Page 186 of Beautiful Venom
Grant walks in with two men dressed in black. One of them is bald with tattoos all over his head, and the other has a scar right beneath his eye.
I’m shaking uncontrollably as Grant walks to a table covered with black boxes off to the side. He opens one and then grabs a whip.
“Now.” He smiles. “I’m sure Kane won’t look your way again once we disfigure your face and body.”
My chin trembles as I say, “He’llneverforgive you.”
“Good thing I don’t care.” He smiles, his lips curling slightly. “Shall we begin?”
32
KANE
“Any news about Violet?”
I swerve the car in and out of traffic, driving as fast as I can without crashing the fucking thing.
I’ve been going like this for the past several hours, ever since I received the call from Samuel that made my worst nightmare come true.
“She’s in the dungeon.”
In the dungeon.
Dahlia.
In Grant’s fucking dungeon.
A place no one should ever be in—especially not Dahlia.
Not after what I gave up to keep her out of Grant’s claws.
That’s when the dooming realization hits me.
Uncle Kayden was right. Revealing my cards might have given Dahlia immunity for some time, but Grant will never let her survive.
Not after she’s proven to be my Achilles’ heel.
He’ll eliminate her just to maintain a hold on me.
He’s hurt her just to teach me a lesson.
I considered asking Jude and Preston to save her for me, to get as many of their guards as they could and just march in, but they and their guards don’t compare to the small army my father has on the estate. Besides, Grant would call their fathers and that would be the end of that.
The heavy breathing from the other end of the phone fills my car, and the shuffle of footsteps follows before Jude’s rough voice filters through. “I couldn’t locate Violet in any of our hospitals or safe houses. I’m done searching blindly, so I’m walking to my brother’s office and won’t leave until he gives me the information I need.”
My hand tightens around the steering wheel. “Julian can’t be threatened and you know that.”
“Not him, no. But his wife? That’s a different fucking story.”
“He doesn’t give a fuck about his wife.”
“If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have made her live in a goddamn gilded cage.”
“He got her expelled from the society, Jude.”
“That’s his idea of protection. I know because I’m having the same thoughts. Guess I’ll have to test the theory.”
“Don’t. It’s risky.”
