Chapter 57: The Sound Of Loosing You

Elias didn’t feel the pain at first. There was only the force of the explosion, the deafening roar swallowing everything, the air rushing from his lungs as his body was thrown backward. Then, nothing. Silence. A crushing void. His mind swam through darkness, disoriented, weightless, drifting between consciousness and something else, something cold, something that reached for him with clawed hands. Dying. Was this dying? Then a sound. Distant, muffled, raw. His name. Lila. Her voice tore through the void, pulling him back, dragging him out of the abyss. He gasped, lungs burning, body screaming as sensation crashed back in. Pain sharp, searing, electric ripped through his side, his ribs throbbing, his ears ringing. He barely had time to register the debris around him before hands grabbed at him, pulling, shaking.

“Elias! Damn it, look at me!” He blinked, vision hazy, but he’d know her anywhere. Lila was above him, her face streaked with blood not hers, someone else’s her eyes wild, desperate, terrified. He had never seen her like this. Never. He tried to move, to sit up, but his body refused, pain lancing through his ribs, fire licking at every nerve ending. He gritted his teeth, but Lila was already there, pressing her hands against his chest, keeping him down. She was shaking. She never shook.

“You’re okay,” she breathed, her voice barely holding together. “You hear me? You’re okay.” Elias forced a smirk, even though it hurt. “Not sure that’s true.” Lila let out a sharp breath, her fingers tightening in his shirt. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like this is nothing.” Elias exhaled slowly, feeling the warmth of her touch, the way her body was pressed against his, like she was trying to shield him, to protect him, like she could keep death away just by holding on.

His hand lifted, brushing against her cheek, smearing blood his blood against her skin. “You’re hurt.” Lila let out something between a laugh and a sob. “You’re the one who just got thrown across a damn room, and you’re worried about me?” Elias’s fingers trailed down, brushing against her lips. He needed to feel her. Needed to know she was real, that this moment wasn’t a dream, that she was still his. Lila inhaled sharply, leaning into his touch. “Don’t you dare die on me, Elias.” Elias smirked again, even as his vision blurred at the edges. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Lila’s breath stuttered. Then, suddenly, she was kissing him. It wasn’t careful. It wasn’t soft. It was desperate, wild, filled with too many unsaid words, too many emotions neither of them had ever been good at saying aloud. Elias groaned into her mouth, his body screaming at him, but he didn’t care. Because if this was his last breath, he wanted it to taste like her. Lila’s hands tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, pressing her body against his like she could keep him alive through sheer force of will. And maybe she could. Maybe she was the only thing keeping him breathing.

She pulled back, her forehead pressing against his, her breath uneven. “I can’t lose you,” she whispered, voice raw. Elias’s hand slid down, gripping her waist, his fingers tightening against her. “You won’t.” Her eyes darkened. “Promise me.” Elias exhaled slowly, his lips brushing against hers, a whisper of a kiss, a vow. “I promise.” Lila swallowed hard, nodding once, forcing herself to believe him. Then Harper’s voice cut through the moment, sharp and urgent. “We need to go. Now.”

Lila tensed, her body coiling like a live wire. Elias saw the switch flip in her eyes, the emotion snapping back into focus, turning into something deadly. She wasn’t just his Lila anymore. She was the soldier. The survivor. The woman who would kill anything in her way to protect what was hers. And damn if that wasn’t the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Elias groaned as she helped him sit up, pain lancing through his ribs, but he pushed past it. “Julian?” Harper’s jaw was tight. “Gone.” Lila cursed under her breath. “He planned this.”

Elias smirked, still catching his breath. “Obviously.” Lila shot him a glare, but her fingers still lingered against his skin, still curled around his arm like she wasn’t ready to let go. Harper exhaled sharply. “We need to move before he decides to send reinforcements.” Elias nodded, forcing himself to his feet with a grunt. Pain be damned. He wasn’t slowing them down. Lila was at his side instantly, slipping beneath his arm, taking some of his weight. “Easy.”

Elias smirked, voice rough. “Didn’t know you cared so much.” Lila rolled her eyes but didn’t move away. “Shut up and walk.” Elias let her take some of the weight, his body pressing against hers, and despite everything, despite the pain, the chaos, the war still waiting for them he couldn’t help but think about how good she felt, how perfect she fit against him. And maybe that was a problem. Because he knew if Julian thought he could take Lila from him, he had no idea what Elias was willing to do to keep her. They made it back to the safe house, barely. The second they were inside, Lila forced Elias onto the couch, grabbing a med kit, her hands moving with quick, precise efficiency as she peeled back his ruined shirt, inspecting the damage.

Her fingers brushed against his skin, and despite the pain, Elias couldn’t stop himself from watching her. The way her brows furrowed, the way she bit her lip in concentration, the way her hands hands that had taken lives, hands that had been covered in blood were so damn gentle with him. He smirked. “You’re staring.” Lila shot him a look. “I’m checking your injuries.” Elias tilted his head, eyes dark. “You’re still staring.” Lila’s breath hitched. Just slightly. But he caught it. She pressed harder against his side, making him grunt. “Keep talking, and I’ll make it worse.” Elias chuckled, wincing. “Knew you liked it rough.”

Lila froze. Just for a second. Then, suddenly, she was in his lap, straddling him, her fingers gripping his jaw, her lips barely an inch from his. Elias’s breath stalled. Her voice was quiet, dangerous. “You think this is funny?” Elias swallowed hard, his hands gripping her thighs, his pulse hammering. “No.”

Her lips ghosted over his, her breath warm, teasing. “Good.” Then she kissed him. Hard. Deep. Messy. Like she was still unraveling. Like he was the only thing keeping her together. Elias groaned, his hands sliding up her back, pulling her flush against him despite the pain. Because pain meant nothing when she was in his arms. She kissed him like she was trying to brand him, own him, remind him that he belonged to her. And God, he did.

Elias broke the kiss just enough to whisper against her lips, his voice rough. “You’re mine.” Lila smirked, her fingers dragging down his chest. “Prove it.” Elias flipped them, pinning her beneath him, his lips trailing down her neck, his body pressing into hers, despite the pain, despite everything. And he did. Again. And again. And again.

The next morning, Harper stormed in, her expression tight. “We found Julian.” Lila sat up instantly, the sheets pooling around her. Elias exhaled, rubbing his face, his body still sore. “Where?” Harper’s lips pressed into a thin line. Then she said the one thing that made Elias’s blood turn cold. “He wants to trade.” Lila stilled. “For what?” Harper’s gaze darkened. “For you.”