Page 170 of Beautiful Venom
What the hell?
There’s an impassiveness to him. An unsettling presence that makes my blood run cold.
It feels like I’ve seen him before. But where?
I run my gaze over his frosty features and then pause. It’s the eyes. They look distinctively familiar.
“Why are you staring?” Megan pulls on my jersey. “Don’t go asking for trouble, D.”
“Who’s that?” I ask. “Is he related to Jude?”
“Yeah. That’s Julian. His older brother.”
Oh. So that’s the Julian who Serena Osborn was searching for at that Vencor event. He’s definitely one of the hotshots in the organization.
But why was he glaring at me?
Have I perhaps seen him somewhere before?
“How do you know him?” I ask Megan.
“Everyone does. He’s the face of the Callahans’ multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical sector monopoly.” She surveys our surroundings and then whispers in my ear, “Some people are saying he’s forcing his dad into early retirement and there’s an internal Callahan power struggle.”
I steal another look behind me and see Julian walking out with none other than Grant.
My heart squeezes and I develop an irrational hatred for Julian. Anyone who’s friends with fucking Grant Davenport is on my shit list.
The crowd’s cheers bring me back to the game. Megan takes my hand in hers and jumps up and down as Preston scores after some impressive team play.
My entire attention is on Kane. He looks his best when he’s on the rink—free, in a sense. He still plays with immaculate control, but he lets go on the ice and glides within the defense’s lines with infinite technical prowess.
I love seeing him in his element.
I love how he subtly but firmly directs the team.
How quickly he realizes when one of his teammates is off and offers silent support.
Kane never blames the others for a loss, even during practice, even when Preston had that awful game against the Wolves. When I asked him why he didn’t make it clear to Preston that he fucked up, he simply said, “Our bond is stronger than a mere game.”
So I’ve tried not to talk a lot of shit about Preston online. What? He’s still an antagonistic bastard and I’m part of his hate club.
He’s definitely a hockey prince, though. I can’t deny that, especially since I started working for the team.
Anyone can tell that Kane, Jude, and Preston are an unstoppable trio. They effortlessly make passes between themselves without prior communication to the point that the other players struggle to keep up with them.
Helena said the three of them grew up together, so it makes sense that they’re so aware of each other.
However, I still wince at Jude’s aggressive nature. Sometimes, even Kane finds it hard to control him.
He also gets sent to the penalty box the most. Like now. He looks like a caged animal who’ll get the penalty again if given the chance.
The Vipers hold out during the other team’s power play, mainly due to Kane and Preston. Soon after Jude returns, a buzzer sound indicates the end of the game.
Megan and I jump and holler as the crowd erupts in maddening cheers.
As the team celebrates the win, Kane’s eyes meet mine.
I give him two thumbs-up, then turn around to show him the jersey I’m wearing. Davenport. 19.
