The door slammed shut.
Dominic was gone.
Elijah sat on the bed, his pulse still unsteady. What the hell just happened? One moment, Dominic was overwhelming him with his presence—his touch, his words, his unrelenting control—and the next, he was gone, dragged away by some urgent business call.
Elijah exhaled sharply and flopped onto the mattress, staring at the ceiling. Why did he feel so restless? He should be relieved Dominic had left. But he wasn't.
His phone buzzed beside him.
Matteo: You up for a drink?
Elijah frowned. Matteo? Since when did he have his number?
Another text popped up.
Matteo: Or are you under house arrest?
Elijah rolled his eyes. What a cocky bastard.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard. He shouldn't reply.
But then again… why not?
Elijah: I can go wherever I want.
Matteo: Prove it.
That's how he ended up here—sitting across from Matteo in a dimly lit bar, swirling a glass of whiskey he had barely touched.
"You look tense," Matteo noted, watching him closely. "Rough night?"
Elijah scoffed. "You could say that."
Matteo leaned in slightly, smirking. "Let me guess. Dominic?"
Elijah's fingers tightened around his glass. "Why do you care?"
Matteo chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "Because it's entertaining watching him lose his mind over you."
Elijah frowned. "That's not—"
"Don't play dumb." Matteo's gaze darkened, though his smirk remained. "You must know by now. The way he looks at you? The way he reacts whenever I'm around? Dominic Moretti is obsessed with you."
Elijah's breath caught.
He wanted to deny it. To say Matteo was wrong.
But wasn't there truth in his words?
Matteo tilted his head. "And the real question is… what are you going to do about it?"
Before Elijah could answer, the atmosphere in the bar shifted.
The air turned heavy.
Dangerous.
A slow chill crawled up Elijah's spine. He didn't need to turn around to know who had just walked in.
Matteo smirked. "Ah. Speak of the devil."
Elijah finally turned—and met Dominic's eyes.
Dark. Dangerous. Possessive.
He didn't even look at Matteo. His entire focus was locked on Elijah.
Elijah swallowed hard. "Dominic, I—"
Then Dominic moved.
Before Elijah could blink, Dominic's hand shot out, grabbing him by the wrist.
Elijah gasped. "What the hell—"
Dominic ignored him. His voice was low, edged with fury. "We're leaving."
Matteo leaned back, watching with amusement. "Not even a hello, Moretti?"
Dominic finally turned his gaze on him. And the look in his eyes? Lethal.
"Say another word, and I'll put a bullet in your mouth."
Matteo simply smirked. "Touchy."
Elijah tried to yank his hand away. "Let go, Dominic!"
But Dominic only tightened his grip. "You really think you can walk out of my house and meet him? After everything?"
Elijah glared. "I don't belong to you!"
Dominic's jaw clenched, something dangerous flickering in his expression. "Oh, but you do."
Elijah's heart pounded. The way he said it… it wasn't just words.
Matteo chuckled. "If you keep acting like that, Moretti, he's going to start thinking he actually has a choice."
Dominic turned sharply and landed a brutal punch against Matteo's jaw.
Elijah gasped. Matteo barely flinched. Instead, he wiped the blood from his lip, smiling.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Matteo mused.
Dominic turned back to Elijah. "We're leaving. Now."
Elijah knew there was no point in arguing. Not here. Not like this.
Without another word, Dominic dragged him out of the bar.
---