Silent Scars

CHAPTER 91

DOMAIN HASTINGS

I leaned back against my bike, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the gravel below my boots.

Leonardo’s plan was airtight. Every step accounted for. Every move calculated.

That’s the thing about him, when he steps into the game, there’s no turning back. No mistakes. No second guesses. If he says we walk into the lion’s den, we do it. Because he’s already figured out which direction the teeth will close.

That’s Leo.

When the rest of us are running hot, he’s ice. And he’s never let us walk into a fire he hasn’t already mapped ten exits from.

I’ve seen him pull entire operations out of the ashes with nothing but a phone call and a threat. I’ve watched enemies back down just because he showed up in the room.

When Leonardo Hastings says we’re going to make it out, we do.

But plans don’t bleed.

No matter how flawless the strategy was, if anything shifted, if any one part wavered, she was the risk. She, Kendric, and Luca.

The only ones we can’t replace.

Just thinking about it made my jaw tighten. My fists clenched at my sides before I even noticed.

And then,

My phone buzzed.

I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

Princess 👑: You’ve been gone forever. We can’t start the movie without you.

A breath escaped me. Half a laugh.

She was being dramatic. But she was waiting for me.

They were waiting for me.

Then another buzz.

Voice message. I tapped it and brought the phone to my ear,

"HEY! DUMMY!"

Kendric’s voice exploded through the speaker, way too loud.

"We’re starting the movie in two minutes whether you’re here or not!"

I winced, jerking the phone away from my ear.

Then her voice followed, softer, like a completely different world:

"…No, we’re not. We’re waiting for you, Dom."

A pause.

"…Hurry up, please?"

I didn’t even realize I was smiling until I felt it.

I brought the phone back to my ear and played the last part again, just her voice. Soft. Warm.

Like a hand pressing gently against the storm in my chest.

God, she didn’t even say much. Just that.

But that was enough.

Enough to pull me back from the edge.

I typed out my reply fast, still grinning like an idiot.

I’m on my way, princess🍿

Then slid the phone back into my jacket, pushed off the bike, and turned toward home.

The city was alive, horns blaring, people yelling, streetlights flashing across windshields.