Elijah sat on the edge of Dominic's bed, still feeling the heat of their last encounter burning on his skin. The room was dimly lit, the scent of expensive cologne and something undeniably Dominic filling the air.
He should leave.
He wanted to leave.
But his body refused to move.
Dominic stood by the window, his broad shoulders tense as he lit a cigarette. The glow of the ember cast sharp shadows across his face, making him look even more dangerous than usual.
"Elijah."
His name rolled off Dominic's tongue like a warning, like a tether pulling him back in.
Elijah sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "What now? You gonna lecture me again?"
Dominic exhaled a slow stream of smoke, his gaze locked onto Elijah's. "You keep playing games with me, but I don't think you understand the rules."
Elijah smirked, crossing his arms. "And what rules are those?"
Dominic took a step closer, then another, until he was standing right in front of him. The air between them crackled with tension, thick and suffocating.
"You don't tease a man like me," Dominic said, his voice dangerously soft. "You don't walk into my life, turn everything upside down, and expect to walk away untouched."
Elijah swallowed hard, but he refused to look away. "Sounds like a you problem."
Dominic's lips twitched. "You're getting too comfortable."
Elijah leaned back on his palms, feigning ease despite the way his heart pounded. "And whose fault is that? You're the one who keeps dragging me back."
Dominic's fingers brushed against Elijah's jaw, tilting his face up. The touch was gentle, almost affectionate—completely at odds with the raw intensity in his eyes.
"You're not afraid of me, are you?"
Elijah's breath hitched.
He should be. He knew he should be.
But instead, he found himself leaning into Dominic's touch, his pulse racing for an entirely different reason.
Dominic's thumb traced slow circles against his skin. "You make me crazy, Eli."
The nickname again.
Elijah's stomach twisted in ways he didn't want to acknowledge.
"I think you were crazy long before I showed up," he murmured.
Dominic chuckled, low and rough. "Maybe." His fingers slid down to Elijah's throat, not in a threatening way, but in a way that sent a shiver through him. "But you've only made it worse."
Elijah's breath came unevenly, and for the first time, he felt like he was standing on the edge of something dangerous.
Something he wasn't sure he could pull away from.
The silence between them was thick—too thick. The kind that made Elijah's skin prickle with unease.
Dominic was still standing close, his hand lingering near Elijah's jaw as if he wasn't quite ready to pull away. His fingers weren't rough, weren't demanding, but they carried weight—a quiet possessiveness that Elijah was starting to recognize.
And it was dangerous.
Elijah let out a slow breath and rolled his eyes, trying to break the moment. "You always this dramatic, or is it just with me?"
Dominic didn't smile. His gaze flickered over Elijah's face, dark and unreadable. "You make it impossible for me to be anything else."
Elijah swallowed, suddenly aware of just how little distance there was between them. He needed to pull back. He needed to put some space between them before—
A knock at the door shattered the tension.
Dominic cursed under his breath, his expression shifting instantly into something harder, colder. Elijah barely had time to move before Dominic was already striding toward the door, yanking it open with a sharp glare.
Vincent stood on the other side, arms crossed. "You need to come downstairs." His voice was tight, and something in his eyes told Elijah that whatever it was, it wasn't good.
Dominic's expression darkened. "What happened?"
Vincent glanced at Elijah before answering. "There's been an issue with one of our shipments. Looks like someone's been messing with our routes."
Elijah shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't stupid he knew Dominic was involved in some serious shit, but he hadn't really seen it up close. Not like this.
Dominic exhaled through his nose, rubbing his jaw. "Matteo?"
"Could be," Vincent said. "But it doesn't feel like his style. We need to handle it before it turns into something bigger."
Dominic was already moving, grabbing his jacket and sliding his gun into place. The shift was immediate—one second, he'd been looking at Elijah like he was the only thing in the room, and the next, he was all business, all lethal focus.
Elijah watched as Dominic reached for the door, but then, just before stepping out, he paused. His gaze flickered to Elijah.
"Stay here."
It wasn't a request.
Elijah crossed his arms. "Excuse me?"
Dominic arched a brow. "You heard me. Stay in this room. Don't leave."
Elijah scoffed. "And what, be your good little pet while you go do God knows what?"
Dominic's jaw tightened. "Elijah-"
"Relax," Elijah muttered, waving a hand. "I wasn't planning on going anywhere anyway."
Dominic didn't look convinced, but after a moment, he nodded. He turned on his heel and strode out, Vincent following close behind. The door shut behind them with a firm click, leaving Elijah alone in the dimly lit room.
He let out a breath and flopped back against the mattress.
Stay here, huh?
Elijah stared at the ceiling, fingers tapping against his stomach.
He had a bad feeling about this.