THE VILLAIN
“Did you really have to give her your number?”
I was leaning over the bar so I could keep an eye on Violet and Weave. She was more relaxed than I thought she would be considering who sat next to her. Eva was grinning as she wiped down the glass in her hand.
“I was going to give you a whole big lecture but after meeting her… I totally get it. I would have gone too. She’s adorable. I hope she calls.”
“What happened to the plan comes first?” I scowled at her.
She picked up another glass.
“It still does. But she can come second.” She paused, smirk growing on her face. “Naw, once I get my hands on her, she’ll come first. At least a dozen times.”
My scowl deepened. “Eva.”
She laughed at my tone.
“Relax, Matthew.” I hated when she said my name like I was a petulant child. “I’m not trying to steal your girl. Well… Maybe.”
“She’s not mine. She’s just a girl. Woman.”
Eva shook her head, grabbing another glass.
“Then stop stalking her.”
I glared. “I’m not.”
I wasn’t. I had to do a bit of research after she tracked me down to make sure she didn’t have connection to any of my enemies or the police.
I’d searched a few of her social media pages to learn her full name, and then I looked at the Heroes for Sick Kids web page to confirm she did actually work there.
There was a little blurb that she’d worked for the organization for six years right out of her undergrad program.
She was one of their best volunteers according to the information I found.
Most of the kids, or families of the kids, that she worked with left glowing reviews about how amazing she was.
After Weave asked about her I decided to do a more thorough background check. She passed with flying colours, so I got a hold of her contact information from the hospital and gave it to him. Only him because he was relatively harmless.
But the story of how much fun I’d had, spread like wildfire. Hemlock, Whisper, and Boil had practically begged me for her name. The Weaver was one thing, but the other three were a completely different story.
And their threat level had absolutely nothing to do with their attractiveness.
Eva snorted.
“Whatever, dude. You want to live in a river in Egypt, be my fucking guest. As long as you’re sticking to the plan, I don’t care what you do with your free time. Just don’t let her find out about it.”
“Yes, thank you. I’m not an idiot.”
“Could have fooled me.”
I was starting to worry my scowl would become permanent if I didn’t leave soon. “Shut up.”
She laughed. Not exactly my finest comeback, but I was too focused on Violet’s laugh hitting me over the music. Weave wasn’t funny. Was he? I’d only met the guy a handful of times, but he was so weird. Did he have a personality? Like all the time? Or only with her?
“You look like a lovesick puppy, Matt.”
Back to glaring. Apparently, those were my only two faces.
“I do not. I am not. Don’t you have customers to go flirt with or something?”
I shouldn’t have said that. Her smirk was back.
“Why, yes, I do. Thanks for reminding me.” She was gone back in Violet’s direction before I could get another word out.
I sighed. I didn’t know what I was thinking telling Weave to meet her here. That it was my home turf so I could keep a better eye out? That the regulars would look the other way if I needed to step in? That Eva would help me if I needed her to? All of those were stupid reasons.
This was the bar for every villain in the city—designed to be neutral ground. If something did happen and I needed to step in, I’d ruin the only safe spot in the city for people like us. Not to mention I’d blow my secret identity by turning myself into Avalanche in front of all these people.
So I was watching Eva shamelessly flirt with Violet, trying to piss me off (it was working), for literally no reason.
I was stupid.
I made my way over to the far corner of Crossroads so I could hide in my shadows. They could bring me her conversation from where I was sitting, but I wanted to be close. Hiding was better.
“I should get going but it was very nice to meet you, Miss Hayes. I hope to hear from you soon,” Weaver said as he stood up. He looked over to Eva. “If I could cover my new friend’s tab, please?”
“That’s very kind, John, but unnecessary.”
John? What the fuck? We’re just throwing around our names now?
“I insist. It’s not often that someone takes the time to talk to me. I appreciate your time and your kindness.”
“In that case I accept.” She smiled turning to Eva. “Only five, please. Tall, dark, and arrogant stole one of my drinks and I intend to have him pay for it.”
Eva’s lips twitched into a half smile. She liked that one.
“Who? I’ll make him.” Even with my superpowers, I was a little terrified of the look The Weaver got in his eyes.
Violet smiled. “That’s okay. I can handle him on my own.” Back to Eva. “Five please.”
“Of course. Sir, if you’ll follow me to the register, I’ll close you out.”
Once they were on the other side of the bar, I made sure no one was looking and stepped out of my shadows.
“How did it go?”
Violet jumped. “I wish you’d stop sneaking up on me.”
“But you’re adorable when you jump like that.”
That was creepy. Stupid. She snorted.
“Your flirting could use some work. Maybe ask the bartender to give you some tips.”
And my scowl was back. “I wasn’t flirting. And I certainly don’t need the bartender’s help to flirt if I was.”
She spun her stool around to lean her elbows on the bar, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“No? Could have fooled me.”
I stepped closer, leaning over her with both hands next to her elbows on the counter. My face hovered in front of hers as she looked up at me.
“If I was flirting with you, you’d know it, Nightshade,” I whispered.
I couldn’t tell you where the nickname came from or why it slipped out of my mouth so easily, but it suited her. A poisonous flower. Beautiful, dangerous, potentially deadly. Something she was slowly becoming the longer I spent in her presence.
Because I hadn’t imagined it the first night in the alley, I hadn’t mistaken my adrenaline for warmth. I was feeling it again, right here in this moment. Something about being close to her allowed the ice in my veins to thaw, and I needed to know what.
I needed to know why.
That was a distraction, she was a distraction, and in my line of work, distractions were dangerous—potentially deadly.
For a second, we just stood there. Her breathing laboured, lips parting ever so slightly.
I was in the same condition. The music, the voices, and the clanking glasses all faded away into nothing.
All I could hear was her breathing, all I could feel was the heat, all I could focus on was the way she was looking at me.
Her hand rose to my chest and my skin burned under my shirt.
“Why are you so warm?” she whispered.
So she felt it, too?
“What?”
“Aren’t you supposed to freeze things? Why aren’t you cold?”
“I—I am. Always.”
“You—”
“You found him?” Eva’s voice broke through the haze. Violet’s hand fell from me, and I stepped back. “Is this how you get guys to buy your drinks?”
I looked over to see an amused looked on my sister’s face as she towelled off the glass in her hand.
“I— He— No. I should get going. It was really nice to meet you, Eva.” Violet stood from her chair, collecting herself faster than I had. “Tall, dark, and arrogant is going to pay for the drink he took from me, isn’t that right?”
I was still a bit dazed so I just nodded. It would take me nearly a minute before the words fully registered. By then she was already gone.
Usually, I paid for my drinks because Crossroads was owned by Avalanche and Blacksmith not Matt and Eva, but I was too busy following Violet out the door to care. Eva could ream me out for it later.
Luckily Violet hadn’t gotten far—just around the corner.
“Hey, wait up!” I called after her.
She stopped and visibly sighed before turning around. “What?”
“You shouldn’t be walking alone in this area after dark.” That was so lame. It was barely 5 p.m., not even close dark.
“Good thing it’s not dark then.” She turned and resumed her walk toward 45th Street.
I followed.
“But…” I searched for something, anything that would keep her attention on me just a little longer. “We never finished our discussion. Now that you met The Weaver, would you be okay with others reaching out?”
“Yes. You can pass on my info. Now go away.”
“Sure.”