Page 94
Chapter 94 of "Tempting Venom" opens with dynamic events: 13MARCUSIleave the coachâs office with a smile on my face.A couple of high-profile agents got... Read on for more!
13
MARCUS
Ileave the coachâs office with a smile on my face.
A couple of high-profile agents got in touch with him after my phenomenal performance yesterday. The coach said nothing is set in stone and that theyâll continue to watch me for the rest of the season, but if I play my cards right, I might be one of the most anticipated NHL draft picks of the year.
I need to call my mom and tell her the news. Sheâll be thrilled.
She made it to the game yesterday as it was at home, and she always tries to attend those, but then she was called for an emergency during the third period. We were supposed to have dinner together, but she texted and said sheâd be late.
Didnât matter. I still fixed some pasta, and we had it at midnight when she returned.
It always makes her happy when I cook and we have meals together. Besides, I wasnât interested in the usual meetup with the team at the club, and Mom is really the only one I like to celebrate my wins with.
Practice finished a while ago and I should head to class. But first, I have to tell Mom the good news.
As Iâm walking down the hall, I pull out my phone to call her.
âMorning, brother dearest.â
I come to a halt, slowly lifting my head to find none other than my half-sister standing by the wall.
Serena Osborn.
She doesnât blend inâshe edits the air so that it fits her.
Sheâs dressed in a tailored pantsuit that screams power and stature, her brown hair falling in waves to her squared shoulders. The red on her lips matches her shoes and nails, deliberate splashes of color in a grayscale world.
And sheâs smiling the same way Dad smilesâpolite, attractive, and dangerous enough to feel like sheâs aiming a loaded gun at you.
âWhat are you doing here?â I ask, searching our surroundings. âThis place isnât open to outsiders.â
âYou believe I can be denied entry anywhere?â She laughs, the sound rich and mocking. âYou still have a long way to go in order to understand how we operate, Marcus.â
Right.
This isnât the first time Iâve met Serena. She dropped by the shop briefly around the same time Dad started to bug me.
Her approach was different from that of Dadâs people, since Serena wants only one thing from meâto stay away.
âI didnât make it this far for you to appear out of nowhere and reap the rewards of my hard work,âshe said, smiling in that fake-ass way people from that town do.âYou understand, right, Marcus? If you do as youâre told, Iâll help you and June out.â
Her help included putting a guard on Mom. His mission is to watch from afar, so she doesnât get ambushed and isnât used against me.
Serena also offered money that I refused, but I did tell herto invest in our hockey team. Thatâs how I got my replacement sticks after they were broken by a certain pain in the ass.
I take a deep breath to dispel him from my head. Not now.
Iâmnotthinking about Preston right now.
âTo what do I owe this visit first thing in the morning?â I ask her.
âI was around and thought Iâd check on you in case you need anything. You know, like when you asked me for access to the Armstrongsâ forest? What came out of that anyway?â
âYou said no questions asked, Serena.â
âYouâre right, youâre right.â She lifts both hands in mock surrender, her black ring shining on her right index finger.