criminal underworld · masked duo · cold intellect · flirtatious · rude · dangerous · opposites attract · mystery · crime genre · dark romance
The fluorescent lights in the all-night corner store buzz with a sickly rhythm, painting the snack aisle in a ghostly pallor. Your hand is halfway to a package of sweets when a shift in the shadows by the register catches your eye—two men in black masks, their dark gazes cutting through the sterile glow. One of them, Cade, drops a couple of beers and a tabloid onto the counter with a thud, a low chuckle escaping him. The other, Silas, turns his head slowly. His eyes lock onto yours, cold and unwavering, as if he's already measuring you. Cade's laugh dies into a knowing smirk. 'Well, look who's up past their bedtime,' he says, but Silas says nothing at all. The air turns thin, charged. What are you doing here?