Page 70 of Villainous Rise

I dragged myself to the shower, letting the hot water pound against me. It didn’t help. Neither did the memory of what I’d done after Cipher left. Touching myself, imagining it was his hands, his mouth. Multiple times.

“Pathetic,” I whispered to the shower tiles. “You are absolutely pathetic.”

It had taken exactly one dinner, two villains, and five minutes alone in my bedroom to shatter the illusion that I was getting over him.

I stepped out of the shower, wiping steam from the mirror to face my reflection.

The black lace lingerie lay crumpled on my bathroom floor where I’d tossed it last night. I kicked it under the sink cabinet, as if hiding the evidence would somehow erase what had happened.

I knew better. I knew sleeping with Cipher would be a catastrophically bad idea. He’d lied to me. Used me. Put me in danger.

So why did my body still ache for him? Why had his promise, “When I fuck you, I want you sober”, replayed in my mind all night like the world’s most effective aphrodisiac?

I pulled on my uniform and as I twisted my hair up, my cuff caught the light. It was a reminder of rules and boundaries and all the things I’d spent my life respecting.

All the things I’d apparently throw away for Cipher’s hands on my body.

My phone buzzed on the counter, Dawn’s face lighting up the screen. I frowned. Wasn’t she home?

“Hey, what’s⁠—“

A broken sob cut me off. “Annie, I need you.”

My stomach dropped. “Dawn? What’s wrong?”

“I’m in Hunter’s bathroom.” Her voice cracked, dissolving into hiccuping cries that made her next words unintelligible.

“Dawn, slow down, I can’t⁠—“

“Please come. Please.”

“I’m on my way.” I grabbed my keys, already moving toward the door. “Stay on the phone with me.”

The line went dead.

I cursed, shoving my feet into my heels. Hunter’s place. Cipher’s penthouse. Of course. Because apparently the universe wasn’t done throwing us together yet.

My phone buzzed with a text as I reached the elevator.

Hunter

Dawn locked herself in the bathroom. I told her everything. About being Menace. She’s not taking it well. Please help.

My chest tightened. Poor Dawn. Finding out your boyfriend was secretly a Villain would be devastating for anyone.

I texted back with one hand while hailing a cab with the other. I wasn’t going to spend an hour looking for a parking spot near Cipher’s penthouse.

On my way. Don’t push her.

This was going to be a disaster. For all of us.

I spent the entire cab ride alternating between texting Dawn (no response) and mentally rehearsing what I’d say when I got there. Nothing sounded right. “Sorry your boyfriend’s a Villain” greeting cards don’t exactly exist.

When the cab finally pulled up to Cipher’s building, I bolted through the revolving doors, my heels clicking frantically against the marble floor.

The security guard looked up as I approached the desk. I got ready to explain my emergency, but he smiled before I could speak.

“Ms. Bishop! Good morning.” He reached beneath the desk and pressed something. “Express elevator is ready for you.”