Elijah's grip on the pipe tightened as the tall man's eyes lingered on him, scanning him like a hunter sizing up prey.
The three injured attackers from earlier had already scrambled away, leaving only the echo of dripping water and the stranger's slow, deliberate steps toward them.
Luca stepped in front of Elijah. "You're not touching him."
"Relax," the man said, voice smooth as silk. "If I wanted to hurt him, he'd already be bleeding."
His smirk deepened. "Although… that can be arranged."
Elijah's pulse kicked up. "Who the hell are you?"
The man's gaze slid back to Luca. "You didn't tell him? Interesting. You always were a coward, Luca."
---
The Air Shifted.
Elijah's stomach sank. He'd never seen Luca's shoulders this tense, his jaw clenched so hard it might crack.
"Leave him out of this," Luca said lowly.
"Oh, but he's the whole reason I'm here," the man replied. "You took something from me six years ago, and I've been patient. Very patient. But now… you've brought me your heart gift-wrapped."
"What?" Elijah asked, looking between them. "Luca, what is he talking about?"
Luca didn't answer.
---
The man chuckled. "You didn't tell him the truth, did you? About why you left. About the deal you made."
A chill spread across Elijah's skin.
"Luca," he said again, more firmly, "what is he talking about?"
"I told you to go," Luca said without looking at him.
"Not until you—"
"Go!" Luca barked, the force in his voice cutting deep.
---
The stranger moved faster than Elijah expected—one second he was ten feet away, the next he was right in front of them. Two more men emerged from the shadows, both armed.
"Neither of you are going anywhere," the man said, almost cheerfully. "Tie them."
Elijah swung the pipe, catching one of the men in the shoulder, but the other grabbed him from behind, twisting his arms until pain shot down his spine.
"Let him go!" Luca snarled, breaking free long enough to throw a punch, but the barrel of a gun pressed against Elijah's temple froze him in place.
---
"Good," the man said. "Now you listen. Luca, I want my ledger back."
"You know I don't have it," Luca spat.
"Then I'll keep your pretty distraction here until you find it." His eyes glinted at Elijah. "Who knows… maybe we'll even become friends."
Elijah struggled, rage boiling hot in his veins. "Touch me and—"
"You'll what?" the man interrupted, smirking. "You think you scare me? The only reason you're breathing right now is because I want to see how far Luca will crawl to save you."
---
The Breaking Point
Luca's voice dropped to a deadly calm. "If you so much as bruise him, you're dead."
The man tilted his head. "There's the Luca I remember. Still making threats you can't keep."
Something in Luca's face changed then—Elijah saw it. A shadow of guilt, sharp and suffocating.
The man's smile widened. "Shall I tell him, or will you?"
Luca's jaw tightened. "Don't."
"Oh, but it's such a romantic story. Boy meets boy. Boy betrays boy. Boy disappears after handing him over to—"
"Enough!" Luca roared, his voice cracking.
---
The silence that followed was heavy. Elijah's chest tightened, his mind spinning.
"What is he talking about?" Elijah asked, the words almost shaking.
Luca didn't meet his eyes. "It's… not what you think."
"Then tell me what it is," Elijah demanded. "Right now."
But before Luca could answer, the stranger snapped his fingers, and one of the armed men shoved a black cloth bag over Elijah's head.
---
The last thing Elijah heard before being dragged away was Luca's voice—low, urgent, and breaking.
"I'm coming for you. No matter what it costs."
---