wishes she would.

  “Oh, is it why you were in front of that door?” he asks, looking back over at the large stained oak door.

  Thankfully, Liam and I are enough out of sight he didn’t clock us when he pointed back to the master office. I step forward when he returns his gaze, his eyes looking only at Ashley’s face, before dropping to take in the sight of her in the dress that is hidden by the oversized coat.

  “How about another round?” he asks, attacking her enough to spin them on the spot and pin Ashley to the wall. The moment he does, she closes her eyes, and he sees his opportunity. “I know how you liked it, Ashley. I know all the right places to kiss, to touch, to nip at. Don’t forget that you were free pickings.”

  She allows him to kiss the crook of her neck and while I see the recognition ignite the moment her body comes alive with memories, remembering how he treated her, she looks decisively emotionless. Her eyes are fixated on the wall beyond her and Kelvin, dead and void.

  Then, just as soon as she sunk into silence, she comes alive fiercer than ever.

  “What we started back then started with rape,” she announces with a low, dangerous tone, pushing him hard to get him away from her. “You raped me until I was sweet enough, but really I was just letting you have your filthy, perverted way with me so you’d get over it quicker.”

  He snickers, closing the distance between them once more.

  While my hands twitch, my anger once more beseeching me, I can’t keep saving this girl. I need to see that she can hold her own. You can only be one thing in the world, and I can’t be killer and savior.

  “I saw that look in your eyes, Ashley, don’t start to tattle tale now. You don’t wear liar too well.”

  This time he pushes her to the wall, his body pressed against hers. He’s too heavy for her to push away as he applies his entire body weight against her and the wall. Immediately his hands start to touch her body, first her hips, then her waist until he’s groping her breast, whispering something in her ear as he does.

  I can’t watch anymore.

  I’ve seen enough.

  I’m a lot of things, but I will never watch a man take advantage of a woman – and while she’s here, she’s mine. That means she’s automatically off the table.

  “Get your hands off her!” I bellow, storming across the marble flooring.

  Kelvin doesn’t listen. No surprise there really.

  “I said, get your hands the fuck off of her!” I yell, closing the distance.

  Kelvin’s hands drop away from Ashley’s hips, a meter gap pressed between them almost immediately as he realizes who’s screaming at him.

  “Ah, Lawson Matthews. What are you doing here?” he asks, and I see him try to square up to me.

  “I was here for a meeting, but it seems I’m now about to be your worst fucking nightmare if you don’t put more space between you and my girl,” I snarl, my voice red hot. “Do you want to test me?”

  Kelvin’s lips start to curl, a smirk growing until he sniggers. “You’re the new master; I take it?”

  I school my expression, showing no shock at Kelvin’s question.

  “And what’s it to you?” I ask, disregarding Kelvin’s question. “Answer me!”

  “Believe me … it’s everything,” Kelvin replies, a smarmy smirk growing on his lips.

  I ignore him and decide to play dumb. Fuckers always love it when The Firm’s own play coy.

  “What were you doing with her?”

  “Only what she was asking for.” Kelvin looks at Ashley, winking as he does so. “We’re well acquainted.”

  “Not anymore,” I tell him, reaching out for Ashley to pull her behind me. “I see you near her again and I’ll make you beg you were never fucking born.”

  I turn, pushing Ashley back toward my father’s office.

  “Oh wow, she’s got you whipped already!” Kelvin calls out, jeering as we pass. “Better watch yourself. Every breath you take around her could be your last. She’s a bad omen to keep!”

  “I’d shut up if I were you!” I grind out, swinging back around.

  “She tell you how my boss went down? She killed him,” Kelvin states, accusing Ashley.

  “That’s a lie!” Ashley argues, snapping harshly. She flies back toward him. I’m barely able to catch her before she swings for him. “I was made the scapegoat! I ended up with the real killer not long after. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that debt. Bryce got what was coming to him because he was a real killer!”

  I watch her as tears brew along her lashes, preparing to betray her a weakling. From the hard set of her jaw, I can tell she’s angry, waiting to explode.

  “You keep telling yourself that,” Kelvin says, narrowing his gaze on her.

  “That’s enough, Kelvin, or I’ll find a way to put you at the bottom of the bayou where only the ‘gators will find you!”

  My father’s voice echoes in the corridor, and it allows me a chance to pull Ashley back, giving her to Liam to look after. While Kelvin retreats, my father comes to Ashley’s side. His face softened from the man I just sat with in his office.

  He looks at her with the same tenderness he looks at my mother and sister.

  For the most part, my father is a formidable leader with the beginnings of a God-complex. While he’s loyal to those he loves, he is quick to end a life without losing a single wink of sleep.

  “Are you okay?” he asks Ashley, taking her hand.

  “Yes, thank you,” Ashley manages to say, looking over her shoulder to see Kelvin walking off. “Thank you,” she repeats, turning back.

  “No thanks necessary,” he replies calmly. “Leo Matthews,” he says putting his hand out to Ashley. “I heard you’re with Lawson?”

  Ashley looks at me, her eyes wide and worried as she realizes who she is speaking with. I give her a gentle head nod, allowing her to realize that she can speak freely.

  “Yes, Sir,” Ashley says, gulping heavily.

  My father chuckles. “None of that sir business. The name’s Leo.”

  Ashley reaches out for my father as he presents his hand, assumingly to shake his hand, but instead, my father takes her hand, bringing the back of it to his lips, gently pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Slowly and respectfully, he lowers her hand, setting it down with ease.

  “Let’s go to the office,” I comment, wanting to get out of the corridor. “We have things to discuss.”

  “Yes,” my father agrees and leads the way. We all follow, but only Ashley and I enter behind my father. “Leave the door open I won’t keep you very long,” he orders as he walks toward his desk. “I hear you and my son found one another tonight?”

  I cast a look at Ashley ad she finally realizes what Leo is to me. There is nothing too alike to physically give up the idea that we’re alike. Not even our tastes are similar. My conscience is much bigger than my father’s.

  “Appears that way,” Ashley muses meekly, offering only a nervous smile. “Seems our worlds collided.”

  “For two totally different reasons,” he responds, raising an eyebrow. “My son will give you a chance to sign the appropriate paperwork and you can go your separate ways. I’ll also make sure men like Kelvin will never harass you. You’ll be free to distance yourself from whatever it is you’ve been tied to.”

  “It’s not that easy,” Ashley says, giving my father the same excuse she gave me. “I wish it were, sir.”

  “None of that,” he scolds, flicking his hand at Ashley dismissively. “I told you to call me Leo, Ashley. So while it seems we’re stuck with one another while we work on getting’ you freed from whatever keeps you here, none
of that sir business. You make me feel like my father.”

  “Sorry, Si-Leo,” Ashley corrects herself and laughs as a blush heats her cheeks. “I am sorry for this. I told Lawson that I'd tried too many times to leave, but it never works.”

  “What is that you can’t run from?” my father asks, tilting his head to the side. “Whatever is it that could keep a girl like you tethered to men? Especially in the twenty-first century.”

  “I was never told much more than it was an old debt that needed to be settled,” she muses, being as honest as she can. “But I was never aware of it until I was eighteen.”

  “And how old are you now?” my father asks, resting against his desk.

  “Twenty-four,” she replies, biting her lip. “And I’m still none the wiser about much but the fact that I can’t escape this.”

  “You’ve been passed around for the best part of your life,” my father announces, watching Ashley closely. “And my son couldn’t even be bothered to get you some warmer clothes.”

  “To be fair, we haven’t had a chance to stop,” Ashley counters, pushing a small smile onto her lips. “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind.”

  “I’m sorry for that,” my father apologizes, being caring. “I promise you it’s not usually as fast-paced as this.”

  I watch my father through hooded eyes. He shows such willing to be a caring man, but I know more than anyone who ever meets Leo Matthews that he is anything but.

  If you have nothing that can benefit my father, you aren't good enough.

  Right now, he’s trying to work Ashley out, work out if she’s of any use to him or not.

  “It’s okay,” Ashley replies with a small voice. “Lawson has been very accommodating considering …” she trails off, her eyes dropping. “I hate to be an inconvenience.”

  “Don’t worry,” my father replies, smiling. “I have some contacts. I’ll look into who’s runnin’ the game, and I’ll have them shut down before they can think about loading a gun. This is my issue now.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” I ask, shrugging at my father knowing it won’t be that easy. “What do we do until then? There’s no way to know who’s runnin’ this game.”