Page 118 of Villainous Rise

“Would you ask me to help you, Annie?” Wraith finally asked, my name curling through the voice modulation, like he was tasting it.

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. I wanted to snap back, to tell him exactly what I thought of his theatrics while people were turning up dead.

I took a deep breath, forcing my expression to remain neutral and my voice even.

“Wraith,” I said carefully, “I’m asking you to help us. We need your expertise to stop whoever is behind these deaths before more people die.”

He tilted his head. I couldn’t shake the feeling that behind that digital mask, someone was smiling.

“And what would you give me?” Wraith asked.

Havoc stiffened beside me. “My payment is enough,” he said.

Wraith held up a hand, just a silhouette of fingers splayed against the darkness, demanding silence. He didn’t speak another word, but his attention remained fixed on me.

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “I don’t know what you’d want from me,” I admitted, fighting the urge to fidget under that faceless scrutiny.

“Would you pay the cost, though?” The modulated voice softened, almost intimate now. “To save lives? To stop the deaths?”

My stomach twisted. What kind of question was that? What kind of person would I be if I said no?

“I would do what’s necessary,” I answered carefully, “within reason. But I won’t compromise who I am or what I believe in. Not even to save lives.”

The shadow remained motionless and I couldn’t tell if my answer had satisfied them or disappointed them.

I held my breath, waiting for their verdict while trying not to show how much it mattered.

“A secret,” Wraith said. “I would require a secret from you, Annie Bishop. Something personal. Something you’ve never told anyone else.”

Havoc slammed his hand against the desk. “Enough. This wasn’t supposed to be part of our arrangement.”

“Then I’m done negotiating,” Wraith replied smoothly. “And you get nothing. Twenty-eight deaths will become thirty, then forty. Your choice.”

My stomach twisted into knots. The lives of potential victims weighed against what? My pride? My privacy?

“I won’t give you Alliance secrets,” I said finally.

Wraith’s modulated laugh crackled through the speakers. “I don’t need you for Alliance secrets. I have other sources for those.”

The shadow leaned forward, the silhouette growing larger on the screen. “Havoc, leave us. I want Annie’s secret for my ears alone.”

“Absolutely not,” Havoc growled. Items on the desk began to rattle as his power flared.

“I’ve already hacked the cameras in your office,” Wraith said, sounding bored. “I’ll know if you stay within earshot. Leave, or our deal is off.”

Havoc turned to me, his face a storm of conflicting emotions. “Annie, you don’t have to do this.”

“It’s fine,” I lied. “I’ll handle it.”

“This is bullshit,” Havoc snarled, but I could see the calculation behind his eyes. How many more would die if we refused?

“Go,” I said softly. “I’ll be okay.”

Havoc glared at the screen, the chaos energy around his hands intensifying for a moment before he reined it in.

“If you harm her in any way—” he began.

“Yes, yes, you’ll tear me apart molecule by molecule,” Wraith interrupted. “How original. The clock is ticking, Havoc.”