BENEATH THE MASK

Let's see..

Disclaimer: Really now? Is this really necessary for a site where work is obviously fanfiction?

Warnings: Cursing?

SUMMARY: Kaiden Grant and his second-in-command, Drake Stanford, are underground Miami's most infamous street racers and even more dangerous crime lords. Ever since they showed up in Miami, they hadn't lost a single race. Kaiden Grant and Drake Stanford were the Kings and everybody knew it. But where had they came from, and why? What dark secrets lay beneath their masks?

PROLOGUE

The two men were oblivious to the envious and heated stares they garnered as they twisted their bodies gracefully to the music, grinding a sinful dance together that had more than one head standing to attention. The dark haired beauty and his blonde haired companion shared a wicked grin as they ran hands over each others bodies, exploring and teasing. Finally the blonde smiled and stopped, smoothing down his clothing.

"Ready to blow this place, Kaiden?"

The dark haired beauty smiled and nodded as he straightened out his mussed up hair. "Anytime you are, Drake."

Kaiden Grant was, for lack of a better word, gorgeous. His messy jet black hair was cut haphazardly in layers with a fringe that fell to just above his unforgettable eyes. Vibrant emerald greens stood out on the chiselled face of the young man and his body was lithe, a tight shirt outlining his taut muscles. Tight black jeans clad long legs as a white tee adorned his upper body. Under the strobe lights of the club, a diamond cross earring sparkled on his left ear and a similar diamond sparkled in a stud on the cartilage of his right ear. On his neck rested a choker with three emeralds on it, and an army dog tag on a chain that read Emerald. Drake Stanford was just as gorgeous as his dark haired companion. Almost the opposite of his friend, he had platinum blonde hair that stopped just shy of his nape, the ends tapering into a thin point as it reached the top of his shoulder. Stormy grey eyes captured your attention on a thin, but not overly so, face with high cheekbones. Tight dark blue jeans covered his legs as a black dress shirt covered his lean torso with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A Rolex watch sat on his wrist and a choker with a single obsidian stone in it lay on his neck. He also had a dog tag on a chain, exactly the same as Kaiden's except that it read Dragon.

Together, the two of them stopped hearts.

Kaiden weaved his way out of the club, Drake following close behind him. Kaiden couldn't help but savour the pride welling up instead him as he looked at his car parked in one of the two VIP parking spaces. The Nissan Skyline GT-R was his baby, his pride and joy. The Skyline had a fluorescent green paintjob with green neon lights underneath and a black hood that had Kaiden James scrawled across it in cursive script, his own, via a customised decal. He had also tinted the windows black. Drake ruffled his hair playfully as he walked by to get to his own car, parked in the other VIP parking space. Drake's car was a fluorescent orange Ferrari F430 with orange neon lights underneath, black hood and windows tinted black. He had scrawled across his hood his own decal in cursive script that said Drake M.

"Stop ogling your ride and just get in it, bro."

Kaiden rolled his eyes but unlocked his car and slid in gracefully. His engine started with a smooth purr that had him grinning in delight before he put his foot down the pedal and shot out of the parking lot, tires squealing. They drove nose to nose, with Kaiden's car in reverse. Kaiden smiled at Drake through their windscreens as he let out an exhilarated laugh; driving blind gave him an adrenaline rush like no tomorrow.

~BTM~

Heavy bass filled the air as tricked up cars and their drivers milled around talking and barely clothed racer chasers walked around flaunting their bodies. The normally relaxed atmosphere was supercharged with tension and excitement as a race was organised, four cars already on the line; Slap Jack, Orange Julius, Brian 'Bullet' O'Conner, and Suki.

"Yo, where's your fifth at?" A black man with an afro questioned, waving his hand at the empty fifth lane. Tej Parker; ex-racer, organiser and the man to know in Miami.

"He had to work the graveyard shift." Jack explained.

"Graveyard shift?" Tej repeated with an incredulous raise of his eyebrows. Jack shrugged. "Well, y'all aren't racing unless you find a fifth." He said as he waved a walkie talkie towards the racers lined up, making them grumble.

"We should find two. So we don't have to roll with skirt here." Julius shouted, chortling as he gestured to Suki. Suki rolled her eyes as she gave him the finger.

"Look, how about I just find y'all a fifth?" Tej asked as his eyes met familiar emerald green in the crowd, a mischievous smile unfurling upon his face.

The racers nodded in agreement, eager to get the race started. Tej nodded his head towards an unknown individual without calling out a name, making the four racers turn around where they stood in confusion. That it, until the familiar revving of an engine made the only female racer on the line pale and utter a fervent "oh shit". The other three looked confused until they saw the fluorescent green paintjob of the Skyline and the orange Ferrari following it.

"Merde." The Spanish man cursed. Jack just sighed and silently said his goodbyes to his money. Brian was a newbie to Miami's race scene so he just watched silently, not knowing what was going on. Up until this day, Brian had always considered himself straight but he immediately reconsidered his assessment of his sexual orientation when he saw the occupants of the two cars.

The orange Ferrari parked to the side and out got a hot blonde man who sat on his hood with a serene look, ignoring the screaming racer chasers that tried to get his attention.

"Who is that?" Brian muttered to Suki, who was parked beside him.

"That's Drake Stanford," Suki supplied helpfully. The Skyline pulled up to the starting line and the door opened to reveal black denim clad legs. Kaiden Grant stepped out of his car gracefully and dipped his head to the cheering crowd with a sexy grin. Her lips pulled up in a wry smile when she heard Brian's intake of breath at the sight of the raven haired man. "And that is Kaiden Grant. He and Drake are the very definitions of the word player; so thankfully, they only bat for your team."

Brian had to swallow hard to get his heart to keep beating. Without a doubt, he was definitely more bisexual. And quite possibly just gay.

Kaiden turned to look at the other racers as he sat down on the hood of his car. "What's up, Suki." He greeted, wrapping the approaching girl into a hug.

Suki smiled at him. "What's up, Kaiden."

Kaiden and Drake both regarded the Japanese girl as their little sister. But as close as Drake was to Suki, Kaiden may as well have been her real brother because blood couldn't make them any closer. Kaiden was fiercely protective of her and when she had first started racing, he had refused to let her compete. His conditions were that until she could drive by his standards, she would stay out of the races. And now, here she was; one of the best street racers that Miami had to offer. Of course, Kaiden had learnt from the best, so the credit of teaching the girl couldn't really go to him.

Tej Parker walked over to the raven haired man with a wide smile. "Sup, Kaiden."

"How you doin', Tej?"

"Good, man, good. Thanks for asking. You ready to race?"

"You know I always am." Kaiden replied with a grin, just before his eyes finally noticed Brian. He slowly stood up and his eyes roamed over the lean body even as he handed Tej the money. "And who, may I ask, is this, Suki?" He asked as he looked at the blonde haired, blue eyed man.

"Brian O'Conner." Brian spoke up for himself, his voice confident even though he felt like his insides were made out of jelly at the heat in the other man's eyes. A predatory smirk spread across Kaiden's full lips as he locked eyes with him.

"Let's see you race, Brian O'Conner." Kaiden said before he turned and opened his car door. He threw Drake a quick two-fingered salute[1] as was their long standing tradition before he slid into the Skyline and pulled the door shut.

He wound his window, along with the passenger side window, down. Looking out, he locked eyes with Drake, who was lounging on the hood of his Ferrari, and revved his car, chuckling at his friend's cocky smirk. Kaiden didn't break eye contact with Drake as he waited.

"Ready-"

"Set-"

"GO!"

Without breaking eye contact, Kaiden slammed his foot down on the gas and sped off first, the others only managing to keep him in their line of sight. He let out an exhilarated laugh at the adrenaline that racing blind (since his eyes were on Drake) brought him. After a while, Kaiden started to weave his car in twists and turns on the empty road as the race wore on, bored, since everyone was far back. He sighed when he saw the raised bridge; he was having a lot of fun imprinting his tire tracks onto the road. Suddenly, a blue and silver Nissan Skyline appeared in his rear view mirror and he smirked. Time to work his magic; Kaiden snorted at his own thoughts. He ripped the handbrake and did a burnout in a circle around Brian's car. Kaiden smiled compellingly as his car drifted past Brian's window, his eyes locked on the blonde's face.

"You're not too bad, O'Conner. We should go out sometime. I know a great Cuban restaurant." He winked and when the car completed the circle, he straightened it up and hit the NOS. Just before the car was launched off the bridge, Kaiden aligned the car to the middle of the bridge, hitting the other shot of NOS and making the Skyline shoot across the gap. He reached the finish line first and decided to give the crowd a show. Instead of just stopping, he kept the speed as it was before pulling on the handbrake and slamming the steering wheel to the left, creating a skid mark in the shape of an L on the road and presenting his smirking face to the cheering crowd. He got out with his smirk firmly in place as he bumped fists with Drake who was smirking proudly. Squealing tires announced the arrival of the other racers. Kaiden's predatory smirk grew as he locked eyes with his blonde boy who was just stepping out of his car. "Hold up Drake, I've got booty to claim."

Drake rolled his eyes but nodded for his friend to go ahead. As the other three racers mingled, he quickly caught up to the blonde before he could do much more than close his car door. Kaiden pushed Brian back against the door of his Nissan and caught his lips with his own, his hands caging the blonde in as they gripped onto the roof of Brian's car.

"Kaiden-? Kaiden…" Brian moaned as Kaiden's lips moved against his own. Kaiden stepped back and ran his eyes over him slowly. Mussed blonde hair, flushed cheeks and red lips. Gorgeous. Kaiden smirked.

"I'll see you around, Brian O'Conner." He gave him a two-fingered salute before strolling back to his car. Suddenly police sirens sounded all around them, causing instant chaos as everyone rushed to get away. Kaiden looked around with a disapproving frown at his party being crashed, before he got into his car and drove off, unhurried to escape the police. With the notice-me-not in place – there was no need.

But Brian didn't have the same luck.

[1] – This is when you salute but with only two fingers, not the other two-fingered salute (if you don't know what this is, I'm not going to say it) hahaha

Merde – shit

AN: Let me know what you think. :)

Cheers,

UponAtlas.