Page 140 of Venomous Desires

I picked up a fork with trembling fingers, the food tasteless in my mouth as I forced myself to chew. Judas’s hand never left my body, his touch possessive, constant. He was staking his claim, ensuring that everyone in the room knew exactly who I belonged to.

But the truth? It felt like I was losing pieces of myself, just as he had promised. Piece by piece.

“Morozov’s shipments are still on schedule,” one of the men spoke up, but I didn’t look up. “But that won’t last long once we get through with them. The docks are ours for the taking.”

Judas’s hand on my waist tightened ever so slightly. He leaned back, his demeanor calm, yet his presence dark and predatory, like a viper waiting to strike. “How many men will it take?” His voice was low and unhurried. Like he had already planned in his head. And maybe he did. Because Judas was clever. Always two steps ahead.

The man across the table—broad-shouldered, with a scar across his cheek—smirked. “Fifteen at most. They won’t expect us. They think we’re too busy licking our wounds after that last attack. But we’ll torch their shipments and leave their men bleeding in the street.”

A cold shiver ran down my spine. They spoke of death like it were nothing. Like the destruction of lives was just part of another day’s work.

Judas chuckled softly, a sound that sent a chill throughthe air. “Good. Make sure the bodies are left where they can see them. Morozov needs to know I am not playing games anymore.”

The men at the table shared dark smiles, as though they were already picturing the carnage in their heads. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to disappear, to slip through the cracks in the floor and escape this nightmare. But Judas’s arm kept me anchored to his side, and there was no escape.

“What about her?” I stiffened. One of the men nodded in my direction, his eyes scanning me with a hunger that made my skin crawl. “Does she know how to… entertain guests?”

A wave of nausea rose in my throat. I could feel the eyes of the men on me, their gazes stripping me bare. I stiffened, trying to shrink into myself, but there was nowhere to hide.

Another man, his smile cruel and sharp, leaned forward. “Romanovski, you keeping her all to yourself? You should share. A woman like that, it’s a shame to waste her.”

I wanted to scream, to lash out, but the words died in my throat. My pulse hammered in my ears, my chest tightening as their words sank in. This was normal for them, degrading a woman to nothing more than a possession, a thing to be used and discarded.

Judas’s fingers trailed along my waist. He remained silent, though I could feel the shift in his demeanour, the subtle warning in the way his hand held me tighter.

The man with the scar raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. “Or is she more trouble than she’s worth? You could send her our way. We know how to tame wild ones.”

Before I could fully process the venom in his words, the sound of heels clicking against the marble floor cut through the tension.

I looked up, and my heart skipped a beat.

She walked in like she owned the room. Tall, elegant, anddripping with a kind of beauty that was dangerous. Blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders in waves, and her green eyes—piercing, cold—swept over the men around the table. Her hips swayed with every step, her confidence a sharp contrast to the darkness that hung in the air.

My stomach twisted. Her. It was her. The woman I’d seen with Judas. The woman from that night.

“Veronica,” one of the men muttered, nodding in acknowledgment. The others followed suit, offering quiet greetings as if she were royalty.

But she ignored them, her gaze locked on Judas. She walked straight up to him, leaning down with a slow, deliberate movement before pressing her lips to his in a brief, but it was still a kiss.

I couldn’t look away. The burn in my chest spread, an ache I didn’t want to acknowledge. I shouldn’t feel this way. I had no right. Judas was a monster, and yet... there it was.

He kissed me with that same mouth he kissed that woman.

Veronica’s lips curled into a seductive smile as she pulled away. “You started without me, love,” she purred, her voice smooth as silk, laced with something dangerous. She trailed a finger along his jaw, her eyes gleaming. “You know I hate missing the fun.”

Carlo tilted his head, his smirk deepening. “We’ve only just begun, Veronica. Don’t worry. There’s plenty left to enjoy.”

Judas gaze flicked to me, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly, as though he could see right through me, see every inch of discomfort I was feeling. A slow smile spread across his face.

Before I let my emotions resurface and strike him hard across the face, I averted my gaze. The bastard could kiss a pig for all I care.

Veronica straightened, her fingers lightly trailing over Judas’s shoulder before she took a seat beside him, crossing herlegs in one graceful motion, exposing the skin, and I caught a glimpse of her red thong. “So, what’s the plan tonight? Do I get to watch?” Her eyes gleamed as she looked around the table, her voice dripping with amusement. “Or better yet… do I get to play?”

The men chuckled, their eyes lighting up with anticipation. One of them raised his glass. “To Veronica, the true lioness among us.”

A chorus of toasts followed, and I sank deeper into my chair, my pulse racing. The air felt too thick, too heavy to breathe.

Veronica’s gaze lingered on me, and a slow smile played on her lips. “What’s the matter, darling?” she asked, her voice sweet, venomous. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”