Venom's Alliance: Loyalty's Fracture

Chapter 15

Jay's POV

I hated that my place turned into a hotel. It felt like my privacy was invaded, like everyone was crashing into my personal space. But Easton insisted that my house was the safest spot for Kalia. And honestly, I couldn't deny I wanted her close, even if it meant giving up my peace and quiet.

I set it up so she had her own room, far from Easton's. But just a door away from me, and that thought both thrilled and tortured me. I wanted to keep her safe, especially from Easton, even though he was "her husband," as she reminded me.

His touch on her, the way he claimed her as his, made my blood boil. But I had to play it cool and act like I was just looking out for her. Deep down, I couldn't stand the idea of anyone else being near her, let alone her own husband.

When Easton demanded an explanation for the separation between him and Kalia, his anger and accusations nearly provoked me to lash out, but I stayed calm. I made up a story about her post-attack trauma, how even a gentle touch could trigger panic, which, to some extent, was true. Yet, I knew the real trigger was a touch on her neck, a detail that set her off unlike anything else.

That brief moment when she let me touch her sparked a flicker of hope inside me. I dared to think she might feel the same obsession, might want me as much as I wanted her. The memory of her soft skin under my fingers, her hungry eyes, her wet hair framing her delicate face, and that intoxicating scent haunted me.

In that moment, I was ready to break all boundaries, to make her mine, to love, protect, and possess her completely. Even though I knew she wasn't mine to protect, I claimed her after that incident with Monti. I didn't trust Easton to keep her safe, so I took it upon myself, even if it wasn't my place.

Her simple yet cutting words, "my husband," broke me in a way nothing else ever could.

I let my fists do the talking, their rhythmic punches trying to calm the storm inside me. I needed a break, just a moment of peace, to get her out of my mind, even if only for a little while, to find some clarity in this mess.

To understand her look, to figure out the words she dared to say but didn't really mean.

"My husband," she said, each syllable a knife stabbing deep into my soul.

"My husband," echoed in my mind like a relentless drumbeat. With every hit against the punching bag, anger surged through my veins, a storm threatening to consume me. Each punch was a release, a desperate attempt to calm the chaos within.

When Jake stepped in, his voice cutting through my rage, I shot him a venomous glare, my frustration just below the surface. "Calm down, tiger," he said, his attempt to soothe me only making my anger worse. Did he not understand the madness inside me, the seething resentment eating at me? Of course, he didn't.

"Are you offering yourself?" I snapped back, the bitterness clear in my voice, my anger hanging heavy in the air. But Jake's smirk just made me more frustrated.

"How the hell did this happen?" I shouted, turning to James. "The plan was perfect, James. We've pulled it off so many times. Why now?"

With a sigh, I let James take the boxing bag away. He handed me a water bottle, but his words didn't help much. "The plan was solid," he said, hitting the bag. "Nothing went wrong on our end, but at the same time it did."

But I knew something was off. Someone had to be blamed for this failure. The consequences could be huge, not just for our operation, but for everyone's safety. The weapons we were moving were deadly, capable of causing massive damage. The failed transport made me angry, but that wasn't the only reason for my anger.