Chapter 48: Between Life And Death

The safe house was eerily quiet, the only sound the ragged breathing coming from Dominic as he lay on the couch. His skin was pale, his breathing shallow, and the blood loss was becoming more apparent by the second.

Elijah sat beside him, gripping his hand tightly. He couldn't let go—not now. His chest felt tight, his mind racing. He had seen Dominic strong, dangerous, untouchable. But now, he was weak, vulnerable, barely clinging to consciousness. It scared him more than anything.

Vincent worked quickly, his hands steady despite the panic that threatened to consume them all. He ripped open the first aid kit, grabbing a needle and thread.

"We need to stop the bleeding," Vincent muttered, his voice sharp with focus. "Elijah, get me more gauze. Now."

Elijah snapped out of his daze and scrambled toward the bag of supplies. His hands were shaking as he pulled out what Vincent needed and rushed back.

Adrian stood near the door, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His expression was unreadable, but Elijah knew he was just as worried.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Adrian asked, his voice unusually quiet.

Vincent didn't answer right away. He worked quickly, pressing gauze against Dominic's wound, trying to stop the bleeding before stitching it. Dominic barely flinched—his body was too weak to react properly.

"I won't let him die," Vincent said firmly. "But he needs rest. And we need to be ready in case someone tracks us here."

Elijah swallowed hard. The reality of the situation was sinking in. Dominic had risked everything for this fight, for him. And now he was on the brink of death.

Elijah reached out, brushing damp strands of hair away from Dominic's forehead. His fingers trembled as they touched his clammy skin.

"You're gonna be fine," Elijah whispered, more to himself than to Dominic. "You have to be."

For a moment, Dominic's eyelids fluttered open. His gaze was unfocused, but when he saw Elijah, something in him settled. He tried to speak, but his voice was weak, barely a whisper.

"Elijah…"

"I'm right here," Elijah said quickly, leaning in closer.

Dominic's lips parted slightly, but no words came out. His hand twitched in Elijah's grip, his fingers weakly curling around his. It was barely a touch, but it sent a sharp pain through Elijah's chest.

Vincent finished stitching the wound and wrapped it tightly. "He needs rest. We need to keep an eye on him."

Elijah didn't move from his spot beside Dominic. He wouldn't. Not until he was sure Dominic was safe.

Adrian finally stepped forward, his usual carefree attitude nowhere to be found. "You good, man?" he asked Elijah.

Elijah didn't answer right away. He just stared at Dominic, his grip on his hand tightening.

"No," Elijah admitted. "But I will be… when he wakes up."

Adrian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah… me too."

The tension in the room didn't ease, but for now, there was nothing else to do but wait.

And hope Dominic didn't slip away.

The safe house was filled with an unbearable silence. The only sound was the faint, labored breathing of Dominic as he lay unconscious on the couch. His face was pale, lips slightly parted, and every few minutes, his body would twitch in discomfort.

Elijah sat beside him, his fingers still tightly wrapped around Dominic's hand. He hadn't moved since Vincent finished patching him up. He couldn't.

His mind wasn't stable

"Elijah."

Adrian's voice broke through his thoughts.

"You've been sitting there for hours."

"I know."

Adrian sighed, walking over and crouching beside him. "He's not gonna die."

Elijah exhaled sharply, looking down at Dominic. "How do you know that?"

Adrian rubbed the back of his neck. "Because he's stubborn as hell. A guy like him doesn't just die from something like this."

Elijah didn't respond.

Adrian leaned against the couch, watching Elijah for a moment before speaking again. "Look, man… you care about him."

Elijah tensed but didn't deny it.

"You don't have to say it," Adrian continued. "But it's obvious."

Elijah finally glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "What if I do?"

Adrian shrugged. "Then you better be ready for what that means."

Elijah turned back to Dominic. He had been fighting his feelings from the start, refusing to acknowledge the pull between them. But seeing Dominic like this—seeing him risk his life without hesitation—shattered any denial he had left.

"I hate him," Elijah muttered. "And I hate that I don't."

Adrian snorted. "Sounds complicated."

"It is."

A soft groan pulled their attention back to Dominic.

Elijah's breath hitched. His grip on Dominic's hand tightened slightly.

Dominic's eyelashes fluttered, and his lips parted as if he were trying to say something. His fingers twitched in Elijah's grasp.

"Dom?" Elijah whispered.

Dominic's eyes barely opened, his gaze unfocused. His throat bobbed as he tried to speak, voice hoarse and weak.

"Elijah…"

Elijah leaned in closer. "I'm here."

Dominic blinked sluggishly, as if making sure it was really him. Then, with what little strength he had, he smirked weakly.

"Told you… you'd miss me."

Elijah let out a sharp breath, torn between relief and frustration. "Shut up."

But his voice wavered.

Dominic coughed lightly, his grip on Elijah's hand tightening just a fraction. "You didn't let go…"

Elijah swallowed hard, his heart pounding.

"Not yet," he admitted softly.

Dominic's eyelids drooped again, but the small smirk remained as he drifted back into unconsciousness.

Elijah exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face.

Adrian nudged him. "Yeah, you're screwed, man."

Elijah sighed.

Yeah… he was.

The room was still dimly lit, the heavy scent of antiseptic and faint traces of blood lingering in the air. Dominic's breathing had steadied, but his face remained ghostly pale, a stark contrast to his usual imposing presence. Elijah hadn't left his side, his fingers still loosely intertwined with Dominic's.

Vincent entered the room, carrying a fresh set of bandages. He glanced at Elijah, then at Dominic, before sighing.

"He's lucky," Vincent muttered. "Another inch, and that bullet would've been the end of him."

Elijah's jaw clenched. "If it was so close, then why the hell did he leave without backup?"

Vincent crouched next to him, unwrapping the bloodied bandages around Dominic's shoulder. "You know why."

Elijah didn't respond.

Vincent continued, his voice low. "He doesn't trust anyone else with this war. It had to be him."

Elijah scoffed bitterly. "And look where that got him."

Vincent shook his head, carefully pressing fresh gauze against the wound. Dominic stirred slightly, a pained groan escaping his lips, but he didn't wake.

Adrian, who had been leaning against the wall, finally spoke up. "So, what now? You just keep fighting till one of you dies?"

Vincent tightened the bandage, his movements sharp. "That's the way things work."

Elijah exhaled sharply, rubbing his face. "Matteo's not gonna stop, is he?"

Vincent's eyes darkened. "Not until one of them is dead."

Silence settled over them like a thick fog.

Elijah looked at Dominic again, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. He hated this. The helplessness. The waiting. The knowing that Dominic would throw himself into battle again the moment he was strong enough to stand.

Adrian shifted. "So, what do we do? Just sit here and wait for the next attack?"

Vincent glanced at him. "That depends."

Elijah frowned. "On what?"

Vincent hesitated before answering, his voice careful.

"On how far you're willing to go."

Elijah stared at him.

Vincent's gaze flickered toward Dominic. "Because once you step into this world, Elijah… there's no going back."

Elijah swallowed, his heart pounding.

And the worst part?

He already knew that.