The world was a blur of exhaustion.
Elijah's limbs felt like lead, his brain fogged from an entire night of handling Kai's responsibilities.
He hadn't planned to do it all himself—at first, he'd just wanted to cover for Kai while he rested.
But as the night stretched on, problems kept piling up.
Calls to make.
Debts to settle.
People to threaten—some more than others.
The gang's affairs weren't going to run themselves.
At some point, his body had just given out.
He'd done it because he had to. Because if he couldn't handle one night of responsibility, then what kind of leader was he?
Now, consciousness crept back in, dragging him from the depths of much-needed sleep.
His eyelids fluttered, but the heaviness remained.
A dull ache spread through his bones, as if every fiber of his being was protesting against wakefulness.
