A few minutes earlier... inside Elias’s room
Elias stood in the middle of the carpet, with the gun hanging at his side. His breathing was fast and shallow. The sounds from downstairs made his skin crawl. It was filled with shouts, crashes, and gunshots that made his stomach turn.
He kept picturing Lila and the twins.
’Please, please, please let them be locked away with Gerald. I hope they are safe.’
He tried to sit on the edge of the bed, but his legs wouldn’t stop shaking. The gun felt heavier than it did yesterday in the training room. Yesterday it was just paper targets.
Today it might be real people.
Just when he was about to sit...
Knock knock knock.
Elias froze when he heard the knock on the door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, so he thought it might be a mistake.
Knock knock knock.
It came harder this time.
"Elias?" A weak voice outside. "It’s Milo... please... I’m hurt... open the door..."
Elias’s first instinct was to stay quiet. He didn’t move. He even held his breath so it wouldn’t implicate him.
Milo groaned louder. "Please... they shot me in the leg... I can’t walk... I... open the door..."
Elias swallowed.
Milo had always been nice to him. He made breakfast for himself and even an extra dessert for his sister and the twins. There was no way Milo was a bad guy.
He crept to the door and opened it just a crack, with his gun hidden behind his thigh.
Milo was leaning against the wall, one hand on his thigh, blood on his fingers. His face was pale and sweaty. Elias immediately became worried when he saw the blood. He wanted to allow Milo to enter his room but he saw some other people. Behind him stood two men in black, faces covered.
Elias’s stomach dropped.
"Milo... who are they?"
Milo looked up as he blinked slowly. The weak expression he wore on his face vanished and it was replaced by a cold smile.
"Just doing my job, Elias."
He stepped aside and suddenly vanished to God knows where.
A third man walked forward, with a dagger in his hand, blade catching the light. Elias stumbled back and raised the gun with both hands.
"Stay back!" His voice cracked. "I’m serious. I’ll shoot if you don’t."
The man with the dagger kept coming closer. He was confident that Elias wouldn’t shoot.
"Pretty boy like you won’t pull the trigger," he said. "I’m just gonna take a leg. Or maybe an ear. The boss didn’t say which part he wants."
Elias’s finger trembled on the trigger. He really didn’t want to shoot. He wasn’t ready to kill a person.
"Stop. Please. It’s the last warning."
The man was three steps away. Two steps.
Elias closed his eyes and pulled.
BANG.
The sound echoed loudly in the small room. Elias’s ears rang as the smoke stung his nose.
He opened his eyes slowly.
The man was on the floor, chest blooming red and he was dead.
Elias stared at him as his hands shook so hard the gun rattled.
’I killed someone.’
He couldn’t breathe. He could even stand properly but when he felt movement close to the door again, he jerked the gun up again.
"Who’s there?! Hands up or I swear I’ll shoot again!"
A tall figure stepped over the dead man, hands raised high, palms open.
"It’s me, Elias. Don’t shoot."
Nathan walked into the room. With his perfect suit, perfect hair and perfect smile.
Elias’s mouth went dry.
"Nathan...? Why are you here?"
Nathan tilted his head, still smiling.
"I came to save you, of course."
Elias kept the gun pointed at his chest. "Speak clearly or I swear I’ll shoot you too."
Nathan took one careful step forward, hands still high.
"I was going to play hero. The plan was: bad guy attacks you, I rush in at the last second, disarm him, carry you out like a knight. You’d be grateful. You fall into my arms. Romantic, right?"
Elias’s eyes widened. "You planned to have me stabbed?"
"Only a little," Nathan said, shrugging. "A scratch. It was just to scare you. Enough to make you need me. But you ruined it by being brave." He actually sounded proud and annoyed at the same time. "You saved yourself. That’s very rude of you to ruin my plan, Saviour."
Elias’s finger tightened on the trigger.
"You’d better lift those hands and don’t move."
Nathan obeyed, but his eyes never left Elias’s face.
"I didn’t want you dead, Elias. I just wanted you to choose me."
"Choose you? What are you..."
Heavy footsteps in the hallway interrupted Elias. He thought it was another intruder again so he moved his gun.
Nathan glanced over his shoulder, then back at Elias.
"Shh," he whispered. "It’s Viktor. Let’s just ignore him and not ruin the moment."
He stepped fully into the room and closed the door with his foot.
The lock clicked.
Elias took a step back. "Open it. Now."
"Calm down," Nathan said softly. "I’m not going to hurt you."
The door flew open anyway.
Viktor barged in, covered in blood and sweat.
He took in the scene in half a second: a dead body on the floor, Nathan standing too close, Elias shaking with a gun pointed at Nathan.
Viktor didn’t hesitate.
He shoved Nathan hard to the side, jumped over the corpse, and pulled Elias into his arms so tightly that Elias almost dropped the gun.
"Elias... are you hurt? Talk to me."
Elias’s face was buried in Viktor’s chest. He could smell blood and gunpowder, but it was Viktor. It’s still the man he had fallen for.
"I’m okay," Elias whispered. "What about the twins? Lila?"
"They are all safe. Gerald has them."
Elias let out a shaky breath of relief.
Nathan stood a few steps away, hands still half-raised, watching them with a strange expression. He didn’t like what was unfolding in front of him. Viktor was touching Elias as he owned him. Elias isn’t pushing Viktor away. It’s like they were already a couple.
Viktor turned his head slowly as he glared at Nathan.
"Get away from here, Nathan."
Nathan wore a cracked smile,
"You’re late, my friend. Elias already killed a man tonight. He doesn’t need you."
Viktor’s arm tightened around Elias. Elias finally remembered Nathan was still there. He pulled back just enough to look at him.
"You need to apologise," Elias said. "For everything you just admitted."
Nathan’s smile fell.
"Apologise?" he repeated. "I haven’t done anything wrong yet."
"I guess it’s my fault," Elias shook his head. "I regret the day I saved you. I should have left you to bleed to death."
Something broke behind Nathan’s eyes. His face went blank for a second, then twisted.
’No. No. NO! Take that back. Don’t regret it...’
Tears started falling. Real ones.
Elias flinched. "Nathan...?"
"Don’t," Viktor warned quietly. "It’s an act. Don’t fall for it."
But Elias couldn’t look away. He felt guilty. He didn’t mean to be that harsh. Nathan took one slow step forward. Then another.
Viktor moved instantly. He took the gun from Elias’s trembling fingers and pointed it straight at Nathan’s forehead.
"Stay. Back."
Nathan didn’t stop. He grabbed the barrel with both hands and pushed it against his own chest, right over his heart.
"Do it," he said, voice shaking. "Shoot me. You won’t. You can’t. Your family can’t afford a war with the Caldwells. You’re just a Drago playing tough."
Viktor’s finger whitened on the trigger, but he didn’t pull.
Nathan laughed.
"See?"
He let go of the gun, turned, and took Elias’s free hand.
He pressed it flat against his chest. Elias tried to pull away, but Nathan held tight.
"Feel it," Nathan whispered. "Feel how fast it beats when you’re close. Only for you. It’s always only been you."
Elias swallowed. "I don’t control your heart, Nathan. Stop and let go of me."
Nathan leaned closer, tears still falling.
"I love you," he said, desperately. "I would die for you. I would kill for you. I have killed for you."
Elias looked at Viktor. Viktor’s jaw was clenched so hard it looked painful. He wanted to shoot. He couldn’t. The room was heavy and silent, as if both men were waiting for Elias’s response.
Until a shadow moved at the door.
A man in black, face hidden, gun already raised. Pointed at Viktor.
Elias saw it first. He didn’t stop to think for a moment. He just moved. He shoved Viktor sideways with all his strength and stepped in front of him.
Time slowed.
Nathan saw the movement. He saw the gun. He saw Elias about to take the bullet meant for Viktor. And Nathan moved faster than he ever had in his life.
He threw himself forward, wrapped both arms around Elias, and spun them both at the last second.
BANG.
The gunshot exploded.
Elias felt the impact in Nathan’s body as he heard the wet gasp in his ear. He felt warm blood soak through Nathan’s shirt onto his own chest.
Nathan’s legs gave out.
He sank to his knees, still holding Elias, smiling like he’d won something priceless. Elias caught him before he hit the floor.
"Nathan...!"
Nathan’s voice was barely air.
"Now that I saved your life..." he whispered, blood on his lips, "...will you love me now?"
His hand found Elias’s cheek, trembling.
"I’ll wait for your answer... when I open my eyes again..."
His head fell against Elias’s shoulder as his eyes fluttered closed. Blood pooled fast beneath them.
Elias stared, frozen. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want Nathan to get shot on his behalf. The first time he saw Nathan, he was stabbed, and now, something similar had happened.
Viktor dropped to his knees beside them, gun still in one hand, the other reaching for Nathan’s neck to check for a pulse.
It was there. But it was weak, fast and fading.
The attacker at the door was already gone... the moment he pulled the trigger. Viktor looked at Elias, eyes wide and terrified.
"Elias," he said, voice breaking. "Look at me. Are you hurt?"
Elias couldn’t speak.
All he could do was hold Nathan’s bleeding body and feel the heartbeat under his palm grow slower... slower... and wonder what answer he would have given if Nathan had lived long enough to hear it.