Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

down next to her, pushing her fucking face and a fistful of her hair within
inches of the spinning spokes, “See that?” Macon asks her.
Someone’s dried blood coats the chrome spokes, and I can’t see Clay’s
face, but she doesn’t fight or speak. Shoulders squared, she won’t give him
that satisfaction.
“You’re right,” he tells her. “All we have is anger. And it is not without
its uses.”
He pushes her nose closer, and Krisjen cries out.
I watch, my chest rising and falling, and my stomach roiling. I force away
the feelings I remember from the locker room when I let myself think for a
minute that her desire was real. She deserves this.
I still haven’t gotten all the Sharpie off my body, and I will never be free
of that video of Megan and me. Clay terrorized me for years. She brought this
on herself.
“You won’t do it,” I hear her say.
“The question is…” He looks at her. “Do I have to? Does Liv have to
deal with you when she knows your grandmother and the old sheriff had a
hideaway out at Two Locks where they would meet for long afternoon
hours?”
Clay remains silent, and I want to move closer to see her face. Did she
know that? I know things about her family that could have shut her fucking
face up years ago.
“When Garrett Ames was found with his sixteen-year-old stepdaughter in
a hotel room last May and quietly paid for it all to go away?” Macon
continues. “Or when your mother had a little procedure done before
Christmas to take care of an unwanted pregnancy?”
I can see Clay breathing harder.
“You’re right,” he tells her. “Money is power. But do you know what’s
more valuable? Secrets.” He jostles her. “Secrets are power, honey. There’s a
reason we’ve survived here, keeping the wolves at bay as long as we have.”
He gets in her face. “We may be your maids and your dishwashers and your
pool boys, but we’re always there. For smart, you’re really good at stupid.”
Her shoulders shake, and I don’t know why, but it’s killing me inside. I’d
rather suffer a million of Clay’s snake bites than see her shrink.
“Do it, then.” She remains still, offering herself up. “Be like us. Hurt me.”
Do what? What is she doing?
“Do it!” she yells at him.