Page 167 of Beautiful Venom
“I vote a spy.” Preston raises his hand. “A la guillotine.”
Kane knocks his hand down. “Behave yourself, asshole.”
“Pfft, you just don’t want guillotine action. Jude, let’s all boo him again.”
Jude says nothing and focuses on eating.
Weird. I would’ve sworn he’d jump at the idea of dragging me through the mud with Preston.
Actually, Jude hasn’t been antagonizing toward me at all lately and even pulls Preston away when he starts.
Kane rounds the island and comes to my side, wrapping a possessive arm around my waist, then whispers in my ear, “What are you wearing?”
“Your hoodie,” I whisper back.
“It barely coversanything.”
“Are you kidding? It coverseverything.”
“I don’t like the idea of other men imagining you naked, Dahlia.”
“You’re being ridiculous. Pretty sure Preston would rather chop my head off instead.”
“Touché, Dakota!” Preston claps his hands and points a finger at me. “Are you interested in testing my experimental new execution device?”
“No, thanks?”
“Aw, and here I thought we could be friends.” He wraps an arm around Jude’s shoulders. “What about you, big man?”
Jude throws his hand off him. “Hard pass.”
“Ouch, you pierced me right where I don’t give a fuck.”
Kane drags me to the stools and helps me hop on one. “I’ll pour you some soup. I also ordered some pizza so the drunks can have something to eat before practice, but you can have some, too.”
“Ew.” Preston makes a face. “I’m getting diabetes.”
“Fuck off, then.” Kane goes to the other side and pours me a bowl.
“And miss seeing you be a domesticated dog?” Preston grins. “Here, little doggie. Who’s a good boy? Is this the part where we give you a treat?—”
Kane whacks him with a dish towel. “Shut your mouth.”
“Juuude!” Preston whines. “Did you see that?”
Jude smacks him upside the head. “Take your medicine.”
“You fucking—” He takes a deep breath, then smiles at me. “See how they can’t live without me?”
“I don’t know. Looks like you’re a troublemaker.” I take a sip of the soup and it tastes better than it smells. As expected of Kane.
“Me? Ha. Have you seen Jude on the rink? He’s the troublemaker whose ass we all have to clean up after.”
I lift a shoulder. “Doesn’t look the same off the rink.”
“Even she can tell,” Kane says. “You’re like a bad investment that keeps haunting the rest of the portfolio.”
“Bitch, please. Your lives would be boring without me.”
