The Villain
Violet was beaming while I took in the view.
Her cottage was at the top of a hill, overlooking a small lake.
It was made entirely of logs and windows—two stories with an A-frame.
It was pretty big, not as big as the one I spent my summers in with Eva, but it was far from a tiny cabin in the woods.
Snow-covered grass surrounded us—two hundred metres in every direction to the forest line.
The hill was about three hundred metres, on a sixty-degree angle down to the frozen lake.
It was a beautiful spot.
I grabbed our bags while she went around to the lake-facing side and unlocked the door. By the time I walked in, she was sitting on the couch in the living room with her feet propped up on the coffee table, remote in hand to open the two-story blinds.
“Fancy,” I observed, taking in everything.
To my right, the living room had two leather recliners with their backs to the brick fireplace.
One was angled to the windows, one to the back where the bedrooms were.
There were also two matching love seats facing the fireplace on the same angles.
A rustic, barn-style coffee table sat in the middle of the room, decorated with four different three-wick candles, marble coasters, and a couple books neatly stacked in the middle.
To my left was the kitchen. One of those modern designs with the fridge built into the cabinets—at least I assumed because I didn’t see a fridge.
The kitchen was fully functioning, it was separated from the living room by an island that held a sink and a marble countertop with four bar stools tucked under it.
The front had white cabinets above and below that same grey and white marble countertop.
There was another sink—this one was a double—set up under a large window that stretched to the crown molding.
The far wall had the same cabinets above and below the counter, which cut off about mid-way up the wall, where a floor to ceiling cabinet.
Straight ahead there were two open doors. On the left was a bedroom; the right was a bath. I couldn’t see any stairs from where I was standing but there was a hall by the kitchen. They were probably hiding that way.
The second story hall was in line with the hall down here. Black metal railing overlooked the living room and kitchen. There were three doors that I could see, but nothing beyond that.
“I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what you’re used to, Mr. Old Money,” she teased.
I rolled my eyes, choosing not to engage. “Where do you want the bags?”
She hopped off the couch, leaving the remote for the blinds on top of her book stack.
“Follow me.”
We headed left down the hall, passing another open bedroom door, then up the stairs to the very end.
At the other end of the hall upstairs, was the master bedroom.
I liked the design. Because of the A-frame, the ceiling in here was slanted on the left side of the room.
Being tall, I would have to duck to get into the bed, but Violet was fine to walk right under.
There was a king-sized bed with a nightstand on each side.
It kept with the rustic theme from down stairs but it was softer grey mixed with a hints of very light brown.
The matching dresser was straight ahead to the right of the balcony door and the matching chest was pushed up against the wall next to me.
There was another door, leading to the bathroom but I’d had enough exploring for now. I just wanted to kiss my girl; the three hours since we left her apartment had been far too long. I dropped our bags and pulled her against me.
“It’s very you, Nightshade.”
She smiled, kissing me softly before pressing her cheek to my chest as she wrapped her arms around my waist.
“I’m really glad you’re here. I’ve spent the last three holidays alone, not wanting to share this part of me with anyone. Until now.”
“Don’t say things like that. It’s going right to my ego.” I grinned, kissing the top of her head.
“We wouldn’t want that.”
Two hours later, we’d successfully tested the durability of the bed frame—and the wall.
I would have kept going but she insisted on needing a shower after the drive.
I tried to join her, she said no chance—after the forty-five minute shower, she didn’t trust me to not run through the well-water that supplied this place.
So I waited for her on the balcony, leaning my forearms on the railing as my breath puffed out in little clouds. I was soaking in the quiet. The only sound was the breeze pulling the trees and rustling the leaves.
I couldn’t remember the last time I felt at peace.
Even long before I became Avalanche, I was always restless, wired.
I opened Crossroads when I was nineteen specifically because I needed the stimulation—the violence.
Being part owner, part bouncer calmed the demons that came unleashed when I killed my father.
At first, they were satisfied with the beatings, but as time went on, they needed more.
I would sit at the bar—or work behind it—listening to people.
Some would vent about people they’d wish would disappear, some would sit in silence battling their own demons, but some would brag about the horrible things they would do to others.
I used to follow people from the latter group home.
I would make them confess everything they’d done and then I would kill them.
Whether I would drag it out depended on how severe the crime was.
After the incident, my demons demanded more and more. But Crossroads transformed into something different—a safe place for villains—and I lost my outlet for violence because most of the new patrons also had a fetish for killing pedophiles and rapists.
That was the main reason I agreed to this stupid war with The Culling.
I could claim moral high ground while placating the monster in me.
Because at the end of the day, I was better than them.
I didn’t need to go after the weak to prove I was strong.
I went after the people with power because I could.
Because no one else did. Because I had nothing to lose.
Now I did. She was currently inside, completely oblivious to how much she calmed me—anchored me. I couldn’t remember the last time my mind was quiet before I met her. I could remember the first and the second and every time since. Spoiler, it was every time she touched me.
It wasn’t just me and my shadows that were enamoured with her.
It was my demons, too. Ever since the moment I pressed against her in that alley, they’d only come out a couple of times.
Her date with Stupid, the whole week I was trying to go cold turkey, and any time she talked to Poison Weasel.
She called me a jealous and possessive asshole, but it was the demons (maybe a little me).
Maybe that was why I’d stopped caring about the list. I didn’t need to kill people, it was the monster—the demons—that demanded blood.
When they were content with Violet’s company, they stopped.
Relaxed. Let me breathe. I had no doubt that they would get restless again, even in Violet’s presence.
Once they realized she was permanent. For now, I would enjoy the quiet.
And the view. And Violet’s undivided attention—once she finished with her shower.
How long had she been in there anyway? I scowled at my phone—saying it had only been five minutes. It was obviously wrong because it felt like five hours.
Okay. Maybe I was a little obsessed.
It wasn’t my fault that she felt like fucking heaven. That her scent was so fucking intoxicating it should come with a warning label. That she fit so goddamn perfectly in my arms it was like I was made just to hold her.
I checked my phone again. Fucking damn it, it was still 3:06.
Breathe you fucking addict. You can live without seeing her for ten minutes.
I rolled my eyes. Just because I could, didn’t mean I wanted to.
“Aus?”
I grinned at Violet’s voice breaking through the silence.
I knew I liked my middle name better. Matthew had been the name my dad picked and I’d tried to change it when I moved in with Eva’s family.
They were so accustomed to Matt that I’d just dropped it.
It made Violet’s use of Austin so much better because it was just for her.
“Yes, love?”
“Can you grab me a towel from the top right hand drawer of the dresser? I forgot one and was going to grab it, but it’s cold out there.”
I stepped inside and closed the balcony door.
“Sorry, I was enjoying the fresh air, but I wanted to hear you in case you decided to sing in the shower.”
She peeked her eyes through the crack in the door to glare at me.
“I don’t sing with company. Ever.” Her arm replaced her eyes as she stuck her hand out to me. “Towel. Please.”
“So I’m just company to you? Words hurt, Nightshade.”
I grabbed a fluffy white towel before slipping into the bathroom. She was still glaring at me but I couldn’t care less. Fuck, I’d never get tired of looking at her. Every curve, and freckle, and tattoo, and birthmark. I was obsessed with memorizing every inch.
“Austin.”
Her tone was annoyed and impatient enough to snap me back to reality.
Her hand was out stretched for the towel but I ignored it.
Instead, I wrapped it around her shoulders, drying her off myself.
What? Five minutes was far too long to go without touching her.
I managed to dry her off without any funny business.
By the time I was done, however, it was very clear that I was hard.
“You’re insatiable.”
She was shaking her head, but she wasn’t fooling me. That little smirk she was trying to hide told me more than words ever could.
I shrugged. “It had been a while before you.”
“What’s a while to you?”
“Five years, nine months, give or take.”
I watched her do some mental math before her jaw dropped.
“You haven’t…since the incident? Like, nothing?”
I shook my head. “No one could stand to touch me.”
Her nose scrunched in confusion. “What? Why?”
“I’m too cold. You’re the first person that could touch me since I became Avalanche. I’ve been told it feels like touching a pole in the middle of January. So I’ve kept my distance to keep my secret.”
She tilted her head, studying.
“That’s why you think I have superpowers? Because I can touch you?”
God she was so fucking smart. I just wanted to kiss the shit out of her.
“Yes.”
She nodded slowly, water dripping from her hair.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“About how much you want me? I’m flattered. Let me take you to bed.” I scooped her into my arms while she squealed. Shit, her little noises had me fucked up.
“No,” she laughed as I dropped her on the bed. “About your powers.”
I sighed. “If you’re going to talk about how much you love my shadows, please don’t.”
“About how you can’t use them at the same time.” She rolled her eyes. “Fucking caveman,” she mumbled under her breath.
I chose to be the bigger person and not engage with the last statement. Instead, I kissed down her neck, trailing my hands up her side to push her towel out of the way.
“What about that?”
“Well, it’s not true.”
“Um, yes it is.” I peeked up at her with an eyebrow raised.
“Then you would have died the other day.”
“How do you figure?”
“Your freezing power is the one that sealed the wounds and kept you alive long enough to get the bullets out. Whether you were using it consciously or not, it was still working while you were travelling through your shadows to get to me. Plus, while I was taking said bullets out, your shadows were hovering. Those holes still closed.”
I opened my mouth to tell her that wasn’t true. I shut it a half second later. How had I never thought about that? I sighed and sat up.
“Way to take a guy right out of the mood by making him think.” I sighed again as I raked a hand through my hair.
“I never thought about it before. I’d always assumed the cold side of me did the killing and the healing while the shadows did the spying.
But maybe both sides work together to heal?
Or you’re right and thinking too much in the beginning fucked me up.
I tried for months before giving up, but I haven’t tried since. ”
“We should work on it.”
“We?”
“Yeah. I’ll help you work on it, distract you so you’re not thinking too much.” She flashed me a wicked grin. “And you can help me try and trigger whatever power you think I might have.”
“Later. Mood, officially back.”
She grabbed my t-shirt, pulling me on top of her, and mumbled into my lips, “Insatiable.”
My fingers slipped between her legs to find her already dripping for me. I grinned.
“I’m not the only one.”
“I guess that makes us a good match then.”
I’d say we’re a perfect match.
The words were in my head, but I swear she heard them based on the grin she wore before she kissed me again.