He shrugs. “I was bored.”
I stare. “You’re actually insane.”
“You’ll love it,” he says confidently.
“Will I?” I ask doubtfully.
“I’ll wear a mask,” he promises in a honeyed tone.
Oh.
Oh hell. That mask he always wore when sending me pics.
My thighs clench, remembering all the cyber sessions I had withSeb.
“Ethan…”
He leans down, brushing his lips over mine, whispering: “You said you want to be chased. I’m giving you the perfect hunt.”
My heartbeat slams itself against my ribs.
“Do you trust me?” he asks softly.
“No,” I breathe.
He smirks. “Good. You shouldn’t. Get your shoes.”
∞∞∞
The drive isfifteen minutes of silence and sexual tension so thick it could be sold in jars.
When Ethan pulls up to what looks like a massive, repurposed industrial building, I gape.
“This is yours?” I ask in shock.
“Ours,” he corrects. “Killian owns half.”
“So it’s full of gym equipment and military toys?”
“Some.” He presses his thumb to a biometric lock. The door clicks. “And some things only I know how to use.”
Lights flicker on as we step inside. My eyes widen. This isn’t a warehouse—it’s a high-tech fever dream.
It’s a cavernous open space, the concrete walls lined with minimalist projection panels, ceiling rigging, motion trackers, and slender columns with embedded haptic emitters. The floor is a seamless matte black, lightweight and with shock absorption—like stepping on a high-end martial arts mat that spans an entire football field.
It’s sterile. Cold. Empty. But somehow already humming with danger.
“What is this place?” I whisper.
Ethan steps behind me, close enough for his breath to brush my ear.
“My home away from home,” he murmurs.
I shiver.
He walks forward, pressing a few buttons on a central console. The lights dim to almost nothing.
And then the world changes.
