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Chapter Nine: The Bullet That Almost Took Him
Cold. It wasn't just cold—it was the kind of cold that sinks deep into your bones and won't let go.
Elias hit the concrete floor hard. His knees screamed, but the pain didn't matter. Terror was flooding through him, drowning every other feeling. His hands were tied tight behind his back with a zip tie. His mouth was taped shut, and he tasted blood from the first blow.
He tried to stay calm. Tried to breathe through the panic.
The man in front of him was no stranger.
Detective Rourke.
The same man who had looked him in the eyes beside a dead body and said, "You're safe now."
Safe?
Now, Rourke was loading a silencer on a pistol. Calmly. Like this was just another day.
Elias's chest heaved. He struggled, tears running down his cheeks. He tried to scream, but it was only a muffled sound behind the tape.
"Don't look at me like that," Rourke said quietly, voice shaking—not with guilt, but anger. "It's not personal. You were bait. You were supposed to be the trap. But then you got too close. Asking questions you shouldn't."
Elias's mind raced. This was about Noah. The necklace. The lies.
Rourke grabbed Elias's chin hard, forcing him to look. "You think your brother was some kind of hero? He was deep in this mess. And he paid the price. If you don't shut up, you're next."
He stood, raised the gun.
Elias froze.
This was the end.
But then—the warehouse door exploded off its hinges.
"DROP THE FUCKING GUN!" Damien's voice thundered.
Gunshots rang out. Not from Rourke, but from officers rushing in behind Damien.
Rourke spun and fired.
Elias ducked.
The bullet missed.
Chaos broke loose. Shouts, sirens, smoke.
Damien lunged at Rourke, wrestling the gun free. "You touch him again, I swear I'll kill you."
More officers poured in, dragging Rourke away, shouting, "You don't get it! He's part of it too!"
But Elias barely heard.
Damien was in front of him in a heartbeat. Tearing off the tape, cutting the ties, pulling Elias close.
"I told you not to run," Damien said, voice rough, shaking. "What did they do to you?"
Elias clung to him, crying so hard he thought he might lose himself.
"You were almost—"
Damien stopped. His hand shook as it cradled the back of Elias's neck, holding him like something fragile.
Blood stained Damien's knuckles. His eyes burned with fear, rage, and something else—possessiveness.
Elias, trembling, finally understood: Damien would do anything to keep him alive.
He almost had to.
Even as the sirens faded, a chill hung in the air.
Rourke's words rang in Elias's mind, sharp and cruel.
"You're protecting the wrong one… He's part of it too…"
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Later That Night
The harsh white lights of the ER stung Elias's eyes as nurses cleaned him up. He said little, barely aware of the strangers around him.
A detective took his statement. Nurses stitched cuts and wiped away blood. They told him he was lucky.
But Elias didn't feel lucky.
He felt hollow.
Broken.
Haunted.
When the door opened again, he expected Damien.
But it wasn't him.
A tall man in dark blue scrubs stepped inside, calm and confident. A stethoscope hung around his neck, and a clipboard was in his hand.
"Well, that's quite the first impression," the man said with a smile that somehow felt warm.
"I'm Dr. Cassian Rowe. You must be Elias."
Their eyes met.
For a moment, Elias forgot how to breathe.
Cassian's smile deepened, a single dimple showing.
"Don't worry," he said gently. "You're in good hands now."
Elias lay back against the hospital bed, every breath feeling heavy and uncertain. The fluorescent lights buzzed quietly overhead, casting pale shadows across the room. The door opened, and a man in dark scrubs stepped inside.
"Hey," the man said softly, pulling up a chair beside Elias. "How are you holding up? I know it's been a lot."
Elias swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the cracked ceiling. "I don't know," he admitted, voice low. "Feels like I'm still waiting for something worse to happen. Like the other shoe hasn't dropped yet."
The doctor nodded, his expression gentle but steady. "That makes sense. What you went through… it's not something anyone should have to face. But you're safe here. I promise."
Elias let out a bitter laugh, rubbing the side of his head where the pain throbbed. "Safe? The last time someone said that, I almost got shot."
The doctor's eyes softened. "I can't fix what happened. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."
Elias's gaze finally dropped to the man's face, searching. "Why are you being so kind? You don't even know me."
The doctor shrugged, a small smile touching his lips. "Maybe not. But right now, I just want to help. Maybe… you need someone on your side."
A tear slipped down Elias's cheek, and he swallowed it quickly. "I don't know if I can trust anyone anymore."
The doctor reached out, his hand resting lightly on Elias's. "Start with me. One step at a time."
Elias nodded slowly. "Okay. One step."