Sweet Touch of Venom (Lethal Love #1)

24. Venom

Chapter 24

Venom

I suck in a tight breath, my head buzzing in alert from the news he shot at me. Ronan looks over his shoulder at me. “Not in the way you think.”

Relief I wasn’t expecting loosens the grip that was clutching my heart. I swallow to quench my dry throat, shoulder slacking slightly. “Then explain.”

Please don’t say what I don’t want to hear. I chant over and over until he starts speaking.

“Yes, they go after rich kids. Because of my father and my own wealth, that’s what I thought, but there’s something you don’t know.”

I lower my cup to my thigh, swallowing what seems like sandpaper.

He continues to watch me attentively. “They were after blueprints as well.”

I freeze. “Blueprints?”

“Yes. Your brother and I were creating the next invention. A car that runs on air and water.”

I scratch my head with a confused chuckle. “A car that works only with air?...?and water.” I’m almost ready to say, ‘Do you hear yourself?’ But from his serious expression, the disbelief runs free.

“Exactly. They wanted it.”

My head shakes, blinking rapidly. “Why didn’t you?… Carter, just give it to them?”

Ronan thumbs his chin, gliding over his scar. “Carter didn’t want that.”

I lean forward, placing my mug on the mini table beside me. “I need you to explain further. Did he die for papers? He could’ve lived, and you let him die?” I ask hysterically; my heart pulses uncontrollably, heat swarming to my head.

His head snaps to me fast, dropping his hand. “I didn’t let him die,” he seethes, glaring at me. “They were going to kill both of us regardless of the circumstances; we knew this after we were both tortured near to death. So, before I made the move to catch the men off guard so he can escape. He did it first, and he sacrificed himself to set me free.” His voice cracks subtly as he peers back forward, avoiding my eye contact.

My chest caves like someone took a boot and slammed right on it. I glance away, turning my head to control the burn behind my eyes. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t.

“You all were like a second family to me,” he whispers. “I would never have done anything to destroy that. Never.”

My throat tightens. All the memories replay of our past life. Ronan was always at our house, sometimes he would accompany us for family dinner on the weekends. Most times he’ll just be there, and it makes me wonder why? Was he running from something? I never thought of his home life or how his relationship was with his family. Only that his mother had passed, leaving his father with two sons.

Now that I think about it, it's almost like we turned on Ronan that second we found out about Carters death. My gaze averts to the remnants in my cup as the guilt festers in my chest.

“You remind me of him in that way,” he murmurs. My head twists back to him. He’s looking at me. “Stubborn as hell, fighting for what you believe is right.”

My eyes shift to my thumbnail that’s scratching over my other thumb. The swelling in my heart pumps all the way to my throat. I want to hate my brother for being so stupid. And I also want to hug him for being so brave. “I’m nothing like him. I’m selfish. I would’ve given them the sheets.”

His head shakes. “You’re wrong. There’s not a selfish bone in your body. Not from what I’ve seen so far. Unless you’re showing me someone else?”

Our eyes meet. His eyes roam my face for a second as tingles prick down my back and up my neck. He breaks the contact and relief flushes down my spine.

“Your brother didn’t want them getting into the wrong hands. If they were after the blueprints, then we knew something had to be wrong.”

I swallow. My voice croaks. “How did they find out?”

“That I don’t know. That’s why I’m going to find out tomorrow with Fred.” He cracks his knuckles, clenching down on his jaws.

“Where are the prints now?”

“I hid them. In a disclosed location. No one will be able to find it—not even Satan himself.”

I nod, relief rushes down my chest. At least his work is still alive.

“But back to your initial comment; I may not have been the exact reason, but it should’ve been me that died that night. Fuck, I wish it was. That’s why I’m going to avenge him. Make his death mean something.”

“I don’t,” I slip out before I can stop my stupid mouth.

His head turns back to me slowly. “You don’t, what?”

My brother died with reason, died for a purpose he believed in. It’s heartbreaking, he knew his decision and understood the consequences. Although it’s so hard to admit that to myself, but I love him even more for it. He’s still my big brother, and I will always look up to him.

I only wish my father could have learned all of this. Maybe he wouldn’t have died with hate in his heart, or these unresolved issues and misbelief.

I run my clammy hand down my thigh. I compose the breath escaping every second I release air.

“I don’t wish it was you.”

His eyes soften, no longer rubbing over his knuckles. “Why would you say that?”

I don’t know. It’s…?how I feel.

It makes me wonder now what if I did kill him that night? The moment I had that gun to his head, I could’ve shot him. It was my duty to do so. The vow my father took to his grave for me to fulfill, and yet, I didn’t.

That part in my mind, after the incident outside the apartment, knew I was right. It was Ronan. And even with my finger on the trigger when I approached him hiding in those bushes, I couldn’t do it.

A stabbing pain hurls in my chest. If I had killed him, these students, these survivors , wouldn’t have him in their lives any longer.

I would’ve killed an innocent man who had nothing to do with Carter’s death. He was a victim, just like my brother.

My mouth parts, then closes. Everything trapping itself inside. “I don’t know.”

His jaws move. “I think you do know.”

“I don’t.”

“We all say things for a reason. Whether you want to admit it or not. So, say it.”

I swallow, heat overtaking. “I’d rather not.”

“Say it,” he demands faintly, hardening his gaze, almost like he’s ready to choke it out of me.

I shake my head, persistent as fuck. I flare my nostrils, plucking at the hem of my shorts.

I swallow once more. “Then GenCre would never be here. They wouldn’t have someone like you making a difference. Changing the entire system. What you’re doing now means something. Carter would be proud.” I mean it. With every crevice in my body.

Tonight is different. I can go back to disliking him tomorrow.

A small glint runs over his sunken eyes, steady on mine. He curls his mouth to the side, showing only a small bit of his dimple. “I think you’re starting to like me.”

I grab the tea and bring it to my lips. “I disagree. I very much despise you.”

He reaches for his mug, his eyebrow rising and sips at the same time as me, our eyes never leaving each other. “Hate is the new like.”

Like? “ Not in my world.” My lip twitches.

That’s pushing it a little too far. I could never actually like Ronan again, right?

I swallow, looking outside. Right…