Page 125 of Villainous Rise

My fear was rapidly transforming into anger. Who did this guy think he was?

“My boyfriend will definitely kill you if you try anything,” I snapped. “And trust me, he’s a lot scarier than Havoc when he’s angry.”

“Boyfriend?” The mechanical distortion couldn’t hide the sudden, sharp interest in his tone. A gloved finger found my chin in the dark and he tilted my head up. “Valor? The media has been quite interested in your relationship.”

I laughed, the image of Valor being scarier than Havoc was so absurd it cut through my fear for a moment. I quickly composed myself, remembering where I was and who I was dealing with.

Wraith had obviously done his research on me. He would have seen the tabloids, all the media coverage painting me as Valor’s girlfriend.

“No,” I said firmly. “That’s not my boyfriend. That’s a PR stunt that went too far.”

“Interesting.” His thumb brushed over my lower lip and I froze at the contact. “Then who exactly is this boyfriend who’s supposedly scarier than Havoc?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. I’d said too much already. Mentioning Cipher had been careless. The last thing I needed was to broadcast our relationship to someone like Wraith.

“That’s not relevant to why we’re here,” I said, trying to redirect the conversation. “You have the evidence. You don’t need me here. So I’m leaving.”

“No.” His fingers tightened on my jaw just enough to hold me in place. “Not until I get the answer I want. Who is this magical boyfriend who will kill me?”

Something inside me shifted. I straightened my shoulders and felt my expression harden into what Dawn called my “Keeper face.” I was a professional at dealing with asshole Supers and Wraith was no different.

“You know what?” I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous calm. “I don’t owe you answers. I don’t owe you anything beyond what I’ve already delivered.”

I took a deliberate step forward, into what I imagined was his personal space.

“And if you’re so curious about who might come looking for you if I don’t return home tonight, maybe it’s better you don’t know.” I let a cold smile form on my lips. “So much more suspenseful, don’t you think? Not knowing which shadow might belong to him? Not knowing when he might strike? You’ll be looking over your shoulder, wondering which Villain, which Hero, which seemingly ordinary person might be the one I’m involved with.”

I leaned closer to where I sensed Wraith’s face might be, letting my voice drop to a whisper.

“You know what my boyfriend did to the last man who put his hands on me without permission?” I asked. “He took his hands. Literally. Cut them off and gave them to me. Now,” I said, stepping back. “Are we done here?”

A deep, rough sound vibrated through the dark. I realized it was a low chuckle that grew into a distorted laugh of pure, unfiltered delight.

“Magnificent,” he breathed. The mechanical distortion couldn’t mask the adoration in his tone. “Hearing you wield my violence like a weapon. Absolutely magnificent, Bishop.”

“What—”

The overhead light snapped back on with a harsh click and I blinked against the sudden brightness, momentarily blinded after the complete darkness.

As my vision cleared, the figure before me came into focus.

“Cipher?”

He stood there in his full Villain regalia but the subtle glowing lines that accented the suit were powered down. They flickered on now that he was done hiding.

“What the hell is this?” I demanded. “You’re Wraith?”

His mouth curved into that infuriating smirk I knew so well. “Surprise,” he said, his voice no longer distorted.

“You let me come here thinking—” I couldn’t even finish the sentence, my anger making it hard to speak. “I was terrified, Cipher. I thought⁠—”

“I know what you thought,” he said, taking a step toward me. “And I’m sorry for scaring you. But I needed to know I could trust⁠—“

“This is exactly like Dread all over again!” My voice bounced off the warehouse walls, sharp with betrayal.

Cipher stiffened. “Annie⁠—”

“No!” I jabbed my finger into his chest. “You knew who Dread was the entire time I was hunting him. You let me walk right into his trap because it suited your plans. And now you’re doing the same thing with Wraith!”