Page 31 of Villainous Rise

“Technically, I can’t kidnap Havoc’s Keeper.” I took a step toward her, watching her tense. “But you weren’t at the party as his Keeper, were you? You were there as Valor’s date.” I couldn’t keep the disgust from my voice on that last word. Date. As if that fucking asshole deserved to stand next to her, let alone touch her.

“Remember? I asked very clearly if you were at the party as a Keeper or as something else. You made it clear you were there as something else.”

Annie looked ready to launch herself at me, fingers flexing like she was considering strangling me with her bare hands. I should have been focusing on damage control, on the dozen operational concerns that came with an unplanned abduction.

Instead, all I could think was how much I’d missed her.

Not counting my fuck-up at the Nexus, it had been three months, four days and two hours since I’d last been this close to her. Since I’d breathed the same air. It was like drowning for all that time and suddenly breaking the surface. Having her pressed against me during the flight had been its own special kind of torture. She was so close and yet completely untouchable.

“You know what your problem is, Cipher? You think you’re so goddamn clever that rules don’t apply to you.”

I smiled. “One of my many problems, I’m sure.”

“You’re splitting hairs over a technicality to kidnap me!”

“I’m not splitting hairs. I’m working within our arrangement.” I let my voice dip lower, suggestive. “Something you used to appreciate about me.”

Before I could say another word, Annie launched herself at me, a blur of red fabric and fury.

I caught her wrists mid-swing as she tried to hit me with one fist then the other.

“Let me go,” she snarled, twisting in my grip.

“No.” I pulled her closer, eliminating the space between us until her body was against mine. The scent of her perfume filled my lungs, achingly familiar. Her warmth seeped through the fabric of her dress, and I could feel every heaving breath, every tremor of rage that ran through her.

“Fuck you,” she spat, struggling harder. The muscles in her forearms tensed as she tried to break free, but I held her easily, careful not to bruise. “Fuck you and your technicalities and your goddamn games.”

Once, I would have reminded her what happens when she threatened me. Would have backed her against the wall and shown her exactly how thin the line between her anger and desire really was.

But as I looked down at her flushed face, at the fire in her eyes that had haunted my dreams every night we were apart, I said the only truth that mattered.

“I’ve missed you, Annie. Every fucking day.”

Her whole body went rigid. For a moment, she looked like I’d struck her.

“You’ve missed me?” Her voice trembled with rage. “You don’t get to say that. Not after everything you did.”

Her fury was almost tangible. I felt like I could have reached out and touched it, if I wasn’t certain she’d attempt to break my fingers for trying.

“You don’t get to kidnap me, insult my intelligence with your contract loopholes, and then stand there telling me you’ve missed me.” Her voice rose with each word. “Like I’m just supposed to what? Blush and forgive you? Go fuck yourself, Cipher.”

I pulled her toward the corridor. “We’re not doing this here.”

“Let go of me!”

I ignored her protests, scooping her up and carrying her down the hallway toward my onboard office. This conversation needed walls. Soundproof ones.

She fought against me every step of the way, and I couldn’t really blame her. But beneath her familiar vanilla scent was a cloying layer of sandalwood and synthetic citrus. Valor’s cologne.

I set her down inside my office, the door sealing automatically behind us. Annie immediately twisted away, putting the desk between us.

“You smell like him,” I growled. “I should tear that goddamn dress off you and fucking burn it to get rid of his stench.”

“You lost the right to care about who touches me,” she shouted. “You think you can just grab me whenever you want? That I’m some possession you can steal when you’re feeling territorial?”

“Better me than that Alliance fuckboy.” I leaned against the door and crossed my arms, fighting the urge to cross the room and make good on my threat. “At least I know how to touch you properly.”

Her eyes flashed. “Fuck you. You don’t get to comment on who touches me anymore.”