Chapter 5 #2
She knew. Of course she knew. Annie had always read me like a goddamn book, even with a mask covering most of my face. She’d taken one look at me and understood I was three seconds away from launching myself over this railing and turning Valor into a smear on the floor.
Someone said something to her, drawing her attention away. She smiled that fake smile again, nodding politely at whatever bullshit they were spouting. But her eyes, those eyes that had haunted me for months, flicked back up to me.
She was paler now, her lips barely moving as she mouthed two words: “Please don’t.”
Fuck. She was asking me not to intervene. Not to kill the fucker who couldn’t keep his damn hands to himself.
The metal of the railing warped beneath my fingers. This was exactly why I didn’t do relationships. They made you weak. Made you hesitate when you should be acting.
The fallout would potentially be catastrophic if I acted. I might even face actual consequences beyond the usual slap on the wrist. But it would be absolutely fucking worth it to crush Valor’s windpipe right now.
And Annie would hate me more than she already did.
She was still watching me, those blue eyes pleading while she maintained that plastic smile. Three months of silence, and now she was asking me for something. The first fucking thing she’d asked of me since I’d betrayed her.
Don’t kill the handsy asshole who’s touching her.
I released the railing, flexing my fingers. Fine. I wouldn’t kill him. Not tonight, anyway.
But that didn’t mean I had to sit up here and watch this bullshit performance either.
I vaulted over the railing and landed on the marble floor below. The crowd nearby startled, a ripple of gasps spreading outward.
I strolled across the ballroom like I owned it, ignoring the whispers that followed in my wake. Villain acting villainous at a retirement party. Scandalous. Whatever.
As I approached Annie, Valor was engaged in conversation with some bureaucratic nobody in an ill-fitting suit, his back partially turned to to her. Perfect.
“Annie,” I said, my voice carrying just enough to make her flinch. “You look stunning tonight.”
Her eyes widened in warning, but I was already committed to this particular brand of self-destruction. Valor’s head snapped around and his arm tightened possessively around her waist.
“Cipher,” Annie said, her voice impressively steady. “What a surprise. I’d like to introduce you to Valor, one of Havoc’s newest protégés.”
“Actually, sweetheart, I’m a bit more than that.” He extended his free hand toward me while pulling Annie closer with the other. “I’m Annie’s boyfriend. Pleasure to meet you.”
Boyfriend. The word landed like a fucking grenade.
I stared at his outstretched hand, imagining the satisfying crunch his bones would make if I squeezed just a little too hard. Instead, I ignored it.
“Annie, care to get a drink? I’d like to discuss some Nemesis business with you.” I kept my tone light, like I wasn’t fantasizing about ripping out Valor’s spine and beating him with it.
Before Annie could respond, Valor answered for her. “No, she can’t.”
I turned my full attention to him. “I wasn’t asking you.”
Annie stepped slightly forward, placing herself between us.
“I appreciate the offer, Cipher, but I’m here in an official capacity tonight.” Her eyes pleaded with me to understand.
“Official girlfriend capacity or Keeper capacity?” I asked, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
“Does it matter?” Her expression was carefully neutral, but I caught the slight tremor in her hands.
“It does to me.”
Annie swallowed, her professional mask slipping just enough for me to see the strain beneath. “It’s my debut as Valor’s girlfriend.”
“Fascinating career pivot,” I said, my smile sharp. “From Keeper to arm candy. The Alliance must be desperate for good PR.”
Valor’s perfect smile faltered. “I don’t think I like your tone.”
“That’s the beautiful thing about not giving a fuck,” I replied. “Your preferences are entirely irrelevant to me.”
Annie’s eyes closed briefly, a pained expression crossing her face. When she opened them again, they were filled with something that looked dangerously close to desperation.
“Cipher, please,” Annie whispered.
“Cipher! What an unexpected pleasure.”
I recognized the voice. League representative, mid-level bureaucrat, forgettable name. I didn’t turn around.
Annie’s eyes were still locked on my mask, silently begging.
I dreamed about her begging. But I wanted her beneath me in my bed, her body trembling, my name tearing from her throat.
I never wanted to see her begging this way—her eyes wide with panic, lips pressed into a thin line, silently pleading for mercy I wasn’t sure I possessed.
“Please,” she mouthed again.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. The murderous static in my head reached a deafening pitch and I leaned closer, close enough that only she could hear me.
“You’re buying time,” I murmured, watching her pulse flutter frantically at her throat. “We’ll discuss payment soon.”
Annie gave the barest dip of her chin in assent. No one else in this glittering ballroom understood what was happening. No one else saw the monster barely contained beneath my suit, the violence I was holding back by a frayed thread. Only Annie.
With herculean effort, I dragged my gaze away from her face, away from Valor’s possessive grip on her waist. If I stayed another second, I was going to snap his neck in front of two hundred witnesses.
I needed to go before I could change my mind. Each step was an effort, every instinct screaming at me to go back and rip Valor’s fucking hands off.
The League representative droned on about quarterly performance metrics or some equally irrelevant bullshit. I nodded mechanically, not hearing a single word.
All I could focus on was the weight of Annie’s gaze on my back. I’d given her what she’d wanted, walked away when every cell in my body demanded blood.
I consoled myself with the knowledge that I’d find out what the fuck was happening later. And if Valor’s hands strayed any lower in the meantime, there wouldn’t be enough left of him to bury.