Page 45 of Acceptance
“Who is she?” Ky asks.
“Nina Person. We got this tattoo together after her brother died while I was in Iraq. He was a firefighter, and Aaron was my best friend. A brother.”
He can’t look at anyone as he sits down and instead looks at the image of a beat-up face he now recognizes as the woman he once knew. Someone did this to her, and he can’t sort out his feelings. Sadness. Rage. Guilt. Love. Longing. Hatred. Betrayal. All of them swirl around inside of him.
“And who was she to you?”
“I loved her. We were together for a while after Aaron died because we understood the other’s pain. It didn’t work out, and it’s been years since we last saw each other. I had no idea she was anywhere near Griffin’s Beach.”
“Does this change our stance?” Ky asks. “Are we stepping in and getting involved to find this asshole?”
“I think we have to,” Venom says. “One of our own knows a victim. We can’t just walk away from that.”
Looking up at the Sergeant at Arms, Undertaker feels a small inkling of relief. If he could find his voice, he’d thank him, but he hopes the look of gratitude tells him what he can’t find the words to say.
“I won’t work the GBPD, but I’ll work with Grayson,” Brock says. “If there’s something to find, the two of us have a better chance than the idiots on the force. Maybe we can try and retrace her steps and find footage of her with the De-Identifier. Put a face to the name.”
“What do we do when we find him?” Diesel asks.
“We’ll decide when we get there,” Colt says. “But I’ll be damned if Julian gets the credit for it. He needs a rude awakening.”
Undertaker looks at the President, and he sees a look of determination on his face. This really is a brotherhood, and he feels grateful to be here with these men.
“One thing,” Colt says and points the gavel around to everyone. “No one goes rogue. Everything comes to this table, and we make decisions together. Got it?”
Brock and Beckett look at the table while everyone glares at them. The last time one of their own was in trouble, they went rogue and landed themselves in prison after pissing off one of the most powerful men in the state. Maybe even the country.
While the warning may be because of those two, Undertaker knows it’s also directed at him. Unlike them, he knows better. He won’t do anything without bringing it to the table. He’s a soldier through and through, and he follows the chain of command.
The gavel bangs, and he stands on autopilot. How does he explain this to Jamie?
Chapter Sixteen
Griffin’s Beach
Venom
Standing against the wall outside the Chapel, Venom watches Undertaker. He knows firsthand what it feels like to learn someone he loves was brutally murdered. Even more, he knows and understands the drive for revenge, and he’ll be here for whatever Undertaker needs.
The way Undertaker looked stoic, even as his hands shook, worried Venom. The reaction came across as though his current love was targeted, not someone from his past. Which will only create problems for him.
“What’s wrong?” Jamie asks, hurrying over to her boyfriend.
She’s a larger woman, but she’s attractive. A little young for Undertaker, but as long as they’re happy, who’s he to judge? And it’s clear she’s in love with the giant.
Love looks good on her. There’s a different air about her than the first time she stepped foot in this clubhouse.
She’s not Venom’s type, but he can appreciate a beautiful woman. His type comes in the form of a round-faced brunette who shattered his heart into a million pieces.
Marnie Banks is everything Venom never knew he wanted until the day he met her. If he’s honest with himself, which he does his best to avoid these days, she still is everything he wants. But hearing her agree with her father that he’s not good enough caused him more pain than anyone else has ever managed to inflict before.
Years ago, he would have agreed he wasn’t good for her. Hell, he probably still will, but he’s not nothing. He doesn’t believe that anymore. He has something to offer, and the right woman will see it and accept him.
I may not be for everyone, but I’m not worthless. Not anymore. I just wish I could trust that she truly believes that now.
“I found out some bad news,” Undertaker tells Jamie.
Venom wonders how he plans to tell his girlfriend that the woman he’s still in love with was murdered. The woman he’s not sure Jamie knows about.
