In a world where loyalty is a dangerous game, kylina finds herself torn between danger and desire. When a forbidden romance with D'Angelo, A mafia leader ignites, the line between love and survival blurs. As she pulls back, her breath heavy with ant...
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I sat on the old wooden bench at the park, my eyes fixed on the fountain ahead. The rhythmic splashing of water was almost hypnotic, a soothing backdrop.
"So," I began, my voice sounding strange to my own ears, "how's it going?"
Kylie shrugged, still not looking at me. "Fine, I guess."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Kylie, we need to talk about this. About you living with... with D'Angelo."
Her head snapped up at that, eyes narrowing. "He's not a bad guy, Theo. You don't even know him."
"And neither do you," I shot back, trying to keep my voice calm. "You met him, what, three days ago? Four?"
"Three," she muttered, crossing her arms defensively. "And he's helped me more than anyone else has."
That stung. I knew she was right, in a way.
"I'm just worried about you," I said quietly. "After everything with him... I don't want you to get hurt again."
Kylina looked away, her eyes misting over as she stared at the ground. "You don't understand, Theo. You weren't there. You didn't see what he did to me. What he was going to do."
My heart ached hearing the tremble in her voice. I reached out, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. "I know, Ky. I know I wasn't there, and I can't change that. But I want to help now. I just don't think living with a stranger is the answer."
She sniffed, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. "D'Angelo's not a stranger. He's been through stuff too. He gets it. And he doesn't judge me."
"I'm not judging you," I said softly. "I just want to make sure you're safe. What do you even know about him?"
She hesitated, then shrugged again. "Enough. He's from the neighborhood. He works at... the auto shop? . He's a good guy, T."
I bit my lip, feeling the unease settle deeper in my gut. "Does he know about... about our stepfather?"
She nodded. "Yeah. he found me during the whole ordeal. He said he'd protect me. That no one would hurt me again."
"That's a big promise," I said, trying to keep the skepticism out of my voice. "Just be careful, okay? People aren't always what they seem."
Kylie turned to me then, her eyes filled with a fierce determination. "I know. But I'm not a little kid anymore. I can take care of myself."
I begged to differ,I wanted to argue, to tell her she was still too young to handle all of this alone, but I knew it would only push her away. So instead, I nodded, forcing a small smile. "I know you can. Just... promise me you'll keep in touch. Let me know how things are going."
She nodded slowly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I will, T. I promise."
We sat there a while longer, watching the kids play on the swings and the ducks waddle by the pond. It wasn't much, but it was something.
