Hexed (Never After #6)

12. Venesa

TWELVE

VENESA

Enzo Marino is the worst kind of distraction.

His presence down here isn’t a surprise. It’s just…more of a disturbance than I expected.

Luckily, I had already hooked the card-counting thief Fisher told me about—Sean—with a bit of cleavage and dirty, slurred words whispered in his ear.

The number one reason I have Fisher be the face of so many things for me here is because anonymity is a superpower, especially when you’re a woman in a male-dominated world. Every weapon in your arsenal is important.

And everyone in Atlantic Cove already knows Fisher as the town fuckup. Emancipated from his folks when he was fifteen, he’s been on his own since then, running the streets and making a general mess of things until I started having him work for my family.

“What are you gonna do with me?” Sean asks, his voice thick with lust as I lead him down the dark hallway.

Fisher’s right; he isn’t from around here.

I giggle, stumbling into him. “Oh, honey, what am I not gonna do with you?”

He groans, his disgusting hand gripping my ass, and I let out a whimper, pretending I like the feel of his meaty paw on me.

“My car’s out front.” He grunts.

I shake my head and run my fingers up his chest. “I don’t think I can wait.”

Looking around, I feign ignorance to the layout of the basement, widening my eyes as I point at the door on his left. “You think it’s unlocked?”

He follows my gaze and grins, pulling me behind him. “Only one way to find out.”

It is unlocked, but I already know that because I’m the one who unlocked it.

As soon as we’re inside, he spins us around, shutting the door and slamming me against it. It hurts, and I wince at the stab of pain radiating up my spine. Jerk.

He trails sloppy kisses along the side of my neck, and I bite back the urge to gag from how moist his breath is against my skin.

I push him away, prodding him with my fingertips across the darkened room and toward the stainless steel table bolted to the ground in the center.

Sean jolts when his legs hit the edge, and he finally takes inventory of where we are. His head flicks from side to side, no doubt looking at the floor-to-ceiling saltwater tank that spans the entire left wall, and then glances over to the metal storage units on the other side.

“Damn, it’s huge back here. Are those fish ?” He squints.

I grip his chin and physically twist his face until he’s focused on me. “I’m more interested in how big you are, darlin’.”

He falls back onto the table with the smallest push, and then I climb on top of him, straddling his hips and dropping until I’m pinning him by the lap.

The trick with seduction is to move too fast for their silly little brains to keep up. I don’t want him to have time to formulate questions. Like why I showed up out of nowhere and led him into this room or why there’s an empty table sitting in the middle of it.

I just want him to think he’s about to get fucked.

Weak men always let their dicks do the thinking, and strong women know how to take advantage of that.

Sean’s hands grip my hips, and I cover his fingers with mine, moving his arms until they’re above his head, and press firmly while I simultaneously grind down onto his erection.

“ Fuck yeah,” he groans.

“You ever let a woman take control, honey?” I whisper in his ear, leaning over him until my breasts brush across his face. “Keep your arms there.”

I’m hoping my words will distract him enough while I grab at the chains affixed to the underside of the table. Bas had this design custom made. He loves to strap people down so they can’t defend themselves because he’s twisted and sadistic.

The door to the room swings open and cracks against the concrete wall just as I get the metal cuff above the lip of the table. Sean tries to sit up, but I shove him back down with my free hand and quickly secure both his wrists, tightening the chains just enough so every movement will dig into his skin.

He jerks violently. “What the hell ?”

When he pulls against the restraints, the chains clank loudly, and I cringe.

It’s a distinct noise, one that drives me up a wall. I make a mental note to ask Bas if we can change them out for a different material because I can’t stand the metal on metal.

“Well, isn’t this cozy?”

I sigh loudly at Enzo’s deep and raspy voice, then jump off the table.

Sean continues to spit profanities and kick his legs in the air until his entire body is flopping on the surface like a fish desperate for water.

“I just knew you’d show up,” I say, turning to face Enzo.

He beams at me. “Let’s not waste time pretending you didn’t want me in here.”

“Please,” I scoff.

“You didn’t even lock the door.”

I shrug, looking at my nails like I can’t be bothered. “An oversight.”

“What the hell is going on?” Sean spits.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

I roll my neck, trying to ignore the clanking noise of Sean’s chains, and look down at him with a grin. “Shhh.” I pat his cheek. “Adults are talking, sugar.”

“Fuck you.”

“Hey,” Enzo snaps, his eyes narrowing. “Watch your mouth.”

“Do you mind?” I ask, scowling at him. “I can handle this.”

His lips twitch like he’s fighting back a smile, but he leans against the wall and crosses his ankles, waving his hand at the room like he’s giving me permission to continue. The muscles of his forearm flex with the motion, and a shot of arousal hits me.

Not the time, Venesa.

“Listen, I don’t know what kind of kinky shit you’re into, but I’m not here for this,” Sean says, pulling at his restraints again and hissing as the metal digs into his skin.

A laugh bubbles out of me because how can he possibly still think I brought him back here for sex?

“You hear that, Lover Boy?” I pout, flicking my gaze to Enzo. “He thinks we’re kinky.”

Enzo’s eyes spark. “He’s got no idea.”

Butterflies explode in my stomach, and I feel my cheeks heating, so I drop my head and focus on Sean again to hide my reaction.

“Honestly, I find it a little rude to presume.” I move closer to the edge of the table, staring down at Sean’s face, enjoying the way reality is settling into his features. All the classic signs are there: the widening of the eyes, his forehead lines creasing deeper, sweat forming at his temples as panic sets in and triggers that pesky fight-or-flight instinct.

“I’m curious, Sean. If you’re not here for this, then what are you here for?”

He doesn’t reply, but his eyes flick to Enzo and back nervously.

“You need me to teach you some manners?”

“Let me go, you crazy bitch,” he grits out. “And keep him away from me.”

“If you don’t teach him some, I will,” Enzo cuts in. His voice is smooth and dark, like glassy water beneath a stormy sky. A shiver rolls down my spine.

“And they say chivalry is dead.” I grin widely at Sean.

I run one of my nails along the side of his face, digging in just enough to leave a red line on his pasty cheek.

He jerks from my touch, and my smile grows. “You never said where you were from, darlin’.”

His thin lips tighten, and a flash of panic coasts across his gaze.

Oh. I don’t like that at all.

My grin drops, and I grip his chin harshly until his lips mash together from the force.

Originally, I assumed he was here to cheat me out of money, but that face he just made? That reeks of secrets he’d rather I didn’t know.

I release him with a sneer, his head smacking against the table as I do, and then I walk to the other side of the room, near the shelving units where Bastien likes to keep his favorite tools.

The third drawer down has a line of different knives placed strategically from largest to smallest, and I pick up the meat cleaver, enjoying the weight of it in my hand.

Sean’s voice is still in the background, spitting profanities left and right, his feet banging against the table and that ever-constant clank , clank , clank of metal on metal reverberating through the room. But it’s all muted to me now. There’s a pleasant buzzing in my ears, adrenaline pumping through my veins and muffling the outside noise. I’m in the zone. Focused. Happy .

When I spin around, Enzo’s gaze sears into me, snapping from the cleaver in my hand to Sean and then to my face. There’s a flicker of surprise, his features lifting and his eyes growing wider, but it only lasts for a millisecond, and then something else takes over. Something darker.

It feels like approval.

Satisfaction whips through me, sending my heart racing, because that’s what I’m constantly craving from Uncle T but rarely getting. Right here with Enzo, it’s like he’s giving it freely and unrestrainedly.

It’s a heady rush.

I take my time walking back to Sean, and then I look up at Enzo. “The least you can do is make yourself useful. Be a dear and come lock his legs down for me. Cuffs are on the underside of the table.” I run my fingertip along the edge of the blade and glance at Sean. “Cleavers are fun, aren’t they?”

Sean’s eyes flick up to me and widen, but then his attention goes back to Enzo, who’s got a gun pointed at his shins while he secures them to the table.

“Cat got your tongue, honey?” I continue. “Couldn’t get you to shut up to save my life when you thought you were getting laid, and now suddenly you’ve got nothing to say?”

He stays quiet now, not even fighting against his restraints. I walk toward my aquarium, my heels clicking on the slick flooring, and place the cleaver down on a rolling table sitting next to a cabinet. I open the cupboard, skimming my fingers along the glass vials until I find the two I’m looking for.

“Something you should know about me is I really don’t enjoy when people won’t answer my questions.” I move the glass bottles over to the rolling table and then grab disposable latex gloves and two separate syringes before placing them side by side. Spinning around, I smile at my little captive, feeling the burn of Enzo’s stare.

Having him here while I do this is oddly erotic, like he’s witnessing me in a vulnerable state, and it makes the euphoria coating my veins spark like fireworks.

I push the table over until it’s next to Sean’s head and pick up the gloves, slowly pulling them onto my hands with a satisfying pop against my skin when they’re fitted. “I like it even less when people lie.”

“I didn’t lie!” Sean blurts.

“Well, you surely aren’t telling me the truth.” I pick up the glass vial labeled verrucotoxin and flip it upside down until it fills the syringe. “I noticed you watching my pookies in the aquarium over there when you first came in. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? My favorites are the two stonefish right there.” I point to one of my babies that’s lying on the ground. “It’s hard to see them because they’re masters of camouflage. Similar to what you tried and failed to do tonight. You could learn a lot about flying under the radar from them, honestly.”

He grunts.

“ This ”—I flick the side of the syringe—“is the venom extracted from their dorsal fins. I’m afraid it’s incredibly toxic to humans. Quite painful, actually, the way it works. For example, if I injected you here…”

I press the needle into the hollow point between his fingertips.

He jerks, trying to move away, but since he’s chained by his wrists and ankles, the most he accomplishes is a subtle shift and some nasty scrapes from where the metal digs into his skin.

“It would cause intense pain, spreading all the way up your arm in a matter of minutes. If left alone, your skin would bleed and deteriorate in front of our very eyes. And then, of course, the venom would spread into your lungs, constricting your airways, making you choke on nothing while your nervous system seizes. Beautiful, really. Like art.” I remove the needle from his skin. “But I’m fair, darlin’. So you tell me why you’re here trying to steal from me, and I’ll use the meat cleaver instead, chopping off one of your greedy little hands instead of injecting you with my pookie’s poison. What do you say?” I lean over until his eyes are staring up into mine. “Do we have a deal?”

He doesn’t reply, and that just irritates me. I’m being more than fair here, all things considered.

I sigh. “Is it because I’m a woman?”

“It’s because you’re a cunt,” Sean forces out through gritted teeth.

I roll my eyes at the tired slur, but before I can say anything else, Enzo is there, gripping Sean’s face so tightly, I can see the indentations of his teeth through his cheeks. “How many times do I have to tell you to watch your fucking mouth?”

My stomach flips.

I’ve never had somebody defend me like this before.

The veins on the back of Enzo’s hands run up his sinewy forearms and disappear under the rolled sleeves of his button- down, and I swear to God, I really, really want to not be affected, but I’m also not dead, and I can’t help the way heat floods through my body at the sight of him.

“You ever sucked a cock?” Enzo continues. “Say another word about her and I’ll cut off yours and shove it down your throat. Give you some practice. You understand?”

I beam over at him. Now that’s inspired.

He looks up at me and winks before releasing Sean’s face.

Sean clearly doesn’t value his life, or maybe he just is severely underestimating who he’s in the room with, because he turns his head and spits on me.

My body physically vibrates from the anger rushing through me, and Enzo backhands him so hard, his jaw cracks as it hits the table.

“The fuck is wrong with you?” Enzo asks, incredulous. “Did you not hear what I just said?”

Sean groans, his cheek still pressed against the metal of the table.

Enzo tenses, and I’m a little nervous he will shove something down his throat, which would be detrimental because if he’s choking on a dick then he can’t tell us what I want to know. So I rest my hand on Enzo’s forearm, ignoring the way it makes my palm tingle and my heart skip a beat.

“How come you get to have all the fun?” I say.

My words wash away the fury covering his face, and something soft takes its place. A piece of his hair has fallen just over his left eyebrow, and I reach out, smoothing it back into place. He licks his lips, gives a curt nod, and takes a step back.

And now I’m even more turned on.

Inappropriate, Venesa.

Turns out Lover Boy looks pretty good when he’s a little unhinged.

I smile appreciatively before clearing my throat and focusing on Sean.

“I’m sure even a guy like you gets the precarious situation you’ve found yourself in. You come into my place of business and try to cheat me out of money? Surely you understand how I can’t just let you walk away from that.”

“Counting cards isn’t illegal, you dumb bitch,” he says.

Enzo sighs loudly and cracks his knuckles, but I shoot him a look, and he stays leaned against the wall, crossing his arms with a frown.

I put the tip of the needle in the hollow between Sean’s first two fingers and press until it slips under his skin. He hisses and jerks.

“You know, normally I like a dirty mouth, but your repetition is exhausting . Where’s the creativity? I don’t like lazy people.”

Silence.

Bending over until my hair brushes against his cheek, I whisper, “Where are you from, sugar?”

“I’m…fuck!”

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I press closer. “Last chance, Sean.”

No reply.

I inject the venom and stand back, placing the syringe on the rolling tray.

Sean’s body shakes almost immediately, making the chains rattle even more against the steel table, and he grunts.

“Yeah, I know that hurts.”

I grab the other vial and show it to him, although his eyes are glossing over, most likely from the pain spreading through his body.

“This is the antidote, and I’ll be honest, even though it sounds like a reprieve, I know how to use it to my advantage. I can inject you with this just so I can start the process over again. Over and over and over, until you’re begging for death.”

Sean lets out a yelp, his left arm growing pink.

“My deal’s still on the table, Sean. Words will set you free, darlin’.” I smile softly and run the back of my gloved hand over his cheek.

He mumbles something I can’t understand.

I lean in. “What was that?”

“Ne-New Jersey,” he stutters. “I’m from New Jersey.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Enzo straighten off the wall.

“What are you doing in South Carolina?” he asks.

I cut him a look but wait for Sean’s answer.

Sean’s hyperventilating now, sweat pouring down the sides of his forehead and dripping onto the table beneath him. “You,” he manages to get out. But his eyes are on Enzo. “I was sent to keep an eye on you .”

Shock spirals through me, and my widened gaze meets Enzo’s narrowed one. I’m not sure why someone is here for him, but having anything or anyone from the Northeast in these parts makes anxiety claw at my insides like a locked-up beast.

There are things my uncle does out there no one can know about. Things Enzo can never know.

I pat Sean’s cheek. “Good boy.”

And then I place the antidote down and pick up the cleaver. Sean’s eyes grow wide, and he thrashes against the chains, his body flopping.

“I thought we had a deal!” he screams.

“Are you implying I’m not holding up my end?” I ask, affronted. “You tried to steal from me, Sean. And even worse, you’re here to spy on someone who’s about to be my family. You can’t possibly think I’d let you walk away with no repercussions?”

I lift the cleaver and then slam it down on his wrist, gliding it back and forth like a seesaw and smiling when he screams.