Venom's Alliance: Loyalty's Fracture

Chapter 29

Kalia's POV

"So, let me get this straight," Jake said, a hint of irony in his voice. "We've got this Lucifer dude, pretty basic name if you ask me. Thinks Venom is Volkov?" He skipped using Easton's first name, a subtle detail not lost on me. "And now he's convinced that James and I are Venom's partners in crime, while Kalia here is his woman. All of this, just to wipe Venom off the face of the Earth?" Jay and I nodded in unison, the weight of the revelation sinking in. Meanwhile, James and Xander were immersed in silent contemplation. "Well, this is way more complicated than I thought."

We were at James' house; he managed to get Jake out of Aira's house. Jake was much better, though occasional painful sounds escaped him when he moved. His physical recovery was progressing well, but his pride took a hit; he was itching to get revenge on that man. The desire for vengeance was mutual among us; I certainly felt it.

"Do you think he's searching for him?" James asked, his tone seemingly void of emotion.

"He better stay his ass hidden unless he wants to die," Jake replied with a scoff, the bitterness evident in his voice. I never bothered to ask about Easton before; it was irrelevant to me. But now, if knowing would help complete the puzzle, I took a deep breath and asked, "What happened with Easton and Lili?" They all turned their gaze towards me, likely analysing my emotions. Despite the anger simmering within me due to their lies, I felt an odd detachment. Jay's eyes met mine, and I offered him a reassuring smile.

"He and Lili took off on the same day we found out. He grabbed most of the company's money, nearly wrecked it, and pushed James to the edge of bankruptcy. To top it off, he set the house on fire with all the weapons inside before disappearing." Jay's explanation was filled with a seething anger, and everyone present mirrored that fury, except for Xander, who was engrossed in his phone.

"We never bothered to look for him, unless you want me to," Jay offered, hinting he could deal with Easton and Lili if that's what I wanted.

"I don't care," I replied. I felt for Arch; with his mom just up and leaving and his dad, who was already a workaholic, now having to work even more to save the company, it must have been so lonely for him. I was glad Sofia was there for him, and that Arch could sit with her, but my heart still ached for him and James. I didn't really get why James hadn't tried to find Easton and Lili. As for me, Easton leaving was the best thing that could have happened; I didn't think I could ever look at him again without wanting to kill him.

"As Jake said, he better hide well. As for us, I think it's time to do the same." All eyes, including Xander's, were on me, watching and listening intently.

"We have too much to lose for now. If we keep going public, it will only be a matter of time until they find out that Jay and I are together, and you guys are stuck with us instead of Easton. Being far away from your family is probably not an option. As for you, Xander, I'm sure you're the best when it comes to hacking and all, but it will only take one person to see us together to piece it all together like a puzzle and figure out who is the actual Venom."

"Seems like it," James agreed.

"It's a tough call, but we can't just charge ahead blindly," Jay said calmly, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for answers. "Kalia's right. We're walking targets, and until we figure out who this Lucifer is and what he's after, we need to lay low. Especially with our families involved. The stakes are too high. We can't risk it."

"I get what you're saying, but hiding isn't our style," Jake responded firmly, his eyes reflecting his determination. "Venom's got a rep, and if we go into hiding, it sends the wrong message. It's not just Lucifer we'll have to deal with; it's the whole damn underworld. As long as Venom strikes fear, we're in control. But if we vanish, it's open season on us."