Chapter 17: THE NOT-SO-ROMANTIC RESCUE

MARCUS'S POV

I lie on the cold floor of my living room, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. My vision blurs as I stare up at the men surrounding me. My ribs ache from the brutal kicks, but the pain is nothing compared to the fear gripping my chest. Today might be my last day on Earth.

Gideon, their leader, sits comfortably on my couch, a smirk playing on his lips. "It is hard to believe that a monster like Daniel has someone that loves him," he says. His men laugh, their voices echoing in the dimly lit room.

Daniel, standing nearby, rolls a gun in his hand, his expression unreadable. "And it is so foolish for you to love him," he says, his voice laced with mockery. "Don’t you know what he’s capable of? Or haven’t you heard of the terrible things he has done? And yet, you still fall in love with him."

The laughter grows louder. One of them kicks me again— so hard that I struggle to catch my breath. I groan but don’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Then suddenly, the room goes silent. Heavy footsteps echo, and I turn my head slightly, wincing from the pain. Adrian, my ex, walks in, his sharp gaze scanning the scene before landing on me.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he shouts, rushing towards me. His hands grab my arms, lifting me off the ground. His touch is firm but careful, like he’s afraid I’ll shatter.

Gideon’s gang moves to stop him, but Adrian fights them off, his movements quick and precise. I watch in disbelief. Adrian was always tough, but to fight them for me? I didn’t expect that.

"Don’t you all know who he is to me?" Adrian yells, his voice thick with anger.

Gideon chuckles, leaning back. "Your ex," he replies smoothly.

Adrian's grip on me tightens. "And so what? He means a lot to me."

Gideon’s eyes narrow. "He broke your heart. And then went ahead to date an enemy of the Dogs of Hell," he states firmly. The gang murmurs in agreement, nodding and whispering amongst themselves.

Adrian doesn’t flinch. "He is dying tonight, and nothing is stopping it," Gideon says coldly.

Adrian squares his shoulders. "That won’t work. You’ll have to kill me first before you touch him."

I stare at Adrian, shocked. The pain in my body fades into the background as I process his words. He’s standing up for me— against his gang. Against Gideon.

Gideon watches Adrian carefully before letting out a dry laugh. He shifts in his seat, his expression unreadable. "You are a very important member of this family. And I believe you know what the Demons of Hell’s Kitchen have cost us. They are a problem— a problem to our business. Killing him would send a message."

"You’re starting a war," Adrian says, his voice dangerously low.

"The war has already begun. Know that tonight if you haven’t known before," Gideon replies.

Adrian steps forward, his voice raw with emotion. "Marcus and I may have been separated, but I’m still doing everything to get him back. I still love him. I still believe we can fix what was broken between us. You can’t do this to me. You can’t kill the man that makes me happy."

The room falls into a heavy silence. Gideon’s smirk falters, and for a brief moment, I see something in his eyes— hesitation, maybe? His expression softens just slightly before he stands up and approaches Adrian.

My heartbeat quickens. I don’t know what Gideon is about to do, but I brace myself for the worst.

Gideon stops in front of Adrian, looking him dead in the eye. "From today, you are no longer a member of the Dogs of Hell. We, the Dogs of Hell’s Kitchen, will no longer protect your restaurant."

Adrian blinks, his face unreadable for a moment before confusion and anger set in. "Why? I have contributed a lot to this gang. Why do you want to throw me out this way?" His voice rises, and he looks around at the others, searching for support.

Gideon doesn’t waver. "Because Y has a long tail and two branches," he says cryptically. His men burst into laughter, nodding in approval.

Adrian clenches his fists. "You can only come back to the family if you bring us Daniel’s head," Gideon adds, his voice turning sharp.

I feel the air shift. The weight of his words crushes down on Adrian, on me, on the entire room.

"What? How do you expect me to do that?" Adrian’s voice cracks slightly. He looks truly shocked, as if Gideon has just asked him to kill his own brother.

"That’s none of my business," Gideon says simply before turning on his heel and walking out, his men following closely behind. They stepped on my broken door, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.

Adrian, still standing, slowly sinks onto the couch. His expression is unreadable, but I can feel the turmoil inside him. I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know if I should say anything.

"Daniel must die," Adrian mutters under his breath. His voice is cold, distant. "I can’t lose everything this way. Not this way."

Then, without another word, he gets up and walks out of the house.

I remain still, my body aching from the beating, my mind racing. The tension in the air lingers, wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket.

I should be relieved. I should be grateful to still be alive. But all I can think about is Adrian— his determination, his anger, his pain. And Daniel.

He needs to know what’s coming for him.

Even after everything, I can’t just let him walk into a death trap.

I need to warn him. I love him.