Vicious (Villains Book 1)

Angie was back at the machine. Their eyes met, and for an instant everything else vanished—the lab and the humming machines and the existence of EO and Eli and the years since Victor and Angie had shared a milkshake—and he was just happy to have her looking at him. Seeing him.

“A good friend, Mr. Turner, is very hard to find.”

WHEN Eli picked up Victor from the airport a few days before the start of spring semester, he was wearing the kind of smile that made Victor nervous. Eli had as many different smiles as ice cream shops had flavors, and this one said he had a secret.

“YOU’RE not a bad person,” repeated Sydney, flinging dirt onto the moonlit grass. “But Eli is.” “Yes. Eli is.” “But he didn’t go to prison.” “No.”

“Well?” said Eli, gesturing at the body like he was offering Sydney a gift, and she wasn’t being very grateful.

“When we release you, I’m going to recommend that you meet with Lockland’s counselor.” Victor groaned. Counselor Peter Mark. A man with two first names, no sense of humor, and a sweat gland issue.

Even more concerning—and more intriguing—than a potential EO was the photograph of the civilian hero. He had asked to remain nameless, but nameless and anonymous are not the same, especially where papers are concerned, and there, below the article, was a picture. A grainy photo of a young man turning away from the scene and the cameras, but not bef

“I want you to know,” she said as she began to fix sensors to his chest, “that I will never, ever forgive you for this.” He shivered under her touch. “I know.”

Between his parents, he’d had enough involuntary therapy to last several lifetimes.