Elijah's heart hammered in his chest as Matteo's smirk stretched across his face. The last thing he expected was to be caught by the very person who had been making things more complicated than they already were.
Matteo leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze intense but playful. "You've been sneaking around, Eli. That's not like you."
Elijah's stomach churned. How the hell did Matteo know? He hadn't even realized how obvious he'd been. He forced a casual shrug. "Just curious. You've been acting like you own the place."
Matteo chuckled, the sound smooth and dangerous. "Maybe I do. This whole house, this whole game… it's all a matter of perspective."
Elijah raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore the unease creeping up his spine. "What game are you talking about?"
"Oh, you know," Matteo said, stepping closer. His voice dropped into something more intimate, as though they were sharing some secret only the two of them could understand. "The one where Dominic is always one step behind. The one where you're the prize, Eli."
Elijah tensed, his throat suddenly dry. "I'm not some prize."
Matteo smiled as if he knew exactly what Elijah was thinking. "Of course you are. To him, to me, to everyone here. The question is… who gets to claim you first?"
Before Elijah could respond, Matteo reached out, his fingers brushing over Elijah's wrist in a slow, deliberate motion.
Elijah froze, his body reacting to the unexpected touch. The electricity between them buzzed, even though Elijah was doing his best to ignore it.
Matteo's voice lowered, dangerously quiet now. "You really shouldn't be sneaking around, Eli. You never know who might be watching."
Just as Elijah tried to collect himself, the door creaked open, and his heart skipped a beat. The last thing he expected was someone else to walk in on them, but the person who appeared wasn't Dominic. It was someone who didn't make Elijah's heart race with uncertainty. It was Vincent, Dominic's right-hand man.
"Matteo," Vincent's voice was cold, as usual, but the tension in his eyes was unmistakable. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Matteo shrugged, his air of confidence unfazed. "Just having a chat with Eli. Old friends, you know?"
Vincent's sharp gaze flicked between Matteo and Elijah, his protective instincts kicking in. "Dominic doesn't like visitors without warning." His tone was edged with a warning.
Matteo smiled effortlessly, as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Old alliances, Vincent. You know how it is." His smile held a secret, one that only he understood. It was a reminder that Matteo and Dominic had once been close—partners, even. They had shared business dealings before everything fell apart. Old alliances were still a part of their unspoken history, and Matteo was using that history to his advantage.
Vincent didn't push the matter further, but the tension in his posture spoke volumes. "Dominic's looking for you, Matteo. It's time to go."
Matteo tilted his head toward Elijah with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Don't go anywhere, Eli. I'll be back to finish our chat."
Elijah stood frozen for a moment as Matteo and Vincent walked out of the room. The door clicked shut behind them, and the quiet weight of the situation settled around him. What the hell was going on?
He couldn't help but feel unsettled by Matteo's words and actions. There was something about the way Matteo had looked at him—something predatory, yet strangely enticing.
Just as the silence began to creep in, Elijah heard the familiar, dangerous voice of Dominic from the doorway.
"Elijah."
Elijah spun around, his heart skipping at the sound of Dominic's voice. The mafia boss stood there, his face dark with barely contained anger. His intense gaze locked onto Elijah, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The tension between them was palpable, as though the air had thickened, charged with an unspoken understanding.
"Where did you go?" Dominic's voice was low, dangerously calm.
Elijah opened his mouth to answer but faltered. There was no way he could explain what just happened with Matteo. Not that he wanted to, anyway. Dominic might not take it well, and he wasn't sure what to make of Matteo's presence in Dominic's home.
He cleared his throat, trying to gather himself. "Just needed some air," he said, his voice lighter than he felt. "What's going on?"
Dominic's eyes narrowed. He knew something was off. But before Elijah could ask anything more, Dominic stepped forward, closing the distance between them. The air seemed to crackle with the energy of their unspoken tension.
"Don't wander off again," Dominic said, his tone tight but edged with something that almost sounded like concern.
Elijah held his gaze, resisting the urge to look away. There was no denying it: things between them had changed. He wasn't sure what direction this was heading, but with every passing moment, it felt like it was pulling them closer—and that scared him more than anything.
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