Page 36 of Venomous Games

“You do,” he answers, then turns to the man named Victor. “Wait with her. I’ll be back.”

Victor steps inside, and I shift my gaze to him. He’s several inches taller than Boston.

Before he leaves, Boston says to Victor, “She may look harmless, but she isn’t.”

I sit up, and the towel falls to my hips.

Victor stands by the door, his hands by his sides as he stares at me. I’ve had many men see me in nothing but my underwear, and I’m not shy about my body, but not once does his gaze stray from my face.

“So, you’re friends with Boston?” I ask.

“No,” he says flatly.

“You don’t like him?”

“No.”

I smile and sit up straighter. “Want to hold him down while I kill him?” I ask.

His eyes gleam with something I can’t quite grasp. He doesn’t answer me, and I give him a wink before I stand and pick up a discarded dress.

Holding it up, I face Victor and ask, “This one?” He studies it for a moment and then shakes his head. Dropping it, I find a bright pink one. Picking that up, I glance at him and raise a brow. “Surely, this one would be good for a Vegas wedding,” I prod.

He stares at it, and I reach for the red one, holding it in my other hand. “It could be this one when you hold him down so I can kill him. He’s fast, you know,” I say with an eye roll. “But I’m sure both of us could take him.” He doesn’t respond, which disappoints me a little.

I go to the mirror and sit down on the floor where my makeup bag is. My lip has started to heal, but it still stings a little.

Victor remains quietly standing by the door, as if he’s bored.

As I apply my foundation, I start talking again. “Are you a fan of box jellyfish?” I ask, turning around so I can see his face. He simply looks at me. “I have to say, they are one of my favorite animals.” I smile as I turn back to the mirror and continue putting on my makeup.

“Did you know the larger they are, the more dangerous they become? That’s not always true for us humans, right?” I wink at his reflection. “When they sting you, it will only be a matter of minutes before you die.” I smile proudly as I swipe my face with the foundation. “It causes muscle spasms and numbness. Hell, it can even cause confusion.” I laugh, then keep talking, and surprisingly, he seems to listen intently, though he doesn’t say a word.

Victor hasn’t moved from his position by the door when Boston walks in forty-five minutes later with a cart that is usually used to carry suitcases. It’s full of boxes with shoes and dresses. I glance at Boston, confused, before I stand. His eyes drink me in as I approach and touch one of the boxes.

“Can I have one?” I whisper. I love shoes. Please say yes.

“They’re all yours. Pick a pair of shoes and a dress to wear. Move it before Victor decides to throw both of us in the garbage chute,” he tells me.

I smile up at him and open the first box. White, perfect. The next box holds another white pair. I find one black pair, which makes me smile. There are at least ten pairs, all from a designer shop.

“I think I’ll keep the black pair for when I bury you,” I tell him, tapping that box.

Victor snorts, and I look back up to Boston.

“You know this is the way to my heart,” I say, hugging a box to my chest.

“I was hoping it was a way to get between your legs. Now, get dressed,” he grumbles.

“Oh, you need to work harder to get that.” I smile, then briefly flick through the dresses, not letting go of the heels that I think are my new favorite. “You pick the dress. I couldn’t care less. It’s all about the shoes for me.”

“She suggested red to cover traces of your blood when she kills you,” Victor offers unhelpfully.

Boston’s head swings in his direction before he turns back to me.

“Victor, why did you have to go and tell him our plan?” I grumble, setting a hand on my hip while still holding the box with the other.

“I’ll return the heels, then,” Boston says.