Bloodlines and Bullets

What happens when you're in the wrong place at the wrong time?

She is just at the beginning of her year-long world travels when she falls into the hands of him - an Italian mafia Don driven by the thirst for answers and revenge.

When there is something else thrown into the mix - obsession. But is it the healthy kind?

--

"You're a psychopath. You're sick!"

His jaw clenches and with a sudden burst of rage, he lashes out. His hand collides with the nearby table, where the untouched food lies on top, sending it crashing to the ground in a cacophony of splintering wood and shattering ceramic.

"You've brought nothing but trouble since the moment you walked into my life," he seethes, his voice dripping with venom. Each word is punctuated by the clenching of his fists, his knuckles turning white with tension. "And now you have the audacity to stand here and fucking disrespect me like that?"

I flinch at the force of his words, the reality of my situation crashing down on me like a tidal wave. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat a reminder of the perilous ground I stand on.

"I walked into your life?! You took me away from mine!" My voice quivers with anger, my hands trembling at my sides.

The tension crackles in the air like electricity, a volatile energy that threatens to ignite at any moment. His eyes narrow into icy slits, his features contorted with fury.

"I feel sorry for you. I'm probably the most excitement you've ever had in your pathetic life. You're nothing but a spoiled little girl, playing at being tough," he snarls.

I meet his glare with a steely resolve, refusing to let his words pierce the armour I've built around myself.

"At least I'm not a soulless bastard who gets off on power and control," I retort, my voice dripping with disdain. "You're nothing but a coward hiding behind a facade of strength."

--