Badass in Disguise Chapter 232

The early November air in Princeton cut through my jacket like tiny needles. I'd parked my car half a mile back, hidden among the trees, and made my way toward the mansion on foot. The sprawling estate belonged to a tech CEO—at least on paper. In reality, it was one of Shadow Organization's strongest branch headquarters.

I paused at the edge of the property, studying the seemingly quiet mansion. No movement, no lights flashing between windows, nothing to suggest the place was crawling with trained killers. But I knew better. In the shadows, figures waited, watching, ready to strike at the first sign of trouble.

Too bad for them I wasn't giving any signs.

The security system was advanced—motion sensors, infrared cameras, weight-sensitive pathways—but nothing I hadn't bypassed a hundred times before. I moved like a ghost, each step calculated, my breathing controlled. The compound's outer defenses recognized me as nothing more threatening than a passing deer.

I slipped past the first layer of security, disabling the motion sensors with practiced ease. My fingers moved automatically, muscle memory taking over as I attached a small device to the electrical box. Three minutes until complete darkness.

I counted down silently as I positioned myself near a side entrance. When the timer hit zero, the entire mansion plunged into blackness. Immediately, I heard movement inside—low voices, quick footsteps. The supposedly empty house suddenly came alive with activity.

The Shadow Organization knew I was coming. They'd been waiting, preparing for my arrival ever since I'd awakened from their control. Well, dinner was served.

My knife gleamed faintly in the darkness as I slid it across the throat of the first guard who came to check the power. He didn't even have time to register my presence before he was choking on his own blood. I lowered him silently to the ground and moved deeper into the house.

This branch had been under Umbra and Silhouette's control before they met their end on that yacht. I'd heard King of Hearts had been trying to bring them under his influence. Now, with new management in place, it was time to send a message to what remained of Shadow Organization.

They were ready for me—or thought they were. Silenced gunshots echoed through the dark hallways as they tracked my movements. I disappeared around a corner, and the shooter followed cautiously, his footsteps nearly silent on the plush carpet. He was good, but not good enough.

I appeared behind him like a ghost. He sensed me at the last second, his eyes widening as he spun around, raising his weapon. Too late. My blade opened his neck before his finger could squeeze the trigger.

More of them rushed up the stairs toward the third floor where I'd been spotted. I met the first one with a brutal kick that sent him tumbling back down to the second level. The sickening crack of his neck breaking was barely audible over the commotion.

I moved through the mansion like a shadow, collecting lives as I went. The metallic smell of blood filled every room, coating the back of my throat. In one hallway, I took down three men in quick succession—a knife to the kidney, a broken windpipe, a severed femoral artery. Their training was impressive, but mine had been forged in hell itself.

Time blurred as I hunted down every last one of them, leaving nothing but cooling bodies in my wake. The once-pristine mansion transformed into a slaughterhouse, blood soaking into expensive carpets and staining marble floors.

Then I walked out, stepping over bodies, my shoes leaving bloody footprints on the marble floor.

Outside, I took a deep breath of the cold night air and pulled out my phone. "Maxi, deploy the drones."

The voice that responded was no longer the childish robot voice, but a deep, smooth baritone—Ethan's voice: "Target locked. Drones ready. Initiating explosive deployment now."

I watched as the tiny mechanical insects flew from the trunk of my car, buzzing toward the mansion. Each carried enough explosive power to bring down a supporting wall. Together, they would reduce the entire structure to rubble, erasing any evidence of what had happened inside.

I walked calmly back to my car as the drones completed their mission. By the time I reached my vehicle, the night sky blazed orange, the shockwave rumbling through Princeton and reaching all the way to New York. The mansion collapsed in on itself, becoming a fiery grave for what remained of Shadow's east coast operation.

I slid into the driver's seat, looking at the stupid round-headed robot sitting in the passenger seat. The little LED lights in its eyes blinked at me, almost expectantly.

Ethan's voice came through again: "You're back."

Something in his voice—even knowing it was just a recording—soothed the savage rage that had been driving me all night.

I studied Maxi's ridiculous appearance and felt a sudden urge to mess with him. "Call me 'master,'" I ordered.

The robot immediately complied in Ethan's voice: "Master."

The incongruity of Ethan's smooth, authoritative tone coming from this cartoonish machine almost made me smile.

"What else can you call me?" I asked, starting the car.

"I can call you 'boss,' 'commander,' 'chief,' 'ma'am,' 'honey,' 'darling,' 'sweetheart'—"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."

As I drove away from the scene, my phone rang. The real Ethan.

"Was that explosion in Princeton's outskirts your doing?" he asked without preamble.

Of course I'd be his prime suspect. Hearing his actual voice after listening to robot Ethan call me "honey" made me feel strangely conflicted. A rush of irritation washed over me.

"How is that any of my business?" I snapped, and hung up.

The next morning, I parked my car outside Ethan's office building and sent him a text. I knew he was in the middle of his quarterly investment meeting—the kind that typically ran for hours with all those Wall Street suits. I figured I'd wait a while, maybe grab coffee across the street if he took too long.

I hadn't even finished checking my emails when I spotted him pushing through the revolving doors, scanning the street until his eyes locked on my car. Well, that was fast.

He moved with purpose, his expensive suit jacket fluttering in the November wind. I could see the moment he spotted me—his pace quickened, and a barely perceptible smile tugged at his lips.

He slid into my passenger seat, his eyes finding mine instantly. Without a word, he leaned over and kissed me, his lips firm against mine. I didn't pull away. In fact, I kissed him back, just slightly, enough to feel the warmth of his mouth against mine.

When he finally broke the kiss, I said calmly, "You can go upstairs now."

"You called me down here just for this?" he asked, his green eyes searching my face. There was a hint of confusion in his expression, but mostly pleasure.

"Problem?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Not at all. I'm honored. Touched, even." His lips curved into a smile. "But isn't it a bit much to drive all the way here just to satisfy a personal craving?"

I looked him up and down, taking in his impeccable suit and perfect face. "With your looks, Mr. Haxton? Worth it."

He laughed softly. "Well, if this mutually beneficial arrangement works for you, I'm available anytime. I can even come to you if the drive is inconvenient."

Before he got out of the car, he leaned in again, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead, then my cheek.

"I'm going back to work," he murmured, his voice low. "Drive safely."