Chapter 53: The Way You Break Me

Elias barely felt the sting of his injuries as they moved through the aftermath of the fight. The bodies were still warm, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder and blood, but all of that faded the second he turned to Lila. She stood there, chest rising and falling in steady, controlled breaths, her gun still gripped tight, her body humming with the remnants of adrenaline. She was breathtaking like this fierce, unstoppable, lethal. His perfect match in every way.

His pulse pounded as she turned to him, her gaze sharp, assessing, searching for wounds, because that’s who she was. Even after battle, she put him first. And that did something to him, something he couldn’t quite name, something that burned slow and deep inside his chest. Lila stepped toward him, reaching for his arm, her fingers brushing against his skin. “You’re bleeding.” Elias smirked, the corner of his mouth lifting. “I’ll live.” Lila narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. “Let me see.”

He didn’t resist as she pushed up his sleeve, revealing the shallow graze of a bullet along his forearm. Her jaw tightened, her fingers brushing over the wound with a gentleness that made his throat tighten. “You always do this,” she muttered. Elias tilted his head. “Do what?” She exhaled sharply, her hands gripping his arm a little tighter. “Act like you’re untouchable. Like you don’t feel pain.” His smirk faltered. Because with her, he did feel pain. He felt everything. His free hand lifted, his fingers curling under her chin, tilting her face up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “I don’t feel it because I’m too focused on you.”

Lila’s lips parted slightly, her breath catching, and for a moment, the world around them faded, leaving only this. Only them. Her fingers traced the edge of his wound, but her focus had already shifted. Her eyes darkened, heat flickering in their depths, something raw and real and devastating. Elias felt it too. The way the fight had stripped them down to something primal, something unstoppable. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. Because the next second, she was kissing him. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t careful. It was a clash of heat and desperation, of war and survival and the unbearable weight of needing. Elias groaned against her mouth, his grip tightening on her waist, his fingers digging into her skin as he pulled her against him, needing her closer, needing to feel every part of her.

Lila gasped as he backed her against the nearest wall, her hands tangling in his shirt, pulling, tugging, wrecking him in the way only she could. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. Just raw, consuming fire. Elias broke the kiss only long enough to drag his lips down her throat, his teeth scraping against the sensitive skin there, his breath uneven. “You’re dangerous,” he murmured, his voice rough. Lila let out a breathless laugh, her nails digging into his back. “And you love it.”

Elias smirked, biting down just enough to make her gasp. “You have no idea.” She pulled him back to her mouth, kissing him hard, deep, like she wanted to drown in him, like she wanted to burn down the world just to keep this moment. And Elias? He would let her. He would burn with her. He would destroy anything that got in the way of this. The sound of Harper’s voice crackling through the radio shattered the moment. Elias didn’t pull away immediately. Neither did Lila. Their breaths mingled, their bodies still tangled, the fire between them still burning. He didn’t want to move. He wanted to keep her here, against him, needing him, ruining him.

But reality had never been kind to them. Harper’s voice came again. “We’ve got company. We need to move.” Lila let out a slow, steady breath, her forehead resting against his for just a second longer before she nodded. Elias sighed, pressing one last kiss to her lips before pulling away. It wasn’t over. It never would be. He smirked slightly, reaching up to brush a thumb over her swollen lips. “We’re finishing this later.” Lila grinned, eyes still dark, still hungry. “Damn right we are.” And then, just like that, they were back in motion, back in battle mode. Because the war wasn’t over yet. But when it was, Lila was his. Forever. The drive was silent, but charged. Elias could still feel her. Could still taste her. And he knew she felt it too.

Lila sat beside him, her body coiled tight, her fingers gripping her gun like she needed something to hold onto, like she needed something to keep her grounded. He wanted to be that for her. He always had. Harper was in the front seat, eyes locked on the road, her jaw tight. “We’ve got a name.” Elias shifted slightly, his fingers flexing. “Who?” Harper glanced at him in the rearview mirror, her expression unreadable. “You’re not gonna like it.” Lila leaned forward. “Tell us.” Harper exhaled slowly, then said the name that sent ice through Elias’s veins. Julian King. Lila stilled. “No.” Harper nodded. “Yeah.” Elias clenched his jaw, his hands tightening into fists. Of all the people still left in the shadows, he had never expected it to be him. Lila’s breath was shaky. “He was supposed to be dead.” Elias finally spoke, his voice dangerously calm. “Then we make sure he is.” Harper nodded. “Good. Because he’s coming for you.” Lila inhaled sharply, but her hand reached for Elias’s, gripping tight. He squeezed back. And just like that, the war started all over again. But this time? Elias wasn’t just fighting to end it. He was fighting to build something after. And that meant keeping Lila. Always.