LOGINEli rested his forehead against Cove’s, their bodies still tangled together on the big bed. The platinum collar around his neck felt warm now, like it had finally settled into his skin. His hands were still trembling slightly from everything that had happened. The gun lay forgotten on the mattress beside them. The flash drive sat on the nightstand like a small black bomb waiting to go off.
Cove held him close with his good arm, fingers tracing slow pat
The heavy electronic security doors began to unlock one by one. The loud mechanical clicks echoed through the dark penthouse like gunshots in the silence.Eli’s body went rigid in Cove’s arms. The pitch-black darkness pressed down on him even harder now. His breathing, which had just started to steady, turned fast and shallow again.“Cove…” Eli whispered, voice trembling. “The doors… they’re opening. Someone’s coming.”Cove held him tighter for one second, then moved with calm purpose. He stood up, pulling Eli with him. “Stay close to me. Hold onto my belt. Don’t let go no matter what happens.”Eli grabbed the back of Cove’s belt with both hands. His fingers were cold and shaking. The platinum collar around his neck felt like the only solid thing left in the world. “I’m scared. It’s s
The penthouse lights flickered once. Then again. Then they died completely.Total darkness swallowed the bedroom in an instant. No emergency lights came on. No faint glow from the city outside the reinforced windows. Just pure, heavy blackness that pressed against Eli’s eyes like a living thing.Eli’s breath caught in his throat. His body went rigid. The platinum collar around his neck suddenly felt like a chain dragging him down into the void. The old terror roared back to life, faster and stronger than ever.“No… no, no, no,” Eli gasped. His hands flew out, searching blindly for something solid. “Cove? Cove, where are you? I can’t see anything!”The darkness closed in, thick and suffocating. It felt exactly like the closet when he was nine. Like the smoke-filled hallway the night his house burned. Like every nightmare he had ever tried
Eli rested his forehead against Cove’s, their bodies still tangled together on the big bed. The platinum collar around his neck felt warm now, like it had finally settled into his skin. His hands were still trembling slightly from everything that had happened. The gun lay forgotten on the mattress beside them. The flash drive sat on the nightstand like a small black bomb waiting to go off.Cove held him close with his good arm, fingers tracing slow patterns on Eli’s back. The room was quiet except for their breathing and the distant sound of the city far below the windows.“I can’t believe I almost pulled the trigger,” Eli whispered. “I had the gun against your chest. I was so close.”Cove kissed his temple softly. “But you didn’t. That’s what matters. You chose me. Even after everything Julian told you.”Eli pulled back
Eli held the loaded gun against Cove’s chest. The metal felt cold and heavy in his trembling hands. The barrel pressed right over Cove’s heart, the same heart Eli had felt beating wildly just moments ago. One small movement of his finger and everything would end. Cove would be gone.The bedroom was completely still. The only sounds were their breathing and the distant hum of the city far below the windows. Cove lay beneath him on the bed, completely motionless, eyes locked on Eli’s face. There was no fear in those storm-gray eyes. Only raw, open love and quiet acceptance.The silence stretched on for what felt like forever. Eli’s hands shook harder. Tears blurred his vision. The platinum collar around his neck suddenly felt like it was burning against his skin.“I should pull the trigger,” Eli whispered, voice cracking. “You said I was disposable. You told Lena to u
Cove’s storm-gray eyes burned with raw emotion as he pinned Eli to the bed. “That recording was from the first twelve hours, Eli! Before I knew who you were! Before you became my entire world!”Eli lay beneath him, chest heaving, the platinum collar cool and heavy against his skin. The bedroom was dim, lit only by the soft city glow through the windows. Cove’s body pressed down on him warm, solid, trembling slightly from the strain on his injured shoulder. His face hovered inches above Eli’s, desperate and open in a way Eli had never seen before.Eli’s hand was still trapped between them, pressed over Cove’s heart. He could feel it fast, frantic, pounding like it wanted to escape Cove’s chest.“Feel that?” Cove whispered, voice rough. “That’s what you do to me. Every single time you look at me. Every time you fight me. Every time you le
Eli shoved Cove away hard with both hands. “Don’t touch me, you liar.”Cove stumbled back a step, surprise flashing across his face. The bathroom lights cast sharp shadows on the tiles. Steam from the running water filled the air, making everything feel thick and heavy. Eli sat on the edge of the tub, chest rising and falling fast, eyes burning with hurt and anger. His hands stayed clenched in his lap, fingers wrapped tightly around the hidden flash drive.Cove raised his good hand slowly, palm out. “Eli, what’s going on? Talk to me.”Eli stood up suddenly, backing away until his back hit the cold marble wall. “Talk to you? After everything? I heard it, Cove. I heard the recording. You told Lena to keep me compliant. You said once you got my brother’s codes, I was disposable. Like a tool. Like a fucking pet you could throw away when you were done.”







