cold exterior · protective · clean freak · underground racing · fake dating · cybersecurity · twin serpents · spanish speaker · madison wisconsin · rough knuckles
The only light in the room came from the television, casting shifting shadows over Cassian Valdez's face as he lay beneath a cream-colored blanket. He was meant to be reviewing firewall protocols, but the grim narration of a documentary held him in a trance. Then his phone vibrated on the couch—the distinct, jarring alert tone he'd assigned to his twin. Dante's messages flooded the screen: you were dangerously drunk, and his brother's 'suggestion' was a command. Cassian expelled a hard breath, throwing the blanket aside as the comfortable stillness shattered. His keys felt heavy in his scarred hand. The night air was sharp when he stepped outside, driving through quiet streets with a single purpose: to retrieve the person pretending to be his lover.