𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝟐𝟕: 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔

The room felt suffocatingly quiet after the knocks ceased, leaving Leo alone with the unsettling weight of his thoughts. Every shadow seemed to stretch longer, every creak in the old apartment building amplified in his mind. He couldn’t stop imagining what could have happened if he had opened that door. Who was that man? What did he want? And why had he come here?

Leo’s phone buzzed again, and he quickly grabbed it, expecting another message from Adrian. Instead, it was a different number—one he didn’t recognize. His heart sank as he stared at the screen, debating whether to answer. Something told him this wasn’t just a random call.

Against his better judgment, he answered, pressing the phone to his ear with a shaky hand. “Hello?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

There was a brief pause on the other end before a deep, gravelly voice spoke. “Leo, I assume?”

Leo’s breath hitched. “Who is this?”

“That’s not important right now,” the man replied, his tone calm but with an underlying menace. “What’s important is that you understand the gravity of the situation you’re in.”

Leo’s blood ran cold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The man chuckled, a low, sinister sound that sent a shiver down Leo’s spine. “You’re involved with Adrian, aren’t you? I’m afraid you’ve found yourself in the middle of something far beyond your understanding. But that doesn’t mean you have to get hurt—if you cooperate.”

Leo’s heart pounded in his chest, the threat in the man’s words all too clear. “What do you want from me?”

“We want Adrian,” the man said bluntly. “He’s made some... questionable choices lately, and those choices have consequences. You’re going to help us bring him in. If you do, you’ll walk away from this unscathed. If you don’t... well, you can imagine the alternative.”

Leo’s mind raced. He didn’t know who this man was or what he was capable of, but the thought of betraying Adrian was unbearable. Yet, he couldn’t ignore the very real danger he was in. “I can’t help you,” he finally said, his voice shaking. “I don’t know where he is.”

There was a pause, and when the man spoke again, his voice was colder. “Don’t lie to me, Leo. We know he’s coming back for you. When he does, you’ll let us know. If you don’t... let’s just say, you’ll be the one to pay the price for his mistakes.”

Leo’s stomach churned with fear and anger. He wanted to shout, to demand they leave him alone, but he knew that would only make things worse. “Please, I don’t want any trouble,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Just... leave me out of this.”

“That’s not an option,” the man replied, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. “Remember, Leo—we’re watching. Don’t do anything stupid.”

The line went dead, and Leo stared at the phone in his hand, feeling like the walls were closing in on him. He was in way over his head, caught between Adrian and these dangerous people. And now, he had no choice but to wait for Adrian to return, knowing that when he did, everything would come to a head.

Leo slumped onto the bed, his body trembling with the adrenaline coursing through him. He felt trapped, powerless, and terrified. How had his life spiraled so quickly into this nightmare?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching the door again. This time, they were quieter, more measured. Leo’s heart pounded as he waited, every muscle in his body tense. Was it the same man from before? Had they come back to force their way in?

The door handle jiggled slightly, and Leo’s breath caught in his throat. He stood frozen, unable to move as the handle turned, slowly but deliberately. Then, a soft knock followed—three taps, gentle but firm.

“Leo,” a familiar voice called softly from the other side. “It’s me.”

Leo’s heart soared and then plummeted as he recognized Adrian’s voice. He rushed to the door, unlocking it with trembling hands. When he pulled it open, Adrian stood there, his expression unreadable, his eyes sharp and searching.

“Adrian—” Leo began, but the words caught in his throat as Adrian stepped inside and quickly closed the door behind him, locking it again. His movements were tense, his demeanor more guarded than Leo had ever seen.

“I know,” Adrian said, his voice low and urgent. “I know what happened. They called you, didn’t they?”

Leo nodded, his fear bubbling up again as he met Adrian’s gaze. “They want you. They said if I don’t help them, they’ll come after me.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened, and he reached out, cupping Leo’s face in his hands. “Listen to me, Leo,” he said, his voice steady despite the storm brewing in his eyes. “You’re not going to help them. You’re going to stay with me, and we’re going to get out of this together. Do you trust me?”

Leo’s eyes welled up with tears of fear and frustration. “Yes, but—”

“No buts,” Adrian interrupted, his tone firm. “I’ll keep you safe, I promise. But you have to do exactly what I say.”

Leo swallowed hard, nodding as he tried to push down the panic rising in his chest. “What do we do now?”

Adrian’s eyes darkened as he made a decision. “We’re leaving, right now. We can’t stay here. Pack whatever you need, and we’ll go somewhere they can’t find us.”

Leo hesitated for a moment, but the resolve in Adrian’s voice left no room for doubt. He quickly grabbed a bag and started stuffing it with essentials—clothes, his phone charger, anything he could think of. As he packed, Adrian moved around the room with practiced efficiency, checking the windows, making sure they weren’t being watched.

“Adrian,” Leo said, pausing as he zipped up the bag. “Who are these people? Why are they after you?”

Adrian stopped what he was doing and looked at Leo, his expression conflicted. “They’re... not good people, Leo. I used to work for them, but I’m not the person I was back then. They want to drag me back into that life, but I’m not going to let them.”

Leo bit his lip, his fear deepening. “What kind of work?”

Adrian hesitated, then sighed heavily. “I was a hitman, Leo. I did things I’m not proud of. But I left that life behind—at least, I tried to. They’re not happy about that.”

Leo’s blood ran cold at Adrian’s confession, but before he could fully process it, Adrian was at his side, gripping his shoulders. “I’ll explain everything later, but right now, we need to go. Can you trust me? Can you do that for me?”

Leo stared into Adrian’s eyes, seeing both the danger and the desperation in them. Despite everything, he knew Adrian was his only chance. Slowly, he nodded. “Yes. I trust you.”

“Good,” Adrian said, pressing a quick kiss to Leo’s forehead. “Let’s get out of here.”

They moved quickly, Adrian leading the way as they slipped out of the apartment and into the night. The city seemed more ominous now, the streets empty and shadowed as they hurried to Adrian’s car parked a few blocks away. Every sound, every flicker of movement made Leo jump, his nerves frayed to the breaking point.

As they got into the car and Adrian started the engine, Leo glanced at him, fear and questions swirling in his mind. But as they sped off into the night, he pushed the doubts aside, focusing on the one thing that mattered: they were together, and whatever happened next, they would face it side by side.

But as the city lights blurred past and the road stretched out before them, Leo couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much darker and more dangerous than he had ever imagined. And deep down, he knew that the answers to his questions—about Adrian, about the life he’d led—would change everything.

𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥...