Hexed (Never After #6)

53. Venesa

FIFTY-THREE

VENESA

There are a lot of places I’ve imagined ending my uncle’s life.

His home.

His office.

The Aquata .

But in the end, I decided being on my home turf was the best choice. I needed somewhere familiar, somewhere that would benefit me if things didn’t go as planned. Which it’s highly probable they won’t. The only thing you can count on in life is the unexpected, so you might as well play to your own advantage as much as possible.

Enzo played his role perfectly, and because of it, Aria came along willingly to the Lair, then allowed me to restrain her on the table she had me on two days ago before we went to the cabin, and flipped her to our side.

Uncle T was a little hard to find because he’d been out in the middle of the ocean, and I didn’t want to play our hand too soon.

But that’s okay because it gave me time to plan.

I have Aria chained and ready to be “tortured,” and if Uncle T doesn’t show up alone to save her, then I’m going to kill her, and I’ll broadcast my grandfather’s documents to the world so he loses everything.

His fame. His fortune. His title as King of the Sea. He’d probably end up in prison for arson and murder too, but that’d just be icing on the cake, to be honest.

That’s what Bastien’s told him at least, because as far as my uncle is concerned, Bastien is still working with him and not against him. Using Bas as the way to get Uncle T here was the simplest option. We’ll save the dramatics for later.

And now we wait.

Bastien and Enzo aren’t far away, keeping an eye out on the Lair’s parking lot so they can tell me when Uncle T shows up. I made them promise to stay out of things unless it was a life-or-death situation, because even though I know I don’t have to take care of myself, some things are better when I do them. All the men in my life have this nasty habit of jumping in when they don’t need to, and it’s tiring .

My hand presses against the glass of my aquarium, my heart full as I watch my babies, Jack and Flora.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, pookies. Mommy won’t leave you for so long again.”

A scoff from behind me makes me bristle, but I don’t turn around. “Something to say, sweet Cousin?”

“Oh, believe me, I have a lot of things to say. But I shouldn’t waste my breath.”

Her voice is cocky in a way that shows she carries the same gene as her father: overconfidence, which will end up being her downfall just as much as his.

As far as Aria knows, after this is over, I’ll provide her with freedom and all the money she wants so she and Enzo can ride off into the sunset together.

Like I said, delusional.

Sighing, I tap the glass to Jack and Flora one more time and then stand before grabbing my black salt and walking around the perimeter, sprinkling it in a circle close to the edges of the wall.

“What are you doing?” Aria asks, trying to turn her head to watch me. It’s difficult, since she’s chained.

“A protection circle.”

“Is this more of that witchy bullshit?”

“It’s not bullshit. It’s working with the elements, and nature, and the universe.” I cut her a look. “I’d tell you to try it, but knowing you, you’d fuck up the cosmic order of things and we’d all pay the price.”

After placing the salt container down, I move to the center of the room and close my eyes, visualizing bright white light spreading from above and filling the space. I point my finger, carving out a pentagram on the ground with my mind, taking a moment to appreciate each point like it’s a compass. Top for spirit, then for air, bottom right for earth, bottom left for water, and the final point for fire. It’s a bit overkill to be doing both the salt and the pentagram, and I’m a bit out of practice, but I’m working with what I’ve got.

Aria keeps mumbling under her breath from behind me, and I shush her, focusing on grounding my energy to help strengthen the circle.

Finally, I open my eyes and smile. There.

“You know, I really hope you have more planned to protect us than some salt and a vision, or Daddy will kill you without a second thought,” Aria says.

Spinning toward her, I lift my shirt and grab the gun I placed there before coming down here, raising it in the air. “No worries, I’ve got all my bases covered.” I point it at her head, just to see if she reacts.

She does, her face paling, and I wink at her before moving the barrel away.

“It’s sweet you care, though.”

I didn’t want to bring the Glock—it’s still as big and blah as ever—but believe it or not, I have finally learned from my mistakes, and honestly, I’m tired of listening to Bastien chastise me every time he’s proven right. And now he’s got Enzo on my case too.

Besides, it’s honestly embarrassing how often I was caught off guard, which allowed people like Jessica to get the upper hand.

The rolling table next to Aria is all set up, and I run my fingertips over the syringes, taking in the different vials I’ve prepared.

Venom for my uncle, because that’s just my preference, and then one special…just for Aria.

Just in case.

Twisting until I’m at the head of the torture table, I look down at her. “Let’s go over the plan one more time.”

She sighs and fidgets, the clank of the metal making me wince. “You’re going to hide and Daddy’s going to walk in to save me. My job is to get him close so you can come up from behind.” She fidgets, her left shoulder rising. “Can we loosen these chains a bit? They’re chafing.”

“No.” I tilt my head. “And then?”

She rolls her eyes. “And then you do whatever you have to do, I guess.” She cuts me a glare. “But you better give me immediate access to my trust.”

I nod emphatically. “You have my word.”

“And stay away from my man.” Her eyes narrow before a dreamy smile takes over her face. “He doesn’t want you anymore.”

Grinning at her, I nod again, but I don’t mean it. As much as I like to hold up my end of deals, there’s no way in the world I’m holding up this one.

Even if I wanted to, Enzo wouldn’t let me.

But feeding into her delusion is the best way to ensure she sticks to the plan.

I do intend to let her live. I’m not lying about that part. Despite her being the bane of my existence, I truly believe she’s the unfortunate outcome of parenting, and really, can I blame someone for how they were raised?

She’s a byproduct of toxicity, the same as the rest of us.

“Ugh!” she complains, pulling at her wrists again. “How much longer until he’s supposed to get here? This is crazy uncomfortable.”

I side-eye her. “Small price to pay for your life, don’t you think?”

A burner phone Bastien gave me earlier buzzes where it’s stashed in my bra, and without looking, I know what it means.

Uncle T is here.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins like espresso on a drip, and I close my eyes, picturing my momma’s face, Fisher’s hollow eyes, and all of my uncle’s lies.

When I snap my lids open again, I’m hyperfocused on one thing and one thing only: taking what’s mine.

I lean down and press my fingers against Aria’s cheeks, gripping them tightly until my nails dig into her skin, just a little. “Showtime, my dear, sweet Cousin. Make sure to sell it, and remember… it’s all in the body language, honey.”

Rushing away, I grab one syringe of my pookies’ venom off the rolling table and keep my gun ready in the other hand, moving to hide just behind the corner of the saltwater tank. Out of sight and out of mind.

Right on cue, the door bursts open, Uncle T storming in with his own gun held up.

“Daddy!” Aria yells out, what sounds like a real sob breaking free from her mouth.

She’s good, I’ll give her that.

“Where is she?” Uncle T asks, without moving toward her. But I can see his eyes from where I am, and they’re looking over her, inspecting like he’s making sure I didn’t harm a single hair on her head.

Bastien walks in behind him, his gun also raised, and I let out a silent but shaky breath.

The plan is working.

“Bas, check the area,” Uncle T demands.

Bastien nods and starts walking around the perimeter, his eyes flicking to Jack and Flora before landing on the rolling table and then on the salt placed strategically around the room to create the circle.

He rolls his eyes, like even in this tense moment, he has time to judge my practice.

Asshole.

When he walks by me, our gazes lock, and another hit of confidence swells inside me.

“All clear, boss,” Bastien says, making his way back toward him. “She must be somewhere else. Want me to go check?”

“No, just stay on guard here.” Uncle T rushes over to Aria, taking in the chains on her arms and legs. He sets his gun down on the table next to her.

Who’s sloppy now?

“Are you hurt?” he asks Aria. “What did she do to you? Do you know where she went?”

Aria shakes her head. “No, Daddy, I’m okay, but you need to listen to me.”

My spine stiffens because she isn’t supposed to say something like that.

“Later, baby girl; we need to get you out of here. I’ll take care of Venesa, but I…” He spins to Bastien. “How do we unlock these?”

“No, Daddy… Listen!” she yells, and that’s my cue, because I don’t trust her not to fuck this up, and I’m fairly confident the bitch was about to double-cross me.

Maybe Enzo wasn’t so convincing after all.

So much for their true love.

I watch Bastien move closer to the table and pick up Uncle T’s gun before slipping it into his waistband. Uncle T doesn’t even notice because he’s so focused on figuring out how to get Aria unchained.

Aria starts, “Daddy, she’s right?—”

Sighing, I stand and come out from the shadows. “Hello, Uncle. How are you?”

Uncle T spins toward me, his eyes blazing with anger. He reaches out to grip his gun, and only then does he realize it’s missing. His face blanks, his eyes growing round as he looks at Bastien.

“You filthy rat,” he spits before focusing back on me.

Bastien smiles and shrugs. “Learned from the best.”

I tsk-tsk at Uncle T, pointing my gun at him as I walk over to Aria and stand next to my rolling table of poisons. “Now, that’s not very nice. Bas has been nothing but accommodating.” I look up at my uncle, catching his gaze. “Maybe you just need to learn how to treat your people better.”

“I will kill you, Venesa.”

Amusement at his words swirls through my stomach and curls up my throat, and I throw my head back and laugh. “It’s adorable you think you have the power here, Uncle T. But I guess that’s always been your problem, hasn’t it? Thinking everything is about you.”

“Isn’t it?” he barbs back.

“No!” I smack my hand on the metal right next to Aria’s face. “This is about me for once. And everything you stole.”

His eyes widen, dawning realization hitting them.

“That’s right, you absolute asshole. I know everything. So if I were you, I’d start figuring out how to beg appropriately, and maybe I’ll spare your poor daughter’s soul.”

I move the barrel of my weapon, pressing it to Aria’s temple.

She’s shaking, small whines pouring from her mouth.

Good.

Uncle T’s hands shoot into the air, his palms up like I’m the volatile one. “Let her go, Venesa.”

I run the gun down Aria’s cheek. Her eyes widen slightly, realizing that she didn’t hold up her end of the bargain, so things have changed.

“Now, why would I do that?” I question. “She and I made a deal.”

Aria tries again. “Daddy, I?—”

I whip the firearm out and smack her cheek, the satisfying slap of flesh hitting metal resounding in my ears.

Cracking my neck, I breathe in deep. “God, I’ve been waiting years to do that.”

Aria groans, pulling on her chains as she tries to focus her attention back on me. “You bitch!”

“What do you want?” Uncle T asks, stepping in farther.

I tilt my head. “What do you mean? I have everything I could want right here. The daughter of the great Trent Kingston—the girl who tortured and bullied me for years. She’s quite the prize to have.”

Lifting my nails, I look at the cuticles like I can’t be bothered. “So I guess the question is, what are you willing to give me that’s better?”

“Anything,” he responds immediately.

I tilt my head, a hit of anger and hurt swimming through me like poison because he’s giving up so easily.

For her.

He’d never have done the same for me.

A slow smile spreads across my face. “Well, then make me a bargain.”

“If you let her go, you can have me,” he barters.

“No, Daddy, she won’t actually do it. Don’t listen to her, I?—”

“Deal,” I interrupt. Nodding at Bastien, who has his gun aimed at Trent, I drop my weapon on the rolling table and pick up the syringe I made just for Aria.

“She’s lying! Enzo is here and?—”

Lunging, I press the syringe directly into her trachea. “That’s about enough out of you.”

“No!” Uncle T yells, surging forward.

Bang!

My ears ring from the loud blast, and I watch as Uncle T grabs at his side and falls to the floor. I look up at Bastien, who’s holding his gun out, clearly having just shot it.

I groan, my hands going to my hips. “What is with men and always interfering? I had this handled.”

He shrugs, waving his free hand in the air. “So handle it.”

Sighing, I reach out, grab my Glock, and walk to my uncle, staring down at him.

Aria is sputtering and coughing, sucking in air as best she can behind us, but I ignore her. I didn’t inject her with anything lethal.

“I had hoped to draw this out some, to make it more of an experience,” I tell Uncle T. “But I’ve learned sometimes being quick and to the point is best. You taught me that, actually.”

As soon as I crouch, his bloody hand shoots up from where it was pressing against his stomach, trying to rip my weapon out of my hands. I won’t lie, even with him severely injured, his strength is a lot for me, and I fall backward as he rips the gun from my grasp and struggles to his knees, pointing the barrel down at me.

“You always were pathetic and a waste of space. Weak. Just. Like. Your. Momma.”

Those words repeat in my head like a mantra and send fire blazing through me. He pulls the trigger on the gun at the same time I kick out my feet and shove him in the chest, propelling him backward.

His arm flies, and the bullet doesn’t hit me; instead, it shatters the glass of my aquarium, water pouring out onto the floor, along with my babies.

“No!” I yell, jumping up and racing over to reach them.

Bastien is there before I can do anything, gripping Uncle T around the neck and placing him in a headlock. Uncle T grunts and tries to protest, but it’s easy to see he’s growing weak from the loss of blood.

I push myself up, drenched from the aquarium water, a new anger unleashing inside me. I stomp over to my syringes and grab the venom from my pookies before heading back to where Bastien is holding my uncle, who’s wasting his precious energy trying to fight a man he’ll never overpower.

“You tried to kill my babies,” I spit, kicking his side and reveling in the way he flinches in Bastien’s arms. I kick him again, just because I’m so angry and it feels good.

He grunts and grapples to hold his side, where blood is steadily seeping from his gunshot wound.

Luckily, stonefish can survive up to twenty-four hours without water, so as long as I can transfer them to a backup soon, they’ll survive.

Still, it’s the principle of the thing.

Uncle T stares up at me, growing weaker by the second. Bastien holds him down while I crouch and inject the venom into his vein.

“You’ll never get away with this.” He forces out each word.

I smile. “You fool. I already have.”

Then I sit back and watch as the venom spreads, enjoying every second that his body physically shrivels and his eyes dim.

As I nod in satisfaction, a breath of relief escapes me, my shoulders relaxing and my victory reigning supreme.

Enzo comes bursting through the room a few seconds later, his eyes wide and his own gun drawn, only calming when he focuses on me.

“Christ, I heard gunshots and thought the worst.” His hand goes to his chest.

“Everything’s under control.” I grin at him and then look at Bastien. “Can you take care of my babies? They need to go to their backup tank.”

He nods and stands, cringing when he looks at his blood-soaked hands.

Uncle T’s body falls to the floor with a slap.

Enzo looks around, taking in the scene before his gaze lands on Aria. His brow quirks. “What’d you do to her?”

I turn to see what he’s looking at. She’s stopped her gasping now, but her eyes are wide and panicked.

Half skipping, I make my way over to her, glee filling every bone in my body.

“Is it hard to breathe?” I ask, leaning over her. “You’ll get used to that…I think. It’s from all the swelling, you see.”

She opens her mouth and tries to speak, but nothing comes out.

“Don’t waste your energy,” I coo. “That injection? It was a special mix I made just for you. A blend of arsenic and lead. You know what that causes? Vocal paralysis.”

Enzo steps up next to me, looking down at her. “She won’t be able to talk?”

I shrug. “Not well anyway.”

“Now, about our deal.” I focus back on her. “Considering it was made under duress—my duress—I’m afraid we’ll have to renegotiate the terms.”

Enzo wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and pressing kisses up the length of my neck.

Aria’s eyes flare, and I grin down at her.

“Don’t look at me like that.” I tilt my head, allowing Enzo to have more access. “You’re smart enough to know I’d never let you have him.”

Aria’s eyes are wild, but they’re dry—not a tear to be found—probably because she’s a selfish bitch who doesn’t care about anyone except herself.

Not even her dead father on the ground.

She tries to speak again, but only a hoarse rasp escapes. Her eyes grow round, and she tries one more time before sucking in what little air she can get.

“I’m going to let you live, Aria. That’s my gift to you.” I blink at her. “You’re welcome.”

Enzo chuckles into my neck, and I separate from him, even though Aria having to watch us together sends satisfaction racing through my bones.

What can I say? Spite fuels me.

I press my fingernails to her trachea. “And honestly, consider this a mercy. You may not have your voice, and I’m definitely not giving you any of the family fortune. But you still have your… looks.” I lean in close. “That pretty face of yours should get you far.”

Now a tear does drip down her cheek.

My fingers press on her esophagus, hard enough to leave a bruise, and I lean over her, pressing my lips to her ear. “Fisher’s death is on your hands. And I want you to live out there, penniless, worthless, remembering the pain you’ve caused others every day.” I stand and back away, looking at the single syringe left. “Or you can use that venom there and kill yourself. Doesn’t really matter either way to me.”

Bastien’s still moving Jack and Flora into their smaller tank, so I know he’ll make sure Aria doesn’t escape until we’re far enough away that she can’t follow us.

Grabbing Enzo’s hand, I turn around and walk out of the room, then pause to look back at her when I reach the threshold. “Consider this a mercy, sweet Cousin.”

And I mean what I say. She’ll have to learn how to make it on her own.

The way she’s always wanted.