Elijah had seen Dominic angry before.
But this?
This was different.
Dominic didn't charge toward them, didn't throw a punch or drag Elijah away.
Instead, he watched. Still. Silent. But the air in the room had shifted—thick with danger.
Matteo, of course, was completely unfazed. If anything, his smirk grew wider.
"You know, Elijah," Matteo murmured, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his glass, "I think your guard dog is about to snap."
Elijah rolled his eyes, but his pulse was racing. "Relax. It's not like we're doing anything."
Matteo hummed, clearly entertained. "Not yet."
Vincent exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "You two are fucking idiots."
Elijah barely had time to process that before Dominic moved.
Not rushed. Not frantic. Just calculated. Deadly.
One moment, he was across the room.
The next, he was towering over their booth.
"Elijah."
Elijah swallowed. Dominic's voice was low, controlled, but there was an edge—one wrong move away from breaking.
Matteo smiled up at him, completely at ease. "Moretti, good to see you. We were just having a little chat."
Dominic ignored him, his eyes locked onto Elijah's.
"Stand up," Dominic ordered.
Elijah's jaw tightened. "Excuse me?"
Dominic didn't repeat himself.
Matteo chuckled. "Come on, Moretti. No need to be dramatic. We were simply enjoying a drink."
Dominic turned his gaze on Matteo, and the shift in his expression sent a chill down Elijah's spine.
"You think I don't know what you're doing?" Dominic said, voice dangerously quiet. "You're testing me."
Matteo's smirk didn't falter. "And what if I am?"
Elijah could feel the tension tightening around them like a noose. This was bad.
Very bad.
So, for once, Elijah made the smart choice.
He stood up.
Dominic's hand was on him in an instant, firm but not rough, claiming.
"Let's go," Dominic said, voice still low but laced with something lethal.
Matteo leaned back, watching with amusement. "Be careful, Elijah," he mused. "Possessive men tend to be the most dangerous."
Elijah exhaled sharply, ignoring the way Dominic's grip tightened. "Yeah, yeah. I'll keep that in mind."
As Dominic led him out of the lounge, Elijah didn't need to look back to know Matteo was still smiling.
This wasn't over.
And Elijah had the sinking feeling he had just made things worse.
---