Damian's voice hung in the air like a cocked gun, ready to fire.
Antonio's grip on my wrist released, and I stumbled back, pulse thundering as my gaze darted between them. The storm outside was raging, but the tension within that alleyway was sharper than any blade.
"Walk away, Damian," Antonio said coldly and deliberately. "This doesn't concern you.
"It does now," Damian said, stepping closer. His icy gaze swept over me, lingering just long enough for me to feel a flicker of something I hadn't felt in years—safety. "Let her go, Antonio."
Antonio's smile was a razor's edge. "Since when do you play the hero?"
"Since you made this mistake," Damian said evenly. "You know the rules. She's under my protection now."
I stared at him, my heart racing. Protection? What is he talking about?
Antonio laughed that low dangerous sound. "You think you can protect her from me? You've forgotten how this world works."
"No," Damian said in a quiet voice, his eyes darkening. "You have.
In one swift motion, Antonio launched himself upward and swung his fist at Damian's face. As loud as the storm outside was, all that Damian did was flinch. He cocked his fist solid and considerate into Antonio's gut. Grunting in pain, he doubled over, retreating with Antonio's gut clutched.
I stood frozen as they fought like titans, two forces of nature clashing in deadly precision. Antonio was fast, brutal, while Damian was colder, sharper-every move with an intention to strike and destroy.
"Enough!" Antonio snarled, stepping back as his chest heaved. There was a drop of blood from the corner of his lip, but his eyes were afire. "It's not finished."
"It never is," Damian said.
Antonio's eyes flashed to mine, clouding with something that ran a shiver down my spine. "I'll be seeing you soon, Elena."
The promise in his tone was a dagger in my heart. My fists clenched at my sides as he disappeared into the shadows.
For a long moment, only the rain remained between Damian and me.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and steady. "Are you hurt?
I shook my head, swallowing hard. "No. Not physically."
His eyes gentled, though his guard was still in place. "We need to move."
"Why are you here?" I whispered.
"Because you needed me."
---
The car smelled of leather and menace as Damian drove the dark streets with ease, the storm outside showing no signs of receding. My hands were shaking in my lap, my adrenaline fading into exhaustion and fear.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safe," he replied, and there was no arguing the matter.
I said nothing, my head reeling as I regarded him in silence, my mind replete with all kinds of questions. Damian had been a ghost in my life—a name spoken in whispers, a memory that haunted the edges of my mind. He'd vanished years ago without a word, leaving behind more secrets than answers.
"Why now?" I finally asked. "Why help me?
His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "You should never have been left alone to begin with."
The words twisted in my chest like a knife. "You left me."
"I didn't have a choice."
"There's always a choice," I spat, and my voice shook with anger. "You abandoned me, Damian. And now you think you can just show up and-"
"I never stopped watching." His voice cut through my fury, sharp and undeniable.
My breath caught. "What?"
"He'd always been there" he said in a hushed tone, his eyes never straying from the road.
The car jerked sharply, tires shrieking as Damian whipped into an alleyway. My heart lunged into my throat as I braced myself, my fear raking over my chest like an icicle.
"What are you doing?"
"Hold on," he grunted.
The alley opened into a hidden courtyard, dark and silent. Damian killed the engine, the sudden silence deafening after the roar of the storm.
"Out."
I hesitated, my pulse still racing. "Where are we?"
"Safe."
"Define safe."
He didn't answer.
I followed him into a building that outwardly looked abandoned but inside was sleek, modern. Along the walls were security monitors and the faint hum of technology.
Damian keyed in a code; the door locked behind us with a heavy thunk.
I spun and faced him, my hands shaking. "You can't just-"
"You need to rest."
"I need answers.
He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "You always were stubborn."
"And you were always a liar," I shot back.
He flinched, the truth landing like a blow. "I didn't want this for you."
"Didn't want what for me?
"This life. The danger. The betrayal."
I stepped closer, my eyes ablaze. "Then why didn't you stop it?"
"Because some wars can't be won," he said in a quiet voice. "Not without sacrifice.
I stared at him, my heart seething with questions I wasn't sure I wanted answered. "And what did you sacrifice?"
He looked at me, the weight of a thousand secrets in his gaze. "Everything.
Outside, it was drizzling, and I sat amongst four walls in the small room that he led me into. The memories haunted my head like images of the fragments of some puzzle which didn't set well.
The deceit. The betrayal. Antonio's words haunted me-as if this had been a cursed prelude.
Love is weakness.
My hands clenched tightly into fists; heaviness in my heart was a truth I could not avoid anymore.
The door creaked open, and Damian stepped inside, silent yet intense.
"You need to sleep," he quietly whispered.
"Sleep isn't going to change anything," I whispered back.
"No," he acquiesced. "But it will make you stronger for what is to come."
"What's to come?
A flash of hesitation, then tense working of the jaw. "War."
---
Dead of night, I tumbled into wakefulness.
There was a figure leaning over me; the cold shine of a blade slivered through in moonlight.
"Shh," a voice whispered, low and deadly. "Don't scream."
I didn't need to.
I was already fighting.
---