The steam from the coffee rose in lazy tendrils between them, curling and fading into the dim, rain-washed light of the café. Savannah stared at it, her heart thudding so hard she felt it in her throat. Every swirl of vapor felt like another unanswered question, another mystery Cassian refused to let her solve.
Across from her, Eli hadn't touched his coffee. His fingers drummed against the table, a quiet, steady rhythm that betrayed the tension he was trying to hide. His eyes were sharp, studying her as if he could see through her, see straight to the fear she kept buried beneath her polished exterior.
"You're not the kind of girl they usually pick up," Eli said at last. His voice was low, carrying the weight of secrets too dangerous to name.
Savannah blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "What the fuck does that mean?" Her voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the quiet between them.
Eli sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and leaned back in his chair. He looked like a man wrestling ghosts. "They don't go after women like you. Women who have power. Women who own companies, who are in the papers, on the news. You're visible, Savannah. Too visible."
Her mouth went dry. She folded her arms, trying to keep her voice steady. "Eli, who is they?"
He didn't answer right away. His eyes flicked to the window, as if he half-expected to see a shadow watching them from the street. The city felt far away. All that existed was this table, this moment, and the storm building in Eli's gaze.
"I shouldn't even be talking to you like this," he muttered, almost to himself.
"Eli..."
"The Black Veil," he said suddenly, the words tumbling out like they burned his tongue. He looked at her then, and the weight of what he was saying settled on her like lead. "That's who they are. That's who Cassian's tied to. That's who's watching you now."
Savannah froze. The name echoed in her head, unfamiliar but chilling all the same. The Black Veil . It sounded like something out of a nightmare. Like something old, and secret, and dangerous.
She shook her head, heart racing. "No. No, Cassian isn't part of some…some secret society. That's insane. Why would he?"
"Because he was born into it," Eli said, cutting her off. His voice was firm now, like he'd made peace with spilling the truth. "It's in his blood. His father was one of them. His grandfather. It's not something he can just walk away from, Savannah. And now you're in the crosshairs, whether he meant for that to happen or not."
The air between them felt suffocating. Savannah could barely think, could barely breathe. "I don't understand. What does this have to do with me? I haven't done anything."
"You don't have to," Eli said. His eyes softened, just a little. "You're with him. That's enough. The Order doesn't like outsiders getting close. Especially not someone like you, someone who asks questions."
Savannah looked down at the coffee she'd forgotten, at the steam that no longer rose. "Eli, this is crazy. I..I need to talk to him. He'll explain. There has to be some reason."
"Yeah," Eli said, voice bitter. "There's always a reason. And there's always a lie to cover it."
She pushed back from the table, shaking her head. "I need air."
"Savannah"
But she was already on her feet, grabbing her bag. Her mind was a blur of Cassian's touches, his kisses, his promises, and the dark, twisted truth Eli had laid bare.
Her phone buzzed In her pocket. She pulled it out, but the screen glitched, flickering, freezing on a half-loaded message from Cassian.
Her stomach knotted.
Another buzz, an email from work this time. The subject line flashed, unreadable, before vanishing completely. Another glitch. Her calls wouldn't connect either, just static, no matter who she tried to reach.
Panic clawed at her chest.
She turned back toward the café, ready to demand more answers from Eli.
"You see it, don't you?" he said, his voice low. "They're already watching. Already interfering. It starts small, your phone, your emails. Then it gets worse."
Savannah wanted to scream. Wanted to run. Wanted to go back to that hotel room where everything had felt perfect and safe, where Cassian's arms had made the world disappear.
But that world was gone.
"Come on," Eli said gently. "Let me get you somewhere safe."
They found shelter in a narrow alley under an old iron awning. Eli handed her his coat, his hands trembling just enough that she noticed.
"I should call Cassian," she said, clutching the coat around her.
"Don't," Eli said. "Not yet. You need to think. You need to see him for what he is. You're in deeper than you realize, and whatever Cassian told you… it's not the whole story. It never is."
But Savannah couldn't believe that. Wouldn't believe it. The man she knew, the man she'd let into her bed, into her heart, he couldn't be part of this nightmare.