Page 9 of Cyber Revenge

Then my phone buzzes.

[Snap from lydie.live]

The preview shows nothing but skin.

Fuck.

SIX

PATRICK

She called me sunshine in a text once.

I’d just sent her a good morning message, one of many, part of theTop Tier Sub perkson her private account. A daily stream of attention, flirtation, and the occasional risqué pic if she was in the mood.

“Morning sunshine,”she’d replied.

And just like that, she was mine for the day.

Lydia doesn’t know it yet, but she likes being owned. Not in the way creeps try to do it. Not the trolls in her chat who bark and bitch and tell her to smile more. No, she wants something smoother. Cleaner. A touch of velvet before the blade.

I’m the velvet.

And soon enough, I’d be the blade, too.

We playFaceoff MoshpitonPit, a map that runs through caves in Russia, dark, small, lit by flickering power grids and rickety skylights.

Lydia runs point, pushing the front. Trip flanks left. I cover from above, pinging enemies and calling routes like I’d written the fucking strategy guide.

She’s laughing. High from the pace, from the rhythm of three people who actuallyknow how to play.

“You guys are my favorite team,” she says over comms.

Trip grunted a “thanks.”

I smile into the mic. “We’re your favorites because we actually know how to handle you.”

She snorts. “You wish.”

[Text to Lydia – 10:08 PM]: You were moaning into your mic again. You know what that does to me.

[Lydia – 10:10 PM]: Not my fault I’m just naturally talented at sounding like a porn ad.

[Patrick – 10:11 PM]: It’s a gift. You ever plan to use it on someone real?

[Lydia – 10:12 PM]: Real people are exhausting.

That makes me grin.

We ranKill ConfirmedonWarhead. She and Trip have this weird rhythm going now; he covers her flank too much. Hovers near her player like he’s glued there.

It bugs me more than I expect.

I make sure to pull her attention back.

“Lyd, run with me this time,” I say casually. “Let’s see if I can carry your thick ass.”

She laughs. “Wow, okay.”

---