Page 44 of Beautiful Venom
And I hate the gradual disappearance of her fire.
How she slowly withdraws into her shell.
“You always have a choice, Dahlia. The word is ‘red’. It offers you a way out of everything except for Vencor. That one, once you’re in, you only leave in a casket or if I deem you unworthy.”
“If…” She swallows thickly, her eyes searching mine despite the subtle fear lurking beneath the light yellow. “If I offer myself, will you protect me?”
“No.”
She flinches, her body turning stiff, and I should probably release her.
I don’t do that, though.
Even as her heat mingles with mine, sending the wrong signals to my cock.
“Why not?” she asks.
“I don’t get emotionally attached to the people I fuck.”
“I don’t either. So it’s a win-win.”
“Liar. You’ve been trying to play it down and pretend that what happened that day is normal, but here’s the thing. You’re acting tough. I know you’re uncomfortable. Your jaw is clenched, your body’s tight, and you’re usually dressed in a way that doesn’t draw attention to your body. You’re terrified that I’ll fuck you and use you again. The idea makes you tremble. And that trembling turns me on.” I rotate her pale face in my fingers. “Your fight and suffering turn me on. It makes mehard. So, Dahlia, disappear from my sight before I break you.”
I feel the exact moment that her survival instinct kicks in.
The moment I release her, she steps back, the leaves crunching beneath her sneakers. She stumbles, her wide eyes never leaving my face before she turns around and runs back the way she came.
Dahlia is smart enough to sense danger. At least, now she is.
She should’ve seen it before she decided to approach the organization.
Or me.
Because even though I just let her go, it’s only temporary so that I can keep myself under control.
It’s only a matter of time before I trap her again.
10
DAHLIA
The detective in charge of Vi’s case agreed to assign an officer to watch over her hospital room.
After I saw someone on the verge of hurting her—or worse, finishing the murder attempt—Detective Collins found clear evidence of tampering with the hospital’s security system.
Someone disabled the hallway and elevator cameras for that specific time on purpose.
Detective Collins suspects that this was a seasoned hacker’s work.
Unlike the DNA samples the police managed to gather from underneath Violet’s nails, this time, no evidence was left behind.
That unidentified DNA sample is the only clue I have about the attacker.
Detective Collins said that there’s a strong likelihood that the attack happened after an altercation. In the initial blood test, there was propofol in her blood, so she probably fought before she was sedated.
And that makes the case more complex and elusive.
In fact, the Stanton Hospital surveillance camera that showed the man in the van dropping off Vi didn’t capture his face. It was covered by his hoodie when he laid her on the gurney and then jumped back into the van. We only assume he’s a man, judging by his tall height and broad build.
