Page 50 of Venomous as a Snake

They don’t work; they’re just meant to make you think you’ve found the only surveillance in the house. There are probably more than a dozen hidden cameras inside, pointing at me as I slide around the kitchen island.

Not to mention the ones outside.

Forrest’s security software is the best I’ve ever seen, which is why Drew put his creations in our mate’s house. She likely knows I hopped the fence and walked in as if this place is mine.

Her music leads me up the stairs to a bonus room above the garage. And I stop in the doorway, a frown tugging at my lips when I realize she really doesn’t know I’m here.

The polished wood floor reflects blurry swirls as she spins across the room. Mirrors line the north and south walls, allowing me glimpses of her relaxed expression. The pale pink silk laces of her pointe shoes wrap up her ankles.

The armoire in the corner is open, showing off her collection of dance equipment. A small tiered shelf holds a variety of shoes, from jazz and tap to sneakers and platform heels. An aerial hoop and a shining pole lean in the opposite corner, waiting to be installed.

Her eyes stay closed through the slow song, and she sways as it tapers off. Kody leans on the white-washed ballet barre mounted on her south facing mirrors, her panting breath blowing strands of her platinum hair away from her face.

“What do you want?” she asks softly, bringing me out of my observations. “I don’t want to argue, so if that’s what you’re after, just leave.”

Instead of turning to face me, she watches me through the mirror as she stands on her toes. She grips the bar as she stretches, bringing her right leg up behind her, then back to a neutral position before holding it parallel at her side.

She switches to her left, but her arms flex, bearing more weight than her right foot. Clay made sure she would never make it to a big stage when he broke her ankle. He took her first love away from her. And though I don’t know why, it’s safe to assume it happened in a fit of rage.

The scar from her surgery is a thin white line peeking through the pale pink silk laces. It’s the only blemish on her otherwise perfect skin.

I still don’t know how to answer her question.

“Walker?” she prompts, causing me to meet her calculating gaze.

Her eyes are more purple than blue with rips and tears in the irises that shine pink. The liquid pools are deeper than the ocean, calling to the saltwater croc within me. They urge him to float on the currents, to conserve his energy so he can waste it all on his mate before basking in the sun.

In my mind, he bellows his agreement and need.

I’m not ready to believe having her is this simple. Not when Clay keeps sending people after her. I need to know if Fangs will stand behind his youngest son or the daughter he thinks he deserves. Because being with her could bring the wrath of Snake Eyes to our doorstep, and Forrest and Collin aren’t ready for a gang war.

I shake my head as I approach Kody. She doesn’t move as she tracks me in the mirrors. Despite all the time apart, there’s still a solid level of trust between us.

Two dominant reptiles with no trust between them would be disastrous inside this room.

But I also know I wouldn’t make it far with my life intact.

My croc is eleven hundred pounds of pure muscle at sixteen feet long. Size doesn’t matter when your opponent can put you down with less than an ounce of venom. And though my croc can swallow her in one mouthful… I’ve seen her kill an elephant in less than four hours with a single bite.

Kody is the queen of king cobras.

The fact that she lets me approach her without turning tells me she knows I would never hurt her.

Physically.

Emotionally is another story.

Because we’ve both done that.

I grab her hips, my fingertips pressing into toned muscle and the soft fabric of her sheer skirt as I lift her to her toes. She doesn’t take her eyes off me, barely even blinks as I give her the barest of smiles.

“Tell me when there’s too much pressure on your ankle.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Kody?” I interrupt. “Shut up. I’m trying to help.”

She rolls her eyes, but her question is breathy. “Why?”