The silence was suffocating.
Elijah sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Dominic's car, arms crossed, jaw clenched.
Dominic's hands gripped the steering wheel too tight, knuckles white.
The tension between them was thick, heavy, dangerous.
Neither spoke.
The drive back felt endless.
Then—
SCREECH!
Dominic slammed the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road.
Elijah's head snapped toward him. "What the hell—"
Dominic turned to him, eyes burning.
"What the fuck were you thinking, Elijah?" His voice was low, controlled—but barely.
Elijah scoffed. "Oh, so now I need your permission to talk to people?"
Dominic's jaw tensed. "Not people. Him."
Elijah rolled his eyes. "He's not that bad."
Dominic let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Not that bad?" His hand shot out, gripping Elijah's chin—firm, demanding.
Elijah's breath hitched.
Dominic leaned in. Too close. Too intense.
His voice was a whisper of fury.
"You have no idea what kind of man Matteo is."
Elijah glared. "And you think you do?"
Dominic's fingers tightened slightly.
"I know him better than you ever could." His eyes searched Elijah's, dark, dangerous. "And I will not let him have you."
Elijah's heartbeat hammered.
The words—**the raw possessiveness in them—**sent a shiver down his spine.
Elijah swallowed hard, trying to act unaffected. "You don't own me, Dominic."
Dominic exhaled sharply. "I know."
Then he did something that made Elijah's stomach flip.
Dominic let go—slowly, reluctantly—like he was forcing himself.
Then he turned away, running a hand through his hair.
For the first time, he looked… frustrated. Tired. Vulnerable.
Elijah stared.
Dominic Moretti—the ruthless mafia boss—was struggling.
Elijah didn't know what to do with that.
A heavy silence followed.
Then Dominic spoke again, voice low.
"Elijah… just tell me." His hands clenched. "Did you go to Matteo because of me?"
Elijah froze.
Dominic turned to him, eyes unreadable. "Were you trying to make me jealous?"
A sharp pang hit Elijah's chest.
Was he?
He wasn't even sure anymore.
So he did what he always did when he felt cornered.
He lied.
Elijah shrugged, forcing a smirk. "What if I was?"
Dominic went completely still.
Then—**without warning—**he reached across the seat, gripping Elijah's neck.
Elijah barely had time to react before Dominic's lips crashed into his.
It wasn't soft.
It wasn't gentle.
It was pure, burning, furious desire.
A claim. A punishment. A warning.
Elijah gasped against his lips, fingers gripping Dominic's jacket.
But then—just as suddenly as it started—Dominic pulled away.
Leaving Elijah breathless. Shaken.
Dominic's forehead rested against his for a second—just a second.
Then he whispered—almost brokenly.
"Don't fucking test me, Elijah."
And then he pulled away completely, started the car—and drove off.
Leaving Elijah to stare at him, heart pounding, mind in complete chaos.
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