Venom & Glory (Venom 3)

An angry Draco is a dangerous one.

If only he’d given me another chance. If only he’d forgiven me…maybe things would be different.

I pick up my suitcase, tossing it on the bed, blinded by tears. I unzip it and shuffle through it for something—anything he may have left for me. There is the phone Emilio gave to me, with the voice recordings, but I don’t think I can bear listening to that again. It’ll only break my heart all over, and I need to keep it together.

I dig deeper, wrenching out the shoes and dresses and even the makeup bag until, finally, I’m at the bottom of the suitcase. My hands stop when I see the hard black case there. It’s leather, all black. I pick it up, weighing it in my hands, caressing the smooth, cool surface.

And then I slowly unzip it.

Something shiny and silver appears. I open it all the way, and my heart races. It’s a black-handled, silver-barreled 9-millimeter. I told him this kind of gun was my favorite.

There’s money inside the case as well, and a sheet of paper tucked beneath it. I start to pull it out, but someone knocks on the door. “Gia? Getting settled in well?” Uncle Jack calls.

I zip the case quickly, shoving it back in the suitcase and picking up some of the dresses to cover it.

“Yeah! Great!” I call. “Just about to take a quick shower.”

“Okay. Don’t take too long. Dinner will be ready in about thirty.”

“Okay!”

I listen hard until I can no longer hear his footsteps.

Shit. They’re too concerned, breathing down my back.

I’ll have to check later when things are quieter.

14

GIANNA

Dinner is quite simple.

And by simple, I mean completely informal…and I love it. It’s not like how Draco would set it up, where butlers would bring our food out in an orderly fashion and bow before leaving.

No.

Aunt Minnie is a great cook, and she cooks for her family because she loves them.

All the food is set up on the table, hot and fresh. Grilled mixed vegetables and grilled chicken on top of fettuccini pasta and creamy Alfredo sauce. The bread rolls are piping hot, the tea sweet at first sip.

All the bowls are passed around, everyone talking amongst each other. I’m not quite sure how to slip into each conversation, so instead I sip my tea until the bowls come my way.

“So, Gia,” Uncle Jack starts, placing the last bowl down and then picking up his fork. “I have a few rules I like to keep in place under my roof.”

I meet his eyes, swallowing the chunk of bread in my mouth. “Yeah? And what are they?”

“One of them is for everyone to get along. If there is ever conflict or misunderstanding, you go to the source and figure it out like adults. Everyone at this table is older than eighteen. I expect you all to act like it.”

After he says that, I look over at Clark, who looks me over twice before biting into his Alfredo sauce-covered bread roll.

“Okay. That sounds easy enough,” I sigh.

“My second rule is if you ever need to go out, you let me know. Same goes for Minnie and Jen and even Clark. I need to know your whereabouts in case anything ever happens.” I glance at Clark, and he rolls his eyes, slouching back in his chair. “Our Nicotera name is always a threat to someone.”

I nod. “Right.”

“And my last rule: no guns under my roof. It’s plain and simple. If I see any trace of a gun, I will take it, and you won’t see it again.” He looks me hard in the eyes. “I have a place for guns that’s nearby, but it ain’t here. The only person that’ll be carrying guns around this home is the man paying the bills. In other words, your Uncle Jack.”

I pick up my tea, nodding. “Sounds fair.”

“It’s a bullshit rule,” Clark mumbles.

“Clark, I’ve told you about cursing at the dinner table,” Aunt Minnie scolds.

Clark digs into his pasta again, but his eyes are hard on mine. Like he knows something. Like I’m an enemy.

“Other than that, you are free to do whatever you want. Free to roam, free to go for walks on the trails. Free to make use of the hot tub. Free to cook whatever you want. You can do anything you see fit, just as long as you clean after yourself and as long as you don’t set my house on fire by meddling with the fireplace.”

Aunt Minnie and Jen laugh.

“It almost happened once with Jen,” Uncle Jack chuckles, and Jen sucks her teeth.

“It was one time, Dad, and it was only a sheet of paper that got caught on fire.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he laughs.

“We’re really glad to have you here, though, Gia,” Aunt Minnie says with a soft smile. “We wouldn’t want you anywhere else. If there is anything—and I mean anything—that you need, it’s all yours. Don’t even hesitate to ask.”