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It's not Kylie he's after. It's not her that he hates. It's me. All this fucking time, he's been biding his time, just waiting for an opportunity to pay me back for what I did to his brother. Because Riley may believe he died when they attacked our clubhouse, but I know better. And I'm guessing Venom does too.
"You're sure Venom's brother was a Reaper?" I ask.
"Positive," Cash says. "Our private investigator dug up the connection when he was looking into Kylie. I asked him to confirm it. Venom arrived in Nashville a few weeks after they started running ads about the bar." He pauses. "I'm guessing he came specifically with the intent of going to work for you."
"Fuck," I growl, defeat coursing through me. "Yeah, I'm guessing so."
"What are you going to do?" Riley asks as I rise to my feet.
Cold anger settles in the pit of my stomach as I consider the situation. "Go fire his sorry ass," I growl, turning to stride toward the door.
I don't want him around my bar, around my girl, or in my fucking life. If he has a problem with that, too fuckin' bad. I'm done with the Reapers. I'm done with the man I was, and I'm done with him. If he doesn't like it, he can take it up with his brother's bone. Or I can bury his sorry ass in the same shallow grave.
But one way or another, he's done at my bar, and he's done glaring at Kylie.
"Be careful, Memphis," Riley says, her voice soft. "He could be dangerous."
She's right. He could be. But so am I.
"Maybe I should go with you," Cash suggests.
I stop walking and glance at him, surprised by the suggestion.
"Don't look at me like that, motherfucker," he mutters, smirking. "Someone has to keep your sorry ass out of trouble. You've got a tour coming up, and you stress my wife out enough as it is."
"I'll be—"
My phone vibrates in my pocket, cutting me off. I mutter a curse and grab it, intending to silence it. But when I see Jessup's name, I answer it instead. He's at the bar with Kylie. There's no fucking way I'm ignoring a call from him when she's there and so is Venom.
Jesus Christ. How the fuck did I miss something so big?
Because you never cared to look too hard, a little voice whispers.
It's not entirely wrong. Venom's past didn't matter much to me when I hired him. His reference checked out and he knew how to handle himself in a fight. So who the fuck was I to play judge and jury when I had my own shit? I paid him top dollar to be loyal, keep the girls safe, and ensure blood didn't spill in my bar. That's what mattered to me.
I fucked up. Or, shit, maybe I've been fucked up. For a long goddamn time, I've just been going through the motions, smiling in the right places, playing the right notes. And not feeling a fucking thing. Until now. Until Kylie.
I thought I was building a future. But all this time, that isn't what I've been doing. I've just been in limbo, riding it out. Waiting. That's changing now. I know what I want. I know what I need—her.
"What's up, Jessup?" I ask, scrubbing a hand down my face.
"Just wondering where the fuck everyone is," he drawls.
My brows furrow. "What do you mean?"
"Can't find Venom or Kylie. Figured she was with you, but where the fuck is Venom? He was supposed to be here an hour ago."
No. Ah, fuck no.
Please.
My heart slams against my ribcage, panic shooting through me. Venom was supposed to start his shift at the same time as Kylie.
I fucking left her there, unprotected. I thought she'd be safe.
"Kylie isn't with me, Jessup," I growl, so fucking afraid I can't breathe. "I dropped her off at the bar an hour and a half ago."
"Jesus Christ," Jessup mutters.
