Chapter 93: Fate Can't Be Changed

--Elijah lay still, his head resting on Dominic's bare chest, listening to the soft rhythm of his heartbeat. The silence in the room wasn't empty—it was thick with meaning, like the air itself understood what had just happened between them.

He'd been the one to reach out this time. The one who closed the distance.

And now… there was no going back.

Dominic's arm tightened around him, fingers brushing softly against Elijah's spine. "You didn't have to do that, Eli," he whispered, voice low and rough. "Not to prove anything."

"I didn't do it to prove anything," Elijah murmured. "I just… wanted you. No noise. No questions. No more fighting what I already feel."

Dominic turned his head slightly, pressing a kiss to the side of Elijah's temple. "Then say it."

Elijah blinked, then tilted his head up to meet those intense grey eyes. "Say what?"

"That you're mine."

A small smile played at Elijah's lips. "I've always been yours. I was just too stubborn to admit it."

Dominic exhaled slowly, pulling him closer. "Then I'll say it for you. You're mine, Elijah Sinclair. And I'm not letting go. Not now, not ever."

Their lips met again—not with desperation, but with something softer. Something real. It wasn't about dominance anymore. It was about love—twisted, messy, undeniable love.

But the quiet moment was short-lived.

There was a knock at the door. Three short taps.

Dominic didn't move. His voice was sharp. "What is it?"

Vincent's voice came through, muffled but tense. "We have a problem."

Elijah sat up, heart dropping. Dominic didn't waste a second—he reached for his discarded pants, slipping them on. Elijah followed, grabbing a shirt.

As they stepped out of the bedroom, Vincent handed Dominic a phone. "We intercepted a call. It's Matteo. He's not done."

Dominic's jaw clenched. "What did he say?"

Vincent looked between the two of them. "He didn't say anything. He sent a picture."

He handed the phone to Dominic—and Elijah leaned in to look.

The image was grainy but unmistakable.

It was the outside of Adrian's apartment.

Dominic's voice was ice. "He's baiting us."

"No," Elijah said firmly, eyes locked on the screen. "He's baiting me."

Dominic turned toward him. "You're not going anywhere near him."

But Elijah was already moving toward the hallway. "He's coming after the people I love. I'm not hiding anymore."

Dominic cursed under his breath and grabbed Elijah's wrist. "Don't do anything stupid."

Elijah looked up at him with fire in his eyes. "Then don't leave me behind again."

They stared at each other—equal parts fear, fury, and something deeper neither of them wanted to name.

Vincent broke the tension. "We need to move now."

Dominic's grip loosened.

"Let's end this," Elijah said. "Together."

---

The safe house buzzed with tension. Weapons were being checked, plans whispered.

But amidst all the chaos, Vincent found his eyes constantly drawn to Adrian.

The younger man was sitting stiffly on the couch, arms crossed, clearly fuming.

Vincent watched him, jaw tight. He didn't like the way Adrian looked—too pale, too rattled.

"Stay close to Elijah," Vincent said, voice low.

Adrian shot him a glare. "I'm not a goddamn baby."

Vincent's lips twitched. "Didn't say you were."

"Then stop ordering me around like one."

For a second, Vincent just stared at him. Adrian's eyes burned with frustration, but there was something else there too—a spark Vincent hadn't noticed before.

Without thinking, Vincent stepped closer, towering over him. "You think I'm bossy? Fine. But you'll thank me when you're still breathing tomorrow."

Adrian pushed up to his feet, squaring up to him even though Vincent was taller by a few inches. "I'm not your responsibility."

The air between them crackled.

Vincent lowered his head slightly, voice dropping. "Maybe you are."

Adrian blinked—caught off guard by the intensity.

Before either of them could say anything else, Elijah stormed in with Dominic right behind him, their faces grim.

"Let's go," Dominic barked.

Vincent tore his gaze from Adrian and moved back into soldier mode instantly, but as he turned, his fingers brushed against Adrian's hand—just a little.

Enough for both of them to feel it.

Neither said a word.

But the moment lingered like a secret between them.

---

The night smelled of gunpowder and burning wood.

Dominic pushed forward through the chaos, each step deliberate, each breath a reminder of the war he had chosen.

Vincent moved at his side, dragging Adrian behind him.

"You're a fucking maniac!" Adrian hissed under his breath as bullets whizzed past them.

Vincent smirked without looking back. "You picked the wrong monster to chase, sweetheart."

"Maybe I like monsters," Adrian snapped, yanking his arm free but staying close anyway.

Dominic didn't have time to turn around. He knew his men were thinning Matteo's forces, clearing a bloody path for him straight to the source — straight to Matteo Romano.

The bastard who dared to touch what was his.

---

At the center of the battlefield, Matteo stood calmly, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Blood stained his shirt, but he didn't seem bothered.

When Dominic approached, Matteo smiled.

Like old friends.

"So here we are," Matteo said, voice low and almost fond. "After everything we've built... you choose to tear it down over a boy?"

Dominic didn't speak.

He just raised his gun.

Matteo laughed bitterly. "You used to be like me. Ruthless. Untouchable. Now look at you—chained to emotions."

"You lost the right to speak when you touched him," Dominic said, voice cold as steel.

A tense silence stretched between them, broken only by distant gunfire.

Both men knew there was no turning back.

Without warning, Matteo lunged—fast, lethal.

Dominic fired, grazing Matteo's arm. Matteo ducked behind a pillar, blood dripping down his sleeve, but still smirking.

"You won't kill me," Matteo taunted. "You and I... we're too alike."

Dominic's jaw tightened. He advanced, gun raised — but something in Matteo's eyes stopped him.

Memories. Brotherhood. Years of fighting side-by-side before betrayal tore them apart.

You were my brother once.

His finger hovered over the trigger... but he couldn't pull it.

Matteo took the chance, slipping away into the shadows.

Vincent appeared at Dominic's side, panting.

"He's gone," Vincent growled. "Want me to track him?"

Dominic shook his head.

"No," he said. "This ends here. Let him live with what he lost."

Vincent frowned but obeyed. This is the second f**king time you let him live

Behind them, Adrian was still catching his breath, glaring daggers at Vincent.

"You're insane," Adrian spat.

Vincent just winked. "You're still breathing, aren't you?"

Adrian turned away, cheeks burning.

Dominic wiped blood from his lip and looked back at the battlefield.

It was over.

For now.

But deep down, he knew — this wasn't truly the end.

This was only the beginning of something even darker.

---