The air between them was thick—so heavy Elijah felt like he could choke on it.
Dominic's glare was sharp enough to cut steel, his fingers twitching slightly as if resisting the urge to grab his gun. Matteo, on the other hand, was the picture of relaxed arrogance, his smirk never faltering, his confidence unwavering.
And Elijah?
Elijah was caught in the middle of something dangerous—something he wasn't sure he could escape from.
---
He swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the table. "Look, whatever game you both are playing, leave me out of it," he said, his voice steadier than he expected.
Matteo chuckled, his gaze flickering over Elijah with amusement. "Oh, bambino, this isn't a game. At least, not for me." His tone was teasing, but there was something else beneath it, something calculated.
Dominic's jaw clenched, his control slipping. "Don't call him that."
Matteo's smirk widened. "What? You don't like it when I give your boy pet names?" His voice was all mockery, all provocation.
Elijah groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I am not his—"
The words barely left his mouth before Dominic's fist slammed onto the table, rattling the glasses. "Don't finish that sentence." His voice was low, almost a growl, but Elijah wasn't in the mood for his possessiveness.
He shot Dominic a glare. "Don't tell me what to say."
Matteo laughed, looking between them like he was enjoying the tension. "You really have your hands full with this one, Moretti." Then, he leaned back, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "But the real question is, can you handle him?"
Dominic's body went rigid, his hands flexing as if he was seconds away from launching himself at Matteo.
Elijah sighed, feeling exhausted by their constant battle. He wasn't some prize for them to fight over.
He stood up abruptly. "You know what? I'm done with this." He grabbed his jacket. "You two can kill each other if you want, but leave me the hell out of it."
Matteo's smirk didn't waver. "Running away, Elijah?"
"I'm walking away," Elijah corrected. "Because I have better things to do than sit here and listen to two grown men act like teenagers fighting over a toy."
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then, Dominic spoke, his voice quieter but full of warning. "If you walk away now, don't expect me to chase you."
Elijah hesitated. He knew Dominic wasn't bluffing. But maybe… maybe that was exactly what he needed to do.
So, he turned around and left without another word.
---
The night air was cool against his skin as he stepped outside. His heart pounded, his mind a mess.
He should feel relieved to be away from that tension, from the suffocating weight of Dominic and Matteo in the same room.
But instead, he felt lost.
A part of him wanted to believe Matteo's attention was harmless, that he was just stirring things up to mess with Dominic. But another part—the part that had seen Matteo's calculating eyes—knew it wasn't that simple.
And Dominic…
Elijah didn't know what to do about him.
He shook his head and kept walking, hoping some distance would help clear his thoughts.
But he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
---