Page 75 of Tempting Venom
But he vanished the second I pulled into the arena’s parking lot.
Perfect. BecauseI amabout to cause a mess.
I’ve been waiting for Marcus.
Oh yes, I have—tucked into the shadows, where I thrive, where my demons stretch their legs and applaud my decisions.
The parking lot is empty, lit by harsh fluorescent lights that make everything look like a crime scene in progress.
A bike growls in the distance, then rolls inside. There he is, in a leather jacket, jeans, and a helmet, with a stick handle poking out of the saddlebag.
The moment he kills the engine, I pounce.
Stick in hand, I swing and crack the side of his helmetfrom behind. The impact echoes in the silence of the night, and he drops hard.
I drive my boot into his stomach. Again. And again.
“Threaten me again and I’ll cut your head off.”Kick.“No one threatens me, you hear me?”Kick.“No one!”
And then—I notice I’m shaking.
My grip on the stick feels foreign, like the hand holding it belongs to someone else. I grab it with the other hand, but the trembling worsens.
The stick looks less like a weapon and more like a blade aimed at my own throat. My breathing fractures in deep, jagged noises.
Gasps fill the air, and I realize they’re mine.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“I’m not having an episode,” I whisper to no one. “I’m not.”
But you are, a voice inside me says—calm, cruel, familiar.
That switch in my head flips without warning.
The world shifts from HD to static. Colors smear. Sounds distort, and everything buzzes in an endless, loud ring. My chest closes in, my brain stutters, and my nostrils flood with the smell of cigarettes and fresh mint.
“Don’t you dare say anything, Preston.”
“It’s our little secret, Preston.”
“If you say anything, your mom will be disappointed.”
“Your dad already abandoned you, if you lose your mom, you’ll be all alone.”
“Shut up, Preston.”
“Shh, Preston. Be good.”
“Don’t move, Preston.”
“Stay still, Preston.”
“Preston…”
The static gets louder. It fills every corner of my head until I can’t tell if it’s in the air or under my skin. My fingers twitch like they’re trying to peel me out of my own body.
