Chapter 9: ELIA

Third POV

The first light of dawn had yet to grace the earth when a phone call jolted Marco awake.

His head rested comfortably against Fabio’s bare stomach, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Marco had been completely at ease. After a long night together, they had eventually moved to Fabio’s room, where sleep had finally claimed them.

With a frustrated groan, Marco reached for his phone on the nightstand and answered without bothering to check the caller.

"You have ten seconds," he muttered, his voice thick with sleep as he settled his head back against Fabio’s abdomen.

The person on the other end remained silent.

Marco frowned and pulled the phone away from his ear. Only then did he glance at the screen.

ELIA.

He sneered.

"I’m still alive, if that’s what you’re checking. Good day."

He was about to hang up when a faint whisper came through the phone.

"Marc... they’re here."

The sleep vanished from Marco’s face.

He sprang out of bed and immediately began pulling on his clothes.

"Elia, listen to me. First, where are you?" The urgency in his voice was unmistakable.

"The underground," Elia replied quietly.

"Good. Stay there until I come."

Marco rushed out of the room.

"What about Orso? I told him to stay with you tonight."

The line went silent.

Marco clenched his jaw.

"Elia? What did you do?"

"I sent him away. I don’t need anyone babysitting me. I’m nineteen, bro. Fucking nineteen."

Marco tightened his grip around the phone.

"Nineteen and still a child. We’ll talk about this later... and you’re going to explain who taught you that vulgar language."

Elia gave a sarcastic laugh.

"How about you? You lead by example, so I follow."

Marco opened his mouth to retort but found himself momentarily speechless.

"Alright. I’m on my way."

He hung up, mounted his Aprilia, and sped off, pushing well beyond the legal limit.

Twenty minutes later, Marco pulled up outside a garage, a professional motorbike snd car workshop that looked ordinary from the outside.

The first rays of sunlight had already begun spilling across the sky.

Behind the garage was a door leading into an apartment. Marco hurried inside, expecting to find some kind of disaster. He imagined overturned tables, broken furniture, perhaps even blood.

Instead, he was met with a young man casually seated on the sofa, changing television channels.

When he noticed Marco, the young man simply said,

"Hi."

He took another sip of juice before placing the glass back on the table.

Marco frowned.

"Where are they?"

"Left. Like ten minutes ago," Elia replied without looking at him.

"I thought I told you not to come out until I got here."

Marco glared at him.

Elia merely shrugged.

"What are you fussing about? I’m fine."

The young man shared several features with Marco, though his grey eyes were noticeably different from Marco’s dark ones.

Marco pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, trying to contain his growing frustration. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, but Elia didn’t even spare him a glance.

Still, he was fine.

That was all that mattered to Marco.

Only after his anger had begun to settle did he realize something else.

He had left Fabio’s place without saying a word. Like, he had no way to contact the man.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately, Elia heard him.

"What? Were you on top of someone when I called, and now the sexual frustration is getting to you?" he teased. "Don’t worry. You can go back... Shit!"

Elia suddenly jumped over the couch and positioned himself behind it.

"Stay away from me! I’m not a child. You can’t hit me."

Marco slowly removed his jacket and motioned toward him.

"Get your ass over here, and let’s see if I’ll hit you."

He kicked off his shoes and tossed them aside before vaulting over the couch.

Elia was already running. He darted around the furniture and stopped on the other side, keeping the couch between them.

"Don’t you dare!" Elia exclaimed, glaring daggers at his brother. "You’re only two years older than me. Just two years!"

Marco slowly advanced. Elia retreated, and soon the two of them were circling the sofa.

"Older, that’s the point." Marco’s voice hardened. "You don’t speak to me like that, young man."

Marco suddenly lunged forward. Elia bolted.

"I’ll talk however I want, asshole!"

He turned sharply, disappeared into his bedroom, and slammed the door behind him.

"Don’t come out!" Marco shook his head and headed toward his own room, which was right beside Elia’s.

The moment he stepped inside, he pulled out his phone and made a call. It connected on the third ring.

"Orso, they have found us. We have to move."

───

Fabio shifted beneath the sheets when the sun was already high in the sky. A hiss escaped him as a dull ache traveled across his back. His eyes slowly opened, immediately searching for a particular person but the space beside him was empty.

Frowning, Fabio pushed himself upright, only for another wave of soreness to shoot through his body.

"Bloody hell!" He cursed as he carefully dragged himself out of bed.

The moment his feet touched the floor, his legs nearly gave out. He quickly grabbed the nightstand to steady himself. His ass was on fire. Fabio placed a hand against it, and an image of Marco immediately flashed through his mind- the two of them tangled together throughout the better part of the night.

Fabio bit his lip to suppress a smirk before slowly making his way out of the room. He checked the bathroom, then the rest of the house. Marco was nowhere to be found.

With a solemn expression, Fabio muttered under his breath, "I’ll fucking pay you back, asshole."