All Chapters of CLAIMED IN THE DARK : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

 Eli stayed crouched over Cove’s body in the wrecked limo, the automatic rifle heavy and cold in his hands. Rain poured through the shattered windows, soaking everything. Smoke from the engine burned his eyes and made him cough. The red emergency lights from the dashboard flickered weakly, casting bloody shadows inside the crushed car. His hands shook, but he kept the rifle pointed toward the broken windshield. Outside, the Caruso Cartel hitmen were getting closer. Their boots splashed in the puddles. Their voices carried on the wind, low and angry. “Come on,” Eli whispered to the unconscious Cove beneath him. “I need you to wake up soon. But until then, I’ve got this. I’ve got us.” A shadow moved near the front of the limo. One of the hitmen raised his rifle, trying to get a clear shot through the broken glass. Eli didn’t think. He just reacted. He pulled the trigger. The rifle ki

 Eli stayed by Cove’s bedside in the syndicate’s private medical wing for hours after the doctors left. The room was quiet except for the soft beeps of the monitors and the occasional drip of an IV line. Cove’s face was pale under the bandages, but his breathing was steady now. Eli held his hand, the silver signet ring on his finger pressing against Cove’s skin. The platinum collar around his own neck felt like a promise he refused to break. “You scared me,” Eli whispered, even though Cove was still asleep. “I thought I was going to lose you in that crash. I thought the last thing I would see was you bleeding out while I couldn’t reach you.” He leaned forward and rested his forehead against Cove’s hand. The two weeks that followed were a blur of recovery and quiet moments. Cove’s shoulder healed slowly. The head wound closed, leaving a thin scar. Eli’s own c

 The line went dead with a sharp click, but the danger did not end there. The amber warning lights in the hallway outside the medical wing pulsed faster, casting bloody red flashes across the white walls and floor. The quiet beeps of the monitors suddenly sounded too loud, like a warning drum in the silence. Cove’s hand froze on the phone. His storm-gray eyes locked onto Eli’s, and in that single look, the air in the room changed. It became thick, heavy, and full of fear. Cove moved without a word. He ripped the IV lines from his arm in one quick pull. Blood trickled from the needle site, running down his skin and dripping onto the white sheets. He ignored it. His face was hard, focused, the pain from his shoulder forgotten in the rush of adrenaline. He swung his legs off the bed, bare feet hitting the cold floor. With his good hand, he grabbed the handgun from the bedside table, checking the magazine with a fast, pr

Eli's world cracked open the moment Marco spoke those words.The small closet felt like it was shrinking around him. The air grew thick and hard to breathe. Eli's hands gripped the pistol so tight his fingers hurt. His heart slammed against his ribs like it wanted to break free. He stared at his brother in the dim light coming under the door, the bloody knife still in Marco's hand, and the words kept echoing in his head.Marco's voice was low and urgent. "Cove didn't just take over after his own father died. He orchestrated the deaths of both his father and the Reyes patriarch to seize complete control of the city."Eli froze. His mouth went dry. The gun in his hands suddenly felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. The words sank into him like knives twisting in his gut. The fire. The night his house burned. The smoke filling his lungs. The terror of the dark. The hands pulling him out. Cove's hands. The same bloodline. The same family that had des

 The knife flashed in Marco's hand as he lunged at Cove. The small closet exploded into chaos. Marco moved with wild, desperate energy, his eyes wide and manic. He swung the bloody blade at Cove's throat, his body driven by pure hate and fear. Cove dodged at the last second, the knife slicing through the air where his neck had been. The movement pulled at his injured shoulder, making him grunt in pain. He countered with a hard punch to Marco's side, but the blow was slower than usual because of his wounds. "You think you can take me?" Marco snarled, his voice raw and broken. He slashed again, the knife catching Cove's arm and drawing fresh blood. "You killed our father. You took everything from us. Now I'll take everything from you." Cove backed up a step, his back hitting the wall. His face stayed focused, but sweat mixed with blood on his forehead. "You sold your own brother. You tried to kill him. You're