Raven had never trusted easily. Not friends. Not family. Not anyone in his gang. And yet, tonight, the sting of betrayal was sharper than any punch he had ever taken.
It started with a text.
Marco: "She's with you, right? Don't mess this up."
Raven's fingers froze over his phone. Marco, his second-in-command, had never sounded so… distant. Cold.
He left the house immediately, knowing instinctively something was wrong.
Elena was waiting outside, under the dim glow of a streetlamp. Her eyes lit up when she saw him — relief mixing with worry.
"Raven, what—" she began.
"Shh," he cut her off, eyes scanning the shadows. "Stay close. Don't say a word."
The street was unusually quiet. Too quiet.
And then the engine roared. Not one bike, but three, and they weren't here to talk.
Raven's jaw tightened. One glance at Elena and he knew. Marco had led them here.
"You trust him?" Elena asked nervously.
"Not anymore," Raven muttered, stepping in front of her.
The first bike stopped. A figure jumped off — someone Raven had considered loyal. Someone he trusted.
"Raven…" Marco said, voice calm, but the words were poison.
"You brought them here?" Raven hissed.
"I did what I had to," Marco replied. "You're out of control. This girl… she's dangerous for all of us."
Raven felt anger boiling, hotter than anything he had ever known. He wanted to hit, to fight, to destroy. But his focus was clear — Elena. She was the only thing that mattered right now.
"Back off!" he shouted. "She's not part of this! Not your business!"
But Marco didn't move. He just smiled — a small, calculating smile.
"I warned you," he said.
The group advanced. Raven grabbed Elena's hand, dragging her behind a nearby wall. Her heart was pounding so fast she thought it would burst.
"You trust me?" he asked quietly.
"I… yes," she replied, even though the fear made her voice shaky.
"Good. Stay quiet. Stay behind me. Whatever happens, you don't move unless I tell you."
Raven's movements were swift, precise. He fought not to kill, not to destroy — just enough to buy time for Elena to escape the crossfire if it came to that.
But betrayal cuts deeper than any punch. Every move Marco made, every glance, was meant to corner him — to test him — and tonight, Raven realized something that scared him more than enemies ever could:
Even people he trusted could turn against him.
Elena pressed close to his back, clutching his jacket.
"You're… amazing," she whispered.
Raven didn't smile. He just kept moving, keeping one eye on her, one on the betrayers.
"This world," he muttered under his breath, "it's never been safe. And it never will be… but I'll keep you safe. No matter what."
Her hand found his. And for a second, in the chaos, there was silence. There was trust. There was a fragile, dangerous kind of love.
The night was far from over. The betrayal had just begun.
And Raven knew one thing for certain: from now on, there was no turning back.
To be continued…