Page 219 of Fractured Allegiance
“Lydia,” he calls, voice cutting through the wood. “We need to talk.”
Of course we do.
I glance back at Silas, still unmoving in the bed, then step toward the door.
And just like that, the weight of last night tightens in my chest again.
I open the door, and Elias stands there, crisp as ever in a black shirt rolled at the sleeves, hair neat like he hasn’t justorchestrated a midnight war. He doesn’t look at me first. He looks past me. Into the room.
Into the bed.
I cross my arms over my chest even though the shirt I’m wearing covers me enough. His eyes land on the discarded clothes scattered near the foot of the bed. My skin prickles, but I don’t flinch. If he wants to judge, let him. He’s not my priest, and I’m not confessing.
“Comfortable?” he asks, tone even, like it’s not a question about sheets.
“Better than a locked penthouse.”
His mouth twitches, but it isn’t a smile. Elias has never been one for showing amusement. He studies me for a beat longer, then shifts his gaze away from the bed and back to me.
“You’re safe here. For now.”
“For now,” I repeat, voice flat. “That’s comforting.”
“It’s the truth.”
Truth. The word tastes bitter. I wonder what Silas told him while I was being dragged through that rooftop chaos. How much Elias knows. How much he doesn’t.
“You’ve got two problems,” Elias says, stepping into the room without asking. He doesn’t look at Silas again, though I can feel Silas’s presence like heat radiating off the bed. Elias focuses on me. “One—Drazen isn’t going to let this go. You embarrassed him. Twice as it is, with Dom and your… decision.” He gestures towards Silas as he says ‘Decision’. He pauses before adding, “That paints a target bigger than you think.”
“And two?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “The Bureau. They’re not going to protect Silas after what went down last night. He went off-map. He’ll be on his own now.”
I glance at Silas. His eyes are open now, awake and burning. He doesn’t rise. Doesn’t argue. Just watches Elias with that stillness that’s more dangerous than shouting.
Elias sees it, too. His expression hardens. “You can stay here as long as you need. Both of you. But make no mistake: every hour we spend here is another hour Drazen has to find us.”
I lean against the dresser, arms crossed. “So, what’s the plan? You’re not the type to hide in safehouses.”
“No. I’m not.” He folds his arms, mirroring me. “But first, you need rest. You’ve been running on adrenaline for days. That gets people killed. Take the room. Lock the door if it makes you feel better. I’ll handle the perimeter.”
His words are clipped, final, like an order disguised as an offer.
And just like that, the distance between us feels wider than the hall. He’s protecting me, yes, but also reminding me of where I stand. Of what I’ve cost him.
Silas finally sits up behind me. His voice comes out low, steady. “We’ll take the space.”
Elias’s eyes cut to him, then back to me. “Then I’ll let you get back to… whatever this is.” He pauses at the door. “But remember what I said. Drazen doesn’t forgive. And the Bureau doesn’t forget.”
He leaves without another word.
The silence he leaves behind feels heavier than his presence.
I turn back to Silas. His gaze pins me in place. He’s shirtless, muscles tense, hair mussed from the pillow, but it’s his eyes that undo me.
Eyes that don’t promise safety. Eyes that demand something I can’t name.
And for a second, I almost wish Elias had stayed. Because the danger in this room feels so much more consuming than the quick death waiting outside.
