page46 (1/2)

Me, too, jie jie

Sliding away her phone after that affectionate exchange, big sister to little sister, she decided to e her two brothers, then call her parents, too—and that hen she realized what she was doing: saying her good-byes Because Holly would fight to the death to livebut not if itinside her

“I hear you’re hissing at handsooing to call you but since you were out so late with that handsoht I’d wait Well?”

“He’s not a young man He’s one of the most powerful vampires in the city”

“You should bring him to dinner”

Holly was momentarily diverted by the idea of Venom at her mother’s dinner table; his wicked sely co to otherup to deal with a customer

“Are you all right, Holly?” Allan Chang asked in his gentle way

“Yes, Daddy” Holly hadn’t called hiirl who needed her father’s embrace

One last time

Ending the conversation a far too short ti on the horizon, she pulled on the black boots she’d spent teekends painting so that they sparkled in the light, but not too h of a heel that she didn’t feel Lilliputian next to all the tall people who occupied the Tower It was like there was a height require

“Good things coes,” she reminded herself as she pulled on a thick black watch on her left wrist, then added a bunch of colorful bracelets she’d picked up frohts

The eyes that stared back at her remained too stark, too scared

Bringing out the cosers, she focused on those eyes, coloring her eyelids in a pink and orange pattern of sweeps that was probably over the top, but who cared when she was going insane anyway Her lashes shesilver pencil to line her lower lid

Ready as she’d ever be, she stepped out of her rooan the walk to the elevators Her heart was a cold drumbeat, her skin icy When the elevator doors opened to reveal Venoht in Because from the day she’d first heard a psychotic whisper in a voice not her own, she’d known this was co

He punched the button for Ders that had caressed her body, clenched in her hair

Not ready to think about how he’d made her feel viscerally alive, she said, “Did you tell Dmitri already?”

“No You can tell him”

Holly folded her arms across her chest “It’s never been like that before I was glowing, wasn’t I?” She’d just barely caught the glare of it before agony arched her spine—a futile attempt at escape

“Wings,” Venolance at her she wasn’t ready toin your chest”

Holly nodded, as if she understood the insanity of it all When Venom’s hand came to her upper abdo silver chain, she didn’t stop him

“A gift froe the curls of desire aroused by his mere proximity, his scent clean and fresh and undeniably masculine “The scissors because I used to h school” Tops that flattered Mia’s lush figure while not scandalizing their conservative parents “The high heel because I love shoes” She pointed down to her boots “And the pixie dust because”

Venom didn’t step out of the elevator when the doors opened, his unshielded eyes on her fading smile “Because you’re a dreamer”