Page 138 of Darling Venom
Only this time, she was barefoot. Red-eyed and clutching onto each arm to hold herself together.
Her teeth chattered.
She looked like she could use a hot bath, a brush, and a Xanax.
“Charlie?”
It’s Miss Charlotte Richards to you, asshole.
“I’m here for Kellan’s manuscript,” she said flatly.
Blood dripped from her knuckles, splashing onto the draft stop.
“Jesus. What the hell happened to your hand?”
“You weren’t answering your door.”
“So, you punched it? Do you get how wild that sounds?” I reached for her fist. “I have a first-aid
kit.”
She shook her head, jerking it out of reach. “It’s just a scratch. It’ll heal. Don’t change the subject.”
What the hell was the subject again?
Her fist distracted me. I racked my brain, trying to remember what she’d said.
Something about Kellan.
“The manuscript,” she provided.
I shook my head. Raised my palm. Realized I had nothing to grasp and fisted the damn thing, holding onto myself like she was doing.
She knows about the manuscript.
Naturally, it came as a surprise to fucking nobody that I was the only one clueless when it came to Kel.
Pathetic, if you considered the fact that I spent half my weekends ransacking his room for drugs and the other half stalking his ass on that kiddie-tracking app advertised by a shit ton of celebrities with live-in nannies.
Not that I had a right to judge.
You were never home.
“It’s three in the morning, Charlie.”
The softness in my voice almost gave me pause.
Meanwhile, hers carried an edge of determination.
“I need the manuscript.”
If I budged an inch, I bet she’d barrel her way past me.
The right thing to do would be to let her inside, help her escape the cold, and wrap up her knuckles. Anything but staying rooted to the spot. Which—surprise, surprise—I did. A physical barrier between the outside world and my personal space.
Truth was, I wasn’t ready to give up Darling Venom. I hadn’t read it. Didn’t plan on it, either. Emotional torture wasn’t my kink. I preferred the blood-pumping organ in my chest intact, thank you very much.
Fiery resolve slashed across her face.
