Chapter 29: Beneath the Mask

The car ride back was suffocating.

Nathaniel hadn't said a thing since they left the warehouse. His jaw was set in a stiff line, and his grasp on the steering wheel was little too tight. Sabrina could feel the stress leaving him, heavy and almost tangible.

She wanted to demand answers—What the hell is going on? Why do I matter in all of this?—but something told her she wouldn't get them. Not yet.

So she did what she did best. She watched.

Nathaniel was usually a man of control. Cold, calculating, always one step ahead. But right now? Right now, she could see the flaws in his armor.

And it terrified her.

Because if he was shaken, that meant she should be afraid, too.

Finally, she broke the silence.

"Are you going to tell me?"

His fingers tightened on the wheel. "Tell you what?"

She scoffed. "Don't do that. Don't act like I didn't just hear a man with the power to destroy you say that I'm standing in the middle of a war I know nothing about."

Nathaniel exhaled sharply. His grip on the wheel loosened slightly, but he didn't look at her. "Alistair is playing games. He thrives on manipulation. Don't let him get inside your head."

She turned in her seat, frustration bubbling beneath her skin. "He didn't have to get inside my head, Nathaniel. He just confirmed what I've suspected all along. You're keeping things from me."

His jaw clenched, but he still didn't look at her.

Sabrina laughed humorlessly. "You said you wanted to protect me, but how can I trust you to do that when I don't even know what I'm supposed to be afraid of?"

That did it.

The car screeched to a halt on the side of the road.

Before she could react, Nathaniel was out, slamming the door behind him.

Sabrina blinked, her heart pounding. What the hell?

After a brief pause, she pushed her door open and stepped outside into the cold air. Nathaniel stood a few feet away, hands on his hips, head tilted downward, as if he was struggling to control himself.

She had never seen him like this.

Carefully, she approached. "Nathaniel—"

"I didn't want this for you."

His voice was rough, almost pained.

Sabrina stilled.

He turned and finally meet her gaze. And for the first time since he met him, and she recognized something genuine in his gaze. Not only power. Not just control.

But fear.

"I didn't want you anywhere near this world, Sabrina." His voice was lower now, but no less intense. "I didn't want you to have to make the choices I've made. To live with the consequences."

She swallowed hard. "Then why did you bring me in?"

Nathaniel ran a hand through his hair, looking away. "Because the moment Victor knew about you, it was already too late."

Her stomach turned. "What does that mean?"

Silence.

And then—

"I wasn't lying when I said loyalty comes with a price," he murmured. "And once you're in, there's no getting out."

The words sent a chill down her spine.

But it was what came next that truly stole her breath.

Nathaniel closed the distance between them in a single step, his hands coming up to cup her face. His touch was warm, steady—but his eyes were a storm.

"This isn't just about business anymore," he said, voice rough. "Victor is watching you, Sabrina. And if he sees any sign that you might not be loyal, he won't hesitate."

Her breath hitched. "To do what?"

Nathaniel's thumbs brushed her cheek, his touch gentler than she expected.

"To make sure you never get the chance to betray him."

Sabrina's blood ran cold.

She searched his face, looking for reassurance. But there was none.

Instead, there was only one truth staring back at her.

She was trapped.

Completely and utterly trapped.

And the worst part?

She wasn't sure she wanted to leave anymore.

Because standing here, with Nathaniel's hands on her and the weight of his stare burning into her soul, she recognized what she had been denying since the beginning.

She wanted him.

Dangerous, ruthless, and possibly the only person who could destroy her.

But before she could even process that thought—

Nathaniel's lips were on hers.

The kiss wasn't soft. It wasn't sweet.

It was desperate.

Like he needed this. Needed her.

Sabrina gasped into his mouth, grabbing his shirt as a flame rushed through her. She imagined this moment, but nothing could have prepared her for how it felt. He devoured her as if he had held back for far too long.

She kissed him back just as fiercely.

Because for all the chaos, all the danger, all the unanswered questions—

This was the only thing that made sense.

And for just a moment, she let herself forget.

Forget about Victor.

Forget about Alistair.

Forget about the war she was now entangled in.

For just a moment, there was only them.

But then—

A single, chilling sound shattered the illusion.

The unmistakable click of a gun being cocked.

Nathaniel pulled away from her and spinning toward the source of the sound.

Sabrina hardly had time to absorb what was going on before a deep, amused voice pierced the darkness.

"Well, well. I hate to interrupt such a touching moment, but I'm afraid we have unfinished business."

Sabrina turned, heart hammering.

And there, standing in the shadows with a gun aimed directly at them—

Was Victor Reid.