Page 201 of Beautiful Venom
My heart nearly stops when I find texts from Kane.
A few of them are from when I disappeared in the village, but the ones that make me shake all over are the latest ones, from an hour ago.
Kane
I need to take care of Grant’s death fallout. Don’t move. Call the kitchen from the room’s intercom and they’ll prepare whatever food you like. We’ll talk once I get back.
PS. I’ll take you to visit your sister once I’m done.
My fingers shake around the phone. The only words I see go in and out of focus.
We’ll talk once I get back.
We’lltalk.
We. Will. Talk. Will I have to pay a price for what I’ve done? I don’t regret any of it, but I know how Kane will perceive my actions.
Betrayal.
Or maybe it’s something else?
Against my will, a flicker of hope spills in the dark corners of my chest.
A knock booms in the silence, and I think it’s the doomsday feeling in my head, but it comes again. Louder this time.
“Dahlia?”
I scramble to my feet at the sound of Helena’s soft voice and quickly throw on Kane’s shirt that he left on the floor. It only reaches my thighs, but it’s better than nothing.
“Just a sec,” I call as I rush to the ornate golden door. I feel self-conscious for even touching it.
When I open it, I find Helena standing outside, barely filling out her straight white dress, her skin pasty against the color, but there’s a flicker of life in her sunken eyes.
“Hi,” I say awkwardly, pulling down on the shirt.
“Thank you for seeing me.”
“Anytime. Um, sorry for how I look. I don’t know where my clothes are.”
“They’re being cleaned. The staff will bring them as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.”
She takes my hands in hers. “I’m the one who should thank you. And apologize to you. I didn’t want Kane to come and get hurt, but he reminded me of everything you did for us. He reminded me that he’s a much better person than I’ll ever be, and I want to apologize for ever asking him to turn his back on you.”
“You were just scared for his life,” I say in a low voice. “I should be the one to apologize. It’s because of me that…uh…your husband…died.”
“On the contrary, I’m grateful.”
“Even if…Kane became a murderer?”
“It’s not his first murder and won’t be his last. But at least this time, he did it for himself. He finally got himself and me—though coincidentally—free of Grant’s chains. So thank you, Dahlia.” She squeezes my hand. “I’m glad you’re in Kane’s life.”
No. I’m glad he’s in mine.
A tall man in a butler’s suit walks toward us carrying a basket. Samuel.
Helena releases me as she wipes her eyes. “There. Samuel brought your clothes.”
