Captivated Desires

56

Reign froze, his heart pumping furiously in his chest. The room was deathly still, the tension so taut it felt like it would snap at any moment. Just as Antonio was about to pull the trigger, Azar moved. With a guttural yell, Azar lunged at Antonio, tackling him to the ground and sending the gun skittering away across the room.

Antonio and Azar struggled on the floor, their bodies writhing in a chaotic tangle of limbs and sweat. Reign stood there, still reeling from the shock of the situation, watching as the fight unfolded before him.

Azar's rage was palpable as he went to work on Antonio. His fists were flying, each strike landing with a bone-shattering impact that made Reign wince. He was ruthless and efficient, his years of fighting experience showing as he overpowered the other man easily.

Antonio was struggling vainly to fight back, caught completely off guard by Azar's sudden attack. He tried to land a few blows, but they were weak and unfocused, nothing compared to the brutal onslaught being unleashed on him.

It was clear Antonio was losing this fight, his body becoming more and more battered by Azar's relentless assault. But he wasn't going down without a fight, continuing to struggle and squirm, trying desperately to find a way to turn the tables.

Azar had him pinned, each strike more brutal than the next. His face was twisted in a mask of rage, his eyes blazing with determination. But there was something more there, something that went beyond just anger. Revenge.

Reign could see it in the way Azar was fighting, in the way he was focusing all his efforts on ending Antonio as quickly and viciously as possible. He knew this was personal for Azar, that these strikes were about more than just protecting Reign. They were about making Antonio pay, about making him suffer.

Antonio's struggles were growing weaker, his movements more sluggish. He was clearly in bad shape, his body battered and beaten, his face bloodied and swollen from the blows. But Azar wasn't letting up, his assault growing more and more brutal.

It was a sight to behold, seeing the calm and collected Azar unleash such savage violence. But Reign knew that this was the other side of Azar, the one he kept locked away behind a mask of cool composure. The side of him that was dangerous, deadly, and downright terrifying when provoked.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Antonio's body went slack, his head lolling to the side as he passed out from the pain. Azar paused, panting heavily, his hands shaking as he drew back, still knelt above the unconscious man.

The room was eerily quiet now, the only sound coming from Azar's ragged breathing. He remained there on top of Antonio, his chest heaving as he tried to regain control of himself. Reign stood there, watching Azar with a mixture of awe and concern. He had never seen his loyal friend, the man who was always by his side, lose himself so completely to such raw, primal anger.

Azar's breathing gradually slowed, his shoulders slumping as the adrenaline began to fade. He pushed himself up off the ground, his movements slow and a little shaky as he turned to face Reign.

"Are you alright?" Reign asked, his voice was a little rough. He knew that Azar wasn't hurt physically, but the other man's mental state was another matter. 

Azar didn't answer right away, his eyes still fixed on the unconscious form of Antonio. His expression was blank and unreadable. Reign couldn't tell what he was thinking. After a long moment, he spoke, his voice low and hoarse.

"I'm fine," Azar said tonelessly, his gaze still on Antonio. "He got what he deserved."

"I didn't know you could fight like that," Reign said, his tone still a little shaken. He had seen Azar fight before, of course, but never with such cold determination, such ruthless efficiency.

Azar shrugged slightly, finally tearing his gaze away from Antonio. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Reign," he said softly, his voice laced with exhaustion and something else, something deeper.

Reign studied Azar, trying to get a read on his emotions. But the other man was a master at hiding his feelings, and his expression remained impassive. "Why did you do it?" he finally asked, his voice quiet. "Why risk your life like that?"

Azar's jaw tightened, a flicker of something passing through his eyes. "I wasn't going to let you get hurt," he said simply, his tone making it clear that this wasn't up for debate.

"You could have been killed," Reign said, his concern for his friend's well-being evident in his voice. "That bullet was meant for me, Azar. You didn't have to-"

"I didn't have to what?" Azar interrupted, his tone sharp and a little irritated. "Let you die? Risk my life for yours? I'd do it a hundred times over if it meant keeping you safe, Reign. Don't you understand that?"

Reign was taken aback by the intensity in Azar's voice and the raw emotion in his words. He knew that Azar cared deeply for him, but he had never realized just how much the other man was willing to sacrifice for him.

There was a long moment of tense silence between them, the weight of Azar's words hanging heavily in the air. Reign was struggling to find the right response, his mind swirling with a mixture of gratitude and unease.

"I appreciate that, Azar," he said finally, his voice a little shaky. "More than you know. But I can't let you keep putting yourself in danger for me, alright? I don't want to see you get hurt, especially not because of me."

Azar huffed, a soft, humourless laugh escaping his lips. "It's a little late for that now, isn't it?" he said, his gaze flickering back to Antonio's unconscious form. "Besides, it's not like I can just leave you unprotected. Someone has to watch your back, even when you're too stubborn to let them."

Reign chuckled wryly at that, knowing that Azar was right. He had a tendency to take on more than he could handle, and Azar was usually the one left to pick up the pieces afterwards.