BENEATH THE MASK

A Dangerous Desires

The first time I let myself relax around Ethan was a mistake. One I wouldn’t make again.

But something about that night—the warehouse, the ambush, the silence that followed the violence—had stripped away the usual layers of control I kept tightly bound around myself. It was dangerous to let anyone in, especially someone like him, but for those few brief moments, I had almost let my guard down.

Almost.

Now, back at the mansion, I paced the length of my room, trying to shake the feeling of his hands on me, the way his eyes had looked right through me. I had spent years perfecting the art of being someone I wasn’t, but Ethan had a way of making me feel exposed without even realizing it.

But he didn’t know. He couldn’t know. No one did.

I had gotten too close—allowed too much. The truth about who I was had been buried so deep beneath the layers of Alex that I could almost believe it myself most days. But Ethan was getting under my skin, unraveling me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. And I couldn’t let that happen again.

Because if he knew… if he ever found out…

It would destroy everything.

I couldn’t afford to think about it any longer. I needed to get back to work. There was always something that needed doing, some crisis that needed fixing. In this world, there was no rest, no time to dwell on personal struggles. If you let your guard down for even a second, you’d be dead.

And I wasn’t ready to die.

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I avoided Ethan for the next few days. It wasn’t hard—there was always work to keep us busy, always another deal, another problem to solve. But no matter how much I tried to push him from my mind, I couldn’t forget the way he had looked at me that night.

We hadn’t spoken about it. We hadn’t spoken at all since the ambush. There was a distance between us now, one I needed to maintain. He couldn’t get too close. I wouldn’t let him.

But fate, as always, had other plans.

It was late when Marco called me. Another deal, another shipment. But this time, my father wasn’t involved. He had sent me in his place, trusting me to handle it, just as he always did. And with Marco unavailable, I had no choice but to bring Ethan along.

I didn’t want him there; I didn’t want to be anywhere near him after what had happened between us. But there was no one else I trusted to watch my back, and I needed someone I could rely on.

Or, at the very least, someone who wouldn’t turn on me the second things went south.

“Ready?” Ethan asked as he stepped into the garage, his voice casual, like nothing had changed between us.

I didn’t look at him. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

The drive to the docks was quiet, the tension between us thick. I kept my eyes on the road, trying to focus on the job ahead, but I could feel him watching me. He always did that—watching, waiting, like he was trying to figure me out.

But he wouldn’t. Not if I had anything to say about it.

We pulled up to the docks just after midnight, the air cool and still. The men we were meeting were already there, their silhouettes barely visible in the darkness. I parked the car and stepped out, my hand instinctively brushing against the gun at my side.

I didn’t trust these men. But then again, I didn’t trust anyone.

“Stay close,” I muttered to Ethan as we approached the group.

“I always do,” he replied, his voice low but steady.

The deal itself was straightforward enough. Money exchanged, goods delivered. But there was something in the air that felt off—something I couldn’t quite place. My instincts had been honed over years of surviving in this world, and right now, they were screaming at me to be careful.

The leader of the group, a tall, thin man with a scar running down his cheek, stepped forward, his gaze flicking between me and Ethan. “You got the product?”

I nodded, motioning for one of our men to bring over the crate. “It’s all there. Just as agreed.”

He looked at me for a long moment before nodding to one of his men. The briefcase was opened, revealing stacks of cash neatly arranged inside. It was enough money to buy a small country.

I should have felt relief. The deal had gone smoothly, the product had been delivered, and the money was in our hands.

But something wasn’t right.

I felt it before I saw it—the shift in the air, the subtle movement of hands reaching for guns. It was like time slowed down, every sense heightened, every muscle tense. I knew what was coming before it even happened.

“Down!” I shouted, grabbing Ethan by the arm and pulling him to the ground just as the first shot rang out.

The scene erupted into chaos. Men were shouting, guns were firing, and the night was filled with the sound of bullets whizzing through the air. I rolled behind a stack of crates, my heart pounding in my chest as I pulled my gun and returned fire.

Ethan was beside me, his expression grim but calm. He fired off a few shots, taking down two of the men before they even had a chance to react. He was good—too good. But there wasn’t time to think about that now.

“We need to move,” he said, his voice steady despite the chaos around us.

I nodded, scanning the area for an escape. The docks were a maze of containers and equipment, but I knew them well enough to find a way out. “Follow me.”

We moved together, darting between crates and machinery as the gunfire continued. My muscles burned with the effort, but I pushed through, knowing that stopping wasn’t an option. Not if we wanted to survive.

We reached a narrow alley between two stacks of containers, the gunfire fading behind us as we ran. My breath was coming in ragged gasps, my body exhausted from the fight. But we were alive. For now.

I stopped, leaning against the side of a container as I tried to catch my breath. Ethan stood a few feet away, watching me with that same unreadable expression he always had. I hated it. I hated not knowing what he was thinking.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice soft but steady.

“Fine,” I replied, even though I wasn’t. My head was spinning, my body aching from the exertion, but I couldn’t afford to let him see that. I couldn’t afford to show weakness.

“We need to get out of here before they regroup,” he said, glancing back toward the docks.

I nodded, pushing myself away from the container and starting toward the car. But as I walked, I felt it again—that pull between us, the tension that had been simmering since the moment we met. It was stronger now, more dangerous.

And I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

We reached the car in silence, but the air between us was thick with unspoken words. I could feel Ethan watching me, his gaze heavy, almost suffocating. And as much as I wanted to push him away, to keep him at a distance, I couldn’t.

Because despite everything, I wanted him to.

The drive back to the mansion was quiet, the tension between us palpable. I kept my eyes on the road, trying to ignore the way my heart raced every time I glanced at him. But it was no use. He was under my skin now, and no matter how much I tried to fight it, I couldn’t shake him.

When we finally pulled up to the mansion, I could feel the weight of everything we weren’t saying pressing down on me. I killed the engine and sat there for a moment, my hands gripping the steering wheel as I tried to steady myself.

But before I could get out of the car, Ethan spoke.

“Alex.”

I froze, my heart skipping a beat at the sound of my name on his lips.

“I—” he started but then stopped as if he wasn’t sure what to say next.

I turned to look at him, my breath catching in my throat. There was something in his eyes, something raw and vulnerable, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to do.

But then he leaned in, his hand reaching for mine.

And just like that, the world tilted off its axis.

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