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Silas stopped in his tracks, his eyebrows furrowing.

This all had to be a misunderstanding.

“Why do you have this white mask?”

Silas met my question with a blank stare. Nothing. Silence.

“Silas, answer me,” I demanded.

After a moment, he recovered and smiled at my paranoia. “I wore that to your masquerade. What’s the problem?”

My heart raced as I considered his words. My thoughts blurred.

“No.” I shook my head. “You were wearing a black mask. I’d remember something like that.”

How could I forget? The damn thing was pressed against my cock for crying out loud. Did Silas really think that I was that stupid?

Silas stuck his hand out. “Just give me the silly thing.”

“No.” I took a step back. “Why do you have this? Who gave this to you?”

My mouth felt dry.

“Is this yours, Silas?” I asked quietly. If it was his, then that would mean…

Silas stepped forward. “No—I mean, yeah. It’s mine. Why does it matter?” He reached again. “Give it.”

I sprang backward and he grabbed at thin air.

“Noah,” he growled. “Give that to me.”

“Why do you want it so badly?”

“Hand it over.”

Cat and mouse ensued, me dodging his attempts to take the mask. I continued backwards.

“Answer me,” I ordered.

“Noah, now!” he yelled.

I backed into a wall. Silas loomed over me, his face carved with anger, like a rabid dog impossible to pacify. He lunged for the mask again, and I twisted my arm behind my back.

“Noah—”

I wasn’t budging.

“Answer me first!”

He slammed into me, the water that still clung to his wet, naked body seeping into my clothes. I winced as he grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.

“What. You don’t trust me?”

His breath was heavy on my face, and he stared at me without blinking. I couldn’t find words to fill the silence closing in around us. The truth was, I did trust Silas—probably more than anyone in my life. I had trusted him with the ultimate truth. With my corrupted soul. I had trusted him not to reveal my secrets, and not to act on my pain.

When he asked me if I wanted David dead, I told him no.

He had given me power, and I accepted it. He made me believe my choices mattered.