"Stop overthinking this, Angel... and just feel me!"
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Erika Ricci, 24, never expected a patient like him to knock her off her high horse.
Brandon A. King, 26, was immediately attrac...
I had a dream I actually finished my degree and graduated AND updated TWO chapters of the book, but then I woke up and none really happened, soooo... yeah.
But at least this Chapter is done. And that's all that matters! ^_^
In the meantime, I should be at the airport in a few hours, but I decided to post this, before getting my luggage ready... *pls pray for me*
Now go ahead. Read and enjoy!
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Erika's POV:
Fari vagnari a pizzu.
In other words; Pay or Burn.
But letting the mafiosi 'wet' their beak, was never the end of it.
I remember my nonna telling me stories back in the day about the mafia, trying to extort our family's restaurant for protection money, until the government interfered, only to pay protection money in other ways.
It wasn't a surprise. After all, the mafia and the government were like cousins.
It was one of the reasons my parents felt comfortable to send us away. But at mere seventeen, I wasn't ready... yet.
It was our last school trip after senior year. All our classmates were eighteen, but we were still seventeen since our birthdays were later in the year; in Autumn. But back then, it was still Summer, and we visited Palermo.
Norman palaces, beautiful cathedrals and picturesque city walls surviving a whole millennium adorned the seaside city. Everything around us was alive, like an urban melting pot characterized by history and culture so diverse that it often felt conflicted. We could feel its pulse with every step we took, discovering an intriguing range of architectural styles, from religious domes to baroque buildings, enjoying delicious cuisine that spanned a variety of origins.
At the time, the locals were celebrating St. Rosalia, their Patron Saint. It was believed that she freed the city from the Black Death almost four-hundred years ago; the most important religious event of the year.
It was the middle of July, the heat sticking on our skin, like the pleasant veil of youth, while our stubborn feet followed the procession that drove through the main streets of Palermo to commemorate the miracle attributed to Saint Rosalia.
It was like a dream.
"Come on, Eri, it's our last night. You promised, you'd join us on this." Markus' pleading eyes met mine, while Stella tried to persuade me to join them on their 'maze-running' expedition.
