Free Venom (The Reawakening Series Book 1) by Daniele Lanzarotta Page A

ass vampire I basically handed her off to.
    I create a fake profile under Nick Montgomery, using her human last name. I don’t know why I do it, but then again, I don’t know why I do most of the idiotic things that I do. I know she hasn’t checked on this thing in decades, but I send her a private message. ‘I miss you more than you’ll ever know.’ – Nick.
    I guess I do this hoping to get some kind of closure, and I feel better for a split second before I go back to looking at pictures and see her smile; the same smile that I saw during most days of the thirty years we spent together. I spend minutes looking at picture after picture, before deciding to close the computer to keep myself from making yet another idiotic decision.
    But it’s too late.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
    SARAH
    Harvey asks Valerie about her day as she drives me to Ian’s house. She works as an art teacher at an elementary school and as she talks about her work and how she loves her students, Harvey glances back at me and I can see it in Harvey’s eyes that he knows whatever this is, it won’t last. There are things in life that he will never be able to give her.
    He keeps listening though, and asks questions whenever he can to show that he is interested. When I tell her which house is Ian’s and she parks the car, Harvey tells her that he will be back and follows me out of the car and to the door.
    “ You’re not going to say anything to embarrass me, are you?”
    He smiles at me. “I’m not Nicholas.”
    Ian opens the door and becomes instantly pale once he sees Harvey. I can tell he is nervous before he says anything.
    “ Hi. I’m Ian. Would you like to come in?”
    Harvey gives him his best friendly smile, which makes me relax. “No, I have someone waiting. I’m Harvey by the way.”
    “ Nice meeting you, Sir.”
    Harvey laughs. “You don’t need to call me sir.”
    Ian nods nervously and Harvey cocks his head to the side.
    “ Am I correct to assume that there is something going on between the two of you?”
    “ Harvey!” I warn him.
    Ian looks into his eyes. “Yes, si—I mean, yes—I think. I wanted to ask your permission to date your sister.”
    Harvey ignores the question and doesn’t exactly give permission, but doesn’t say ‘no’ either.
    “ What are your plans for tonight?”
    “ Well, my mom is inside if you’d like to meet her. She’s making dinner and then I thought maybe we’d just go get some ice cream and come back to the house and watch a movie.”
    “ And your mom will be here the whole time?” Harvey asks as I shake my head.
    “ Yes.”
    “ Very well. I want her home by one in the morning. Should I pick her up?”
    Ian’s reaction to the ‘one in the morning’ is priceless. Harvey has never had to give anyone a curfew and, unlike Nicholas and I, he doesn’t watch much TV and hasn’t gone to school in centuries.
    “ I can drop her off,” says Ian.
    Harvey looks at me. “I’ll see you then. Not one minute late!” And I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from laughing.
    I say bye and follow Ian in the house. As soon as he closes the door, he says, “One in the morning, huh? I thought you said your brothers were tough.”
    I smile. “You haven’t met the other one yet.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
    NICHOLAS
    I decide to go out, knowing exactly what I need to do. I need someone who is willing to play the part so I don’t have to worry about controlling her every move while I’m glamoured.
    I go to the club downtown where I compel the bartender into telling me which customer I should go for.
    He points to the back corner where I see a small group of women.
    “ Any of them will give you what you want.”
    At this point, I don’t even control my moves anymore. I go straight for the one who has something that reminds me of Lexi. It can be her smile, her eyes, anything.
    “ Just let me know which one,” says the bartender.
    I give him a confused look.
    “ You’re looking for company, aren’t