when he flew back and crashed into Phoenix and Angel. They caught him before he fell on his ass, but he quickly shrugged them off.
Chest heaving, he looked at me with wild eyes. “He’s not dead.”
Turned out Roscoe had a gift we didn’t know about.
Also, Roscoe wasn’t his real name. And the kid wasn’t a kid. Well, not by our standards. It would seem he was, uh, well, a little less than human.
“Decker, I swear to God Kelvin stabbed him in the heart,” Loralei said for at least the fifteenth time since “Roscoe” had essentially resurrected himself.
“I know, babe,” I said, then tucked her into me as we prepared to go to sleep. It had been a really long fucking day, and I just wanted to crash.
“I still can’t believe it.”
“Believe it,” I said as my eyes got heavier. I was dozing off when she quickly rolled over to face me.
“Decker!”
I was suddenly wide awake and looking around for whatever threat she’d seen. We’d decided to sleep at my house for the night since her piece of shit ex was out of the picture. She had me worried I’d been presumptuous.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“It’s after midnight!”
“Um, okay?”
“Merry Christmas!” Her smile was suddenly radiant, and I was amazed again at not only her beauty, but at how quickly she moved from one emotion to another. As my hand stroked her cheek, I gave a huff of laughter.
“Merry Christmas, babe.” I hadn’t celebrated Christmas in a long damn time. Grams was making a fancy dinner tomorrow, well, today. She’d been thrilled to learn that I’d knocked up Loralei and insisted on a big fancy meal at the clubhouse to celebrate.
“I have a question,” she said, going from jubilant to nervous.
Figuring I wasn’t going to get any sleep anytime soon, I sat up and leaned against the headboard. “Yeah?”
For a moment she chewed on her bottom lip indecisively while she traced the tattoos on my chest. Then she lifted her gaze to mine. “Is it too early to tell you I love you?”
“I—” Hell, I was stunned. Maybe because I’d never considered putting words to how she made me feel. The way she meant everything to me and I was possessive as fuck over her. The way she lit up a room with her smile. The way she made me want to grin for no damn good reason. The way she made my heart leap in my chest.
All the ways she affected me like no other woman had before.
“It’s too soon, isn’t it?” she whispered, her expression crestfallen.
“Babe,” I began before I hooked the back of her neck and pulled her close to me. Lips brushing, the corner of mine quirked. “No. It’s not. And as soon as you pop this kid out, you’re getting my brand, but I’m not doing it while you’re knocked up.”
“Um, okay,” she seemed hesitant, and I realized she didn’t understand the significance of wearing my brand.
“Come ’ere,” I growled and lifted her to straddle my hips. She happily complied and wrapped her arms around my neck, one hand playing with my hair.
She was quiet, waiting to see if I’d say more.
I licked my lower lip and tugged on my piercings with my teeth. “You wearing my brand says that you’re mine. No one fucks with what’s mine. And I don’t put my brand on someone randomly. No one has ever worn my brand. There are certain feelings that go along with that. I’m not great with words, and for that I apologize. You won’t often get wine and roses with me, babe. I’ve never been known as a romantic because I never thought I’d have the chance at a real relationship. So bear with me when I suck at this shit.”
She snickered softly.
“You getting inked with my brand means I love the fuck out of you. That you’ll be my one and only until I take my last breath. Any other questions?”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Can we have Christmas morning sex, then go to sleep?”
“Now you’re speaking my language,” I growled as I flipped her over and gave her the Christmas wish she asked for.
Merry fucking Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
No. Wait.
A very Venom Christmas to all, and to all a good bite.
I cracked myself up.
Almost two years later…
“I don’t want a fucking birthday party,” I grumbled.
“Too bad; you only turn forty once.” Loralei smugly replied as she zipped the blue sleeper on our infant son. Two seconds later, I heard a crash in the