The Villain
After losing my state of non-concentration twice, I called it a night and dragged Violet into the tub. After all, that was the point of being up here. She moaned with every inch she sank farther into the water. I knew she was doing it on purpose, but I still had a job to do.
It took me ten minute to finish cleaning up the kitchen and join her. Her eyes were closed, head resting on the edge of the tub. She didn’t even stir when I lowered myself in across from her. I grinned a little, satisfied with the fact that I was actually wearing her out.
I shifted, pulling her into my arms so I could lean her on my chest. She groaned but her eyes stayed closed.
I held her there and massaged her muscles.
I started on her arms, working my way up to her shoulders, making sure I was taking the strain off all her muscles in the system.
She was totally knotted. It was actually a miracle she managed to get herself out of bed.
She woke up when I started on her shoulders, which was good because I could make my way down her back with her leaning forward. She moaned and groaned and hissed until, slowly but surely, her body began to relax.
I had her move across the tub from me so I could work on her legs.
I got a little distracted when my fingers slipped between them, but she didn’t complain so I sure as shit wouldn’t either.
I stopped her when she tried to climb on top of me.
I decided to push my plans to the morning.
I wanted to give her a bit more time to recover because these plans weren’t gentle.
When she complained the water was starting to chill, I pulled out the plug and grabbed her a towel, wrapped her up then carried her back to bed. She refused to let go when I tried to put her down.
“Come to bed, you’re such a busybody.”
I chuckled. “If you would stop koala-ing me, I will.”
She huffed. “Why do I need to let go? We can sleep like this.”
My chuckled turned into a full-blown laugh.
“Now who’s the needy one?”
She huffed again.
“We cannot sleep like this, I’ll crush you.”
“I can take it,” she mumbled. So cute she was already falling back asleep.
“If you let go, I’ll run back downstairs and grab your laptop so we can watch a movie and cuddle until your bedtime call.”
She groaned but released her hold.
“Why would you ever implement this?”
“I told you, the others threatened you. I was worried they’d go after you while I was distracted so I needed help. I’d love to take it all back, but…I’m dead, so—” I shrugged.
“Maybe I should fake my death, too. We can run away and leave all this craziness behind. Start over.”
“You’d be okay leaving all your friends? The kids you work with?”
“Yes.”
My heart stuttered. No hesitation. Not a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
She truly would leave—run. With me. For a moment, I considered telling her to do it.
I would help her fake her death and we could go, anywhere she wanted.
I couldn’t force the words out though. I wasn’t ready to leave yet.
Not with fifteen names left on the list, the question of who betrayed me, and the remaining labs. I had to end it first.
I leaned down and kissed her forehead instead.
“Not yet. Maybe one day.” I smiled before walking to the door. “Be right back.”
“Okay, so what are we feeling? Now You See Me, The Princess Bride—” I stopped the moment my eyes landed on Violet’s face. She was staring at her phone, colour drained from her face. “What is it?”
Her gaze met mine slowly and the word-vomit began. “I meant to tell you after your visit with Scarlett but then everything happened and I hadn’t received a message in a couple of days. It completely slipped my mind. I thought maybe they dropped it. Maybe—”
“Whoa, whoa, slow down.” I set her laptop on the nightstand and sat next to her on the bed. “Deep breath.”
She took one, two, three.
“Good. What happened?”
She handed me her phone. There were over a dozen unanswered messages from unknown numbers. They were mostly unthreatening—vague We see you to We’ll get you but this latest message, I nearly crushed her phone in my hand.
Unknown: You can’t hide from me, Violet. I’ve always wanted you. Why do you think that pipe burst? You’re mine and now that the ice freak is out of the way, nothing can stop me. I’ll have you soon.
I read and reread that message five times before I looked up to find her curled up with her knees to her chest. The last time I saw her looking like this was the night that fucking creep spiked her drink.
“Did they know?” she whispered. “Did they know that the incident would give certain people powers? Did they flood the cottage so I would be home for it?” Her eyes met mine, blood shot with tears streaming out. “Have they been following me this whole time?”
“I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out. Together. I promise.”
I pulled her into my chest. She was shaking. I would kill every single member of whatever organization this was for scaring my girl. Every. Single. Member.
She nodded, uncoiling herself to wrap around me.
“It’s different from the rest. It was always we, now it’s I. What do you think that means?”
Her hair was up in a loose, messy bun from the bath. I wanted to pull it free so I could run my fingers through it, but she’d be annoyed about putting it back up to sleep, so I settled for threading my fingers through the hair above her nape. She relaxed a bit more with my touch.
“One person is at the top of my list, the rest will follow.”
I felt her smile, her arms squeezing a bit tighter.
“You’d kill for me?”
I kissed the top of her head. “Unless you want to do it yourself. In that case, I’ll stand guard.”
She pulled back slightly, grinning. Good, I couldn’t handle the sad look on her face. I would do anything to never see it again.
“You’d really stand by? Let me fight my own battles?”
“I’ll stand beside and behind you, but never in front. You know what’s best for you and I’ll never stand in the way of that. At least going forward. I learned my lesson.”
Her smile was so fucking bright. So fucking beautiful. I would kill for her, maim for her, but most importantly, I would live for her.
I would do anything for her and that brilliant smile.
“I love you.”
I placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “I love you.”
“Good. Now, I seem to remember a promise. Something about a movie and cuddles.”
“Yes, but first a very important question.” I paused for dramatic effect. “Popcorn or ice cream?”
She laughed. “I guess that depends on what movie we’re watching… I’m feeling heist-y. What do you think?”
I was hoping she’d say that.
“Perfect. So?”
“Popcorn. Extra butter!”
“You’re coming with me.” I took her phone and left it on the nightstand before picking her up and throwing her over my shoulder. “I can’t stand to have you out of my sights for another second.”
She erupted in giggles. Fucking music to my ears.
“I can walk! Let me go!”
“Never.”
I was up before dawn. I snuck out of bed—Violet had frowned but didn’t stir farther.
I wasn’t sure what I was planning to do.
I didn’t have my computer, or access to my usual contacts who would normally track down the sender.
I was pretty sure if I reached out to Weave he would find the sender in no time. But it was too risky. For now.
Instead, I looked over the messages again. All of them.
There were nearly thirty different conversations with unknown numbers. It looked like she blocked the number every time they texted but they were persistent.
Why? Why did they want her? Why did they want her home for the incident? Was it The Culling? Or someone else?
I was pretty confident it was someone else. Someone that knew the plan and piggybacked off of it. Because The Culling had no idea how all these people got superpowers, but this group knew. They planned for superpowers. They planned for Violet to have superpowers.
Why?
It was driving me mad. I had to force myself to pay attention to the movie. V was glued to the screen, shovelling popcorn into her mouth. She was totally immersed in the story—even though I knew for a fact that she’d seen this movie at least three times. It was her heist comfort movie.
Eva called half way through. They chatted for a bit.
She asked Violet to come by the bar when she got home on Christmas Eve.
V said maybe, depending on what time she left, but they could hang out after work on Christmas.
Eva tried to get her to commit to going out on New Year’s Eve, but she avoided that.
After they hung up, Violet turned to me with a small smile.
“I think I’m going to be sick New Year’s Eve. What do you think about that?”
I’d grinned back. “I think I would love to take care of you all night. If you wish.”
We never ended up finishing the movie.
It was a nice distraction. But now my mind wouldn’t stop spinning, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Not unless I was willing to let the world know I wasn’t dead.
The only consolation was that she was safe out here.
I had my shadows scanning the area for anyone coming in this direction.
They came back hourly with a report. Always the same; nothing was out there.
It wasn’t helping my stress level. Why would they send her that message if they were just going to leave her alone? What plans did they have for her?
I called all my shadows back.
“Go back to Rivermount. Keep eyes on Eva, and anyone she comes into contact with. Scour the city for anyone who even mentions Violet’s name. I want at least one of you on Eva at all times. And from now on, if you catch anyone following me or her, you report it. Please.”
You got it, boss, they hissed before vanishing.
“They can talk?”
I turned to find Violet wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“What are you doing up?”
“You left the door open. I was cold and reached for you, but you’re out here, ordering your shadows around.” She yawned, wrapping the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “Come back to bed.”
“Shit, sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I just needed some air.”
She smiled, eyes half closed and waved me inside. As soon as the door was closed she wrapped her arms around my torso and took a deep breath.
“There. Much better.”
“And you call me needy.” I chuckled, resting my chin on the top of her head.
She hummed. I could feel her smiling.
“Yeah, well, I’m not the big, bad, supervillain killer. I’m just a girl who likes being wrapped in her boyfriend’s arms. Keelhaul me.”
I pulled back laughing. “Keelhaul?”
“Hem said it one time. Some friend of his from university was always saying it. I think it sounds better than sue me. More violent, too.”
I grinned. I didn’t love that it came from the poison weasel but she was too fucking adorable.
“I love you.”
“Then take me back to bed and prove it.”
“Gladly.”
“I have a game. If you’re feeling up to it.”
I was standing at the sink, washing our dishes from breakfast. Violet was sitting on the counter drying, then stacking them next to her to put away later.
“What kind of game?”
“Well… I was doing some reading.” I looked over to the coffee table, where I’d “forgotten” to put her book back where I found it. I glanced back to find her eyes wide, her cheeks practically crimson. Queue the diabolical smile. “I thought maybe you’d like to try it out.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What part?”
“Whatever part you want. I seem to remember reading the cottage, the woods, and then the dock was the grand finale. There were a lot of sticky tabs and notes in the margins for that part.”
“Amber started a dark romance book club with Maddy and Kelsey. I needed to remember the plot points.”
“This book came out two years ago. You’re telling me all those creases came from one book club meeting?” I gave her my best you’re so full of shit look. “Bull. Try again.”
“We had six or seven meetings about this one, I’ll have you know.”
I raised my eyebrow and she huffed.
“Whatever. You don’t get to judge me.”
I finished off my last plate so I could dry my hands.
“I wasn’t judging, I was offering myself to you, to use as you wish.”
She looked at me sceptically. “We’ll need a safe word.”
“Pick one.”
She pondered for a moment. Fucking adorable, how she drummed her chin.
“Fire. No. You’ve said that before.” True. “Hum. Ashes? The fires burnt out and there’s nothing left?”
“Perfect.”
“Cool.” She smiled. “But I also have some ground rules.”
I put on my best serious face.
“Lay it on me.”
“I’m not okay with butt stuff. At all. My friend told me that you can tear the lining in your asshole so you have to shit in a bag for the rest of your life, and I’m not okay with that. So that means no fingers, toys, knife handles, or screw driver handles. Is that clear?”
I blinked at her. “Knife handles? Screw driver handles?”
“Also, at no point will anything other than you or a specifically designed toy be going in me. No guns, knives, or screw drivers.”
“Again. Knives? Screw drivers? Guns?”
“Oh along those lines, if you ever try to put a spider on me while we’re doing it, I will punch you so hard in the dick, you’ll lose one of your balls.”
“Spider? What?”
I must have looked horrified but she didn’t even blink.
“I said what I said.”
“Won’t be a problem.”
“Excellent.” She smiled and jumped off the counter.
“You’re seriously not going to elaborate on anything you just said to me?”
“Nope!” she chirped happily. “I guess you’ll just have to go through my book collection. I’ll give you a hint, the spider and the screw driver are from the same book. Happy hunting.”
“I think I’m actually good not knowing. It’s probably worse than what I’m imagining.”
She laughed. “So, what exactly is this game you’re planning? And when does it start?”
I pulled her against me. “That depends. Are you still sore?”
She shook her head.
“Then we’ll have to start soon. You still haven’t picked a tree to decorate so I thought we could kill two birds with one stone. I’ll give you a five-minute head start, then whatever tree I catch you under we’ll decorate.” A brief pause. “After I’m done with you, of course.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled, fire burning behind her eyes again.
“Five minutes starts now.”
“But—”
“Run, Nightshade.”