Venom's Secret (Iron Vex MC Book 4) Read online

  Venom’s Secret

  Iron Vex’s MC Book 4

  Elizabeth Knox

  Contents

  Available Now

  Do you like Paranormal Romance

  Iron Vex MC: Queens, NY

  Iron Vex MC: Calgary, Canada

  Iron Vex MC: Toronto, Canada

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Omen’s Sign

  Nikki’s Nemesis

  Keep in contact with Elizabeth

  Venom’s Secret

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

  Venom’s Secret. Copyright © 2021 by Elizabeth Knox. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. For information contact E. Knox.

  Editing: Kim Lubbers, Knox Publishing

  Proofreading: Jackie Ziegler, Knox Publishing

  Formatting: E.C. Land, Knox Publishing

  Cover Designer: Charli Childs, Cosmic Letterz Cover Design

  Photographer: Chris Correria, CJC Photography

  Models: Taylor and Riley

  Created with Vellum

  Available Now From

  Elizabeth Knox

  Series: Skulls Renegade

  Reign

  Redemption

  Revenge

  Relentless

  Reckoning

  Reclaimed

  Reckless

  Regret

  Reclusive

  Retribution

  First Generation: A Skulls Renegade MC Boxset

  Series: Steele Bros.

  Tough as Steele

  Stripping a Steele

  Protecting a Steele

  Steele her Heart

  Stolen Hearts: The Complete Steele Bros Boxset

  Series: Reapers MC

  Scarred

  Blackjack

  Here Kitty, Kitty

  Booger

  Widow

  Kade

  Hawk

  Bull

  Cobra

  Mouser

  Dixon

  Zane

  Amara

  Grim

  Chaz

  Frost

  Zorro

  Axel

  Series: Iron Vex MC

  Enraged

  Bossed Up

  Vex’s Temptation

  Series: Royal bastards Mc: Baltimore/Knights of retribution mc

  Bet on Me

  Rely on Me

  Hate on Me

  Series: Satan’s Raiders MC

  Inc’s Regret

  Series: Love Hack

  Ransom

  Series: Dungeon Demons MC with J.H. Wolfe

  Filthy Valentine

  Series: The Clans with Iris Sweetwater

  Promised

  The Trade

  Cherished

  Deceit

  Love is War

  Defiant

  Shattered

  Ruthless

  Covert

  Heretic

  Venomous

  Flawed

  Demise

  Series: The Mackenzie & Volkolv Duet

  Deceptive Love

  Series: The Mackenzies

  Forbidden Love

  Corrupted Love

  Sin City Fets with Linny Lawless & Aubree Valentine

  Switched

  Surrender

  Full Throttle with Erin Trejo

  Against All Odds

  Sharp Edges

  Pins and Needles with E.C. Land

  Blood & Agony

  Do you like Paranormal Romance?

  Check out Elizabeth’s Alternate Pen Name, Liz Knox.

  Available Now From

  Liz Knox

  Series: Bloodlines Trilogy

  Fated by Blood (Free Prequel)

  Series: Nightshade

  Blood Oath (A Prequel)

  Series: Lone Wolf MC

  Origins (Free Prequel)

  Series: Hells Gateway MC

  Caym’s Fated Mate

  Shax’s Destined Mate

  Series: Bloodborn Academy

  Bitten Magic

  Anthologies

  Romanticizing the Gods

  The Elementals

  Iron Vex MC: Queens, NY

  Boss – President — Ol’ man — Cowboy

  Children: Destiny

  Omen – VP

  Mug – Enforcer

  Muffler – Road Captain

  Ricochet – Sgt. at Arms

  Hoodrat – Full Patch

  Abyss – Full Patch

  Venom – Full Patch

  Chuckles – Full Patch — Ol’ lady — Gold

  Vex – Full Patch — Ol’ lady — Finley

  Children: Dominic

  Reno – Prospect

  Deviant “Devi” – Prospect

  Clubwhores/Barmaids:

  Gold

  Iris

  Faith

  Nikki

  Iron Vex MC: Calgary, Canada

  Cowboy – President

  Hunter – VP

  Pony – Sgt. at Arms

  Domino – Enforcer

  Banjo – Road Captain

  Toxin – Prospect

  Malice – Prospect

  Envy – Prospect

  Clubwhores/Barmaids:

  Sugar

  Honey

  Delta

  Baylee

  Iron Vex MC: Toronto, Canada

  Joker – President

  Monk – VP

  Boomer – Sgt. at Arms

  Kodiak – Enforcer

  Polock – Road Captain

  Bane – Prospect

  Ravish – Prospect

  Spite – Prospect

  Prologue

  Venom

  One Month Ago . . .

  “I thought they’d never leave,” Nikki cackles against the booth, smiling deviously like the devil would if he were here in the flesh.

  “It’s been too long since we’ve had a girls’ night, and we sure didn’t need those assholes coming over here, ruining our time,” Faith adds, handing shots of tequila off to Nikki and me.

  We’re a few blocks away at a local bar and while the night started out great, shortly after getting here a group of guys came up and tried to flirt with us. The first thing they asked about were my tattoos and hair, then they asked Nikki about the leather get up she’s always wearing, and after a couple of minutes passed by, they asked if Faith was the innocent one of the bunch. I don’t think we could’ve rolled our eyes hard enough, but, this is the type of shit that happens when the three of us leave the club for a night out.

  “To girls who back each other up, badass bitches, and friendships that never die,” I declare while grabbing my shot glass and the other two do the same.

  “Shit, I’ll drink to that,” Nikki adds.

  “Hell yeah,” Faith comments.

  The three of us clink our glasses together and throw ba
ck our shots. I don’t know about them, but the tequila burns my throat and settles deep in my stomach. It’s been one of those weeks where I need the alcohol to make up for everything I’ve been feeling. Regret’s been plaguing my mind with its best friend, known as shame.

  Demons from my past . . . they just can’t seem to leave me alone.

  Every night I’ve gone to bed and I’ve seen the same thing flash before my eyes. The same horrors, the same fear, but most importantly the same mistakes.

  Inhaling through my nose, I push those thoughts at bay and keep myself in the present moment, with two of my closest friends. Nikki, who’s a clubwhore at the Iron Vex MC, and Faith who’s one of our bartenders. My reality is, I’ll head to sleep tonight and I’ll end up seeing the same thing I’ve been seeing for the past few weeks. Back then I didn’t think I had any other options, but now I know I did. Now I see there could’ve been a multitude of ways for me to get out of that situation, but I was too blinded by fear to even see the other paths I could’ve ventured down.

  For what I think is the next hour we have numerous drinks and end up on the dance floor shaking our asses to old school Britney Spears. The three of us end up getting back into the booth and guzzle down some water while Nikki checks the time. “Shit, it’s already been five hours since we got here,” I comment to myself, and Faith breaks out into laughter.

  “I’m only laughing so hard because we were so desperate for a break that the time flew by,” Faith says, continuing laughing.

  “We don’t really get out much,” Nikki speaks up and she’s right. We really stick to ourselves for the most part. With the cult still out and about, none of us really feel safe going out alone, especially as women. Hell, Faith was kidnapped a couple years ago by the cult and she barely made it out alive. If it weren’t for Rage, she probably would’ve been killed . . . and for him, God, I don’t know what we would’ve done without him.

  “For good reason.” Faith nervously laughs, grabs her purse, and walks over to the bar.

  “Guess she’s closing out her tab. We’d better do the same,” Nikki comments and I follow her, pulling my crossbody purse to the front of my body, I pull back the zipper and grab some cash. After a few minutes the three of us have paid our tabs and now we’re walking on the sidewalk, ready to go home. The first thing I plan on doing is face planting into my bed. Goodness, after all the liquor and the dancing we’ve been doing, the only thing I want to see is the back of my eyelids.

  “You two heard when Ricochet’s coming back to town?” Faith asks Nikki and me.

  Nikki looks over to me, knowing she doesn’t get a lot of information about what’s going on whenever a couple of us leave town. Ricochet was sent down to Virginia on club business to help Vex. She’s one of our full patch members, but she’s working undercover with the Devil’s Riot MC since they’ve seen some cultist activity down there. Vex is making it appear like she’s just a normal college kid and considering that’s the type of people the cult searches for, I’m sure she’ll be able to get a bite really soon. She’ll be too good of a follower for them to pass up, especially with the way she seems so innocent.

  “Venom, do you know something?” Nikki asks while moving her long dreadlocks behind her back. She always keeps her hair natural, but recently she’s really been going for the braids or dreads. Iris keeps saying she’s talking about cutting it all off and shaving her head, saying how the trend on TikTok is making her curious to what it would be like.

  “Yeah, but it’s club business. You know I can’t say more than that,” I tell her and then look over to Faith.

  “I’m betting it’s something to do with Twister’s charter, I mean, isn’t he super close with Emerson?” Faith asks, but her tone insinuates something more, and it’s something I’m not a fan of.

  “He’s like her adoptive older brother. Don’t go putting shit together that you don’t have any idea about. Do you even know who her ol’ man is?”

  Faith shakes her head.

  I scoff, figuring as much. “Let’s just say if Hades ever thought there was the slightest chance for something like that between them, he would’ve already hung Ricochet up by his balls and slit his throat.”

  “God, he sounds . . . morbid.”

  “You have no idea,” Nikki pipes up, causing me to look right back at her.

  “How would you know anything about Hades?” Nikki’s never once met the man. Hell, she hasn’t even been to Virginia to even be in the same general vicinity as him.

  Nikki fights back a smirk and gnaws on the corner of her lip. “Saber was up a couple days ago, you know, updating Boss on some business dealings she must have with the Devil’s Riot MC. He likes to talk just as much as he likes doing other things, if you catch my drift.”

  “I think we do. We know what you do for the club,” Faith grumbles and rushes off about fifteen feet away from us.

  “What the fuck?” I mutter, staring off at Faith, who I can only see from the illumination of the streetlights.

  “Just leave it. Not worth the fight. I think something’s going on with her. She’s been a bit snappy the last couple days,” Nikki tells me and her dark eyes seem empathetic, like she doesn’t give a damn about how Faith just snapped at her. She’s more concerned about her friend and that’s admirable. I don’t know if I could be that selfless. Hell, I probably would’ve given her a piece of my mind.

  “Alright,” I reply, not wanting to poke the bear. “Want to talk about something . . . else?”

  “Mhm, like when you’re finally gonna fess up to Ricochet that you’re in love with him,” Nikki says out of nowhere, almost causing my eyes to fly out of their sockets.

  While I do have a thing for Ricochet, I’ve never once said anything to him about it because I don’t want it to ruin our friendship. We all know that feelings can either make a relationship or break it, and I, for one, don’t want to lose him in my life. He’s one of the only people who made me start seeing the good again, even after I was stuck in the dark for far too long.

  “I’m not,” I lie through my teeth, hoping I sound convincing enough but alcohol always fucks with me.

  “We’re drunk enough that I won’t remember anyway, probably.” Nikki busts out laughing, and I can’t help but smile.

  “I like him, alright? Just don’t say anything,” I tell Nikki.

  “It won’t matter. Anyone who’s got half a brain can tell you have something for him,” Faith’s southern voice comes out of nowhere and she looks back at me

  God, I hope that isn’t true. I don’t want Ricochet to know how I feel. Not now . . . not when I have so much left to do. Hell, when all of this is over, he might not even want anything to do with me. I wouldn’t even be able to blame him, not after all the secrets I’ve kept from him.

  Chapter One

  Ricochet

  “There’s some shit goin’ on, Prez. I can smell it,” Chuckles speaks up, demanding attention from every brother and sister in the room.

  “I second what Chuckles is saying. Things have been too quiet, Prez. I don’t like this . . . it means somethin’ is goin’ down and we need to figure out what, sooner rather than later,” Muffler, our club’s road captain, speaks up. He’s never typically a vocal man when it comes to shit seeming off, so if he’s talking about it, well, it means he’s worried.

  Boss glances around the room, looking at every man and woman in here. She shakes her head and laughs while taking her seat, but the way she laughs tells us all she doesn’t find this funny. “I just have to say how much I love it when you jump on my back before I’ve even taken my fuckin’ seat. You ever hear of other Prez’s who let their people talk to them like that?!” she snaps directly at Muffler and Chuckles, who don’t dare say a word. We’ve all been around Boss for years now, which means we know her personality. While it might look like she’s askin’ a question, only a fool would answer her when she’s this heated.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” she huffs. “There’s been some
activity up in Boston the past few weeks. That’s what I called church for, the new intel I got. Of course, I wanted to verify it myself before telling anyone this shit.”

  Most of us nod while Chuckles simply stares. He respects the fuck out of Boss, but he was good friends with her father, so sometimes I get the impression he’s judging the decisions she’s makin’. Old man needs to quit his shit. He isn’t her daddy and she’s not runnin’ around wantin’ everyone’s opinions.

  I tune out a couple of the guys while they ask Boss questions and glance around the room, noticing there’s a missing seat—Venom.

  Where the hell is she?

  While my eyes are focused on her seat, Abyss catches my gaze and asks the question I’m wondering right now, “Where’s Venom at?”

  Boss glances over to Abyss. “She’s workin’ an event right now.”

  Venom works security with a couple of the others on occasion as another way to earn some extra cash. Being in Queens means we have no shortage of quick ways to make cash, especially since artists love to come here to perform for intimate crowds, or at Madison Square Garden.