Page 118 of King of Obsession

I took a step forward, closing the distance.

‘Not this time,’ I rumbled with a menacing smirk. ‘You’re nothing but a coward who preys on the weak. But you picked the wrong mofo to mess with.’

Franco’s eyes flashed with rage, and he lunged at me, his fists swinging.

I lifted my gun hand, making a point of fighting them one-handed.

I dodged his clumsy attack with ease, my reflexes honed by years of training.

I countered with a swift jab to his solar plexus and a devastating uppercut that snapped his head back.

As Franco staggered backward, his sons moved to intervene, but I was ready for them.

I spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick to Fabio’s chest that sent him crashing into a nearby table.

Bruno and Rocco hesitated, open-eyed with fear.

I turned back to Franco, who was struggling to catch his breath, his face contorted with pain and humiliation.

‘Last chance,’ I warned, my voice cold and unyielding. ‘Walk away now, and don’t ever come near Cleo again. Or I swear I’ll make you regret the day you were born.’

Franco glared at me, his eyes burning with hatred and defiance. ‘You think you can threaten me?’ he snarled, spitting blood onto the floor. ‘I’ve been dealing with punks like you my whole life. You’re nothing exceptional.’

I let out a mirthless chuckle, shaking my head. ‘You still don’t grasp it, do you? I’m not some small-time thug you can intimidate with your cheap guns and sweet talk. I’m the man who brought you down the first time, and I’m here to bringyou down once and for all.’

I took a step closer, my timbre dropping to a whisper. ‘I know all about your dirty little secrets, Franco. The loose lips in prison that led to the deaths of my mother and father.’

Cleo’s breath hitched from somewhere behind me, and I comprehended I’d have some explaining to do.

Not now, however.

All I wanted at this moment was to nail Franco’s ass to the wall and tear his balls from his sack.

‘Who the fuck are you?’ Franco asked, this time with terror lacing his utterance.

‘Who the fuck am I? Don’t recognize me, mofo? I’m the man who gunned you down and handed you to the authorities all those years ago. I’m the reason you suffered in prison, but not enough, it appears. You can’t stay away from Cleo. So now retribution won’t keep away from you.’

Franco’s face paled, and I tagged the fear in his eyes.

He sensed I wasn’t bluffing.

‘You’re lying,’ he stammered, but his intonation lacked conviction. ‘Vaffanculo!’

I smiled a chilly, predatory grin. ‘Damn, it seems you’ve no idea who you’re insulting. Let me remind you. I’m your worst nightmare, the monster who destroys everything of yours that he touches and will never go away until you do.’

Franco’s shoulders slumped, but he still blustered, snarling at me. ‘What do you want?’

I leaned in close, my lips brushing against his ear. ‘I want you to disappear,’ I said, cold and unforgiving. ‘Depart this town, leave Cleo, and never come back. If I ever tag your fuckin’ face lurking again, I’ll make sure mine is the last one you have eyes on. Capisce, you octogenarian?’

My ultimatum was more than he could handle, and Franco rotated to his sons and screamed. ‘What the fuck are you waiting for? Get him!’

‘Tsk, tsk tsk,’ I drawled, aiming my shotgun at his three progeny. ‘They can try and rush me and sacrifice two of your own in an instant. You may even lose Rocco because I’m that fast of a draw. Before you dismiss me, ask your boys what I did with a hoe. What I can do with a 12 gauge is way worse.’

Franco painted on a contemptuous smile, one mired in dark wrath. ‘Cleo, so you’ve gone and got yourself a stand-in Rambo-type boyfriend. It’s OK. I understand; you needed a body to keep you warm until I returned. Now I’m back, you can drop him, my queen. I’m back, and you can return to me.’

‘I was never yours. I’m everything you want but can’t have,’ Cleo breathed.

Franco shook with rage as he shifted his gaze to me.

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