The Thin Line Between Hatred and Fear

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• Dark Possession: Bound To The Mafia Don   Responsibility

  Michael’s POV I pushed open the door to my bedroom, Henry’s warm breath still resting on the back of my neck. I helped him into the bed, my bed, and tucked the blanket up to his chin. He looked so small lying there, the dark circles under his eyes almost swallowing his innocent face whole. “You’re safe here,” I whispered. “No one’s going to hurt you.”Henry’s breathing evened out. I brushed a hand over his soft hair, something almost paternal stirring in me—a feeling I didn’t know I was capable of. When I was sure he was fully asleep, I stood carefully, the old wooden floorboards groaning under my weight.The house was eerily quiet as I stepped back into the hall, but it wasn’t the comforting kind of silence. It was the tense, suffocating kind—like the air right before a storm breaks.I found Ashley in the sitting room. She was perched on the armrest of the couch, scrolling through her phone, but her head snapped up the moment she heard me. “How is he?” she asked, her voice tig

• Dark Possession: Bound To The Mafia Don   The Edge of Fear

  Archer’s POV I could barely keep my hands from shaking as I checked the time on my watch again. It was almost 1 a.m. Shadows clung to every corner of Fernando’s grand foyer like watchful ghosts, and the soft ticking of the clock on the marble wall felt like a countdown to something terrible.I glanced at Harold, who stood behind me with his stiff posture, his face expressionless, though I knew him well enough to see the tension in his eyes. My loyal butler and confidant. The only person I could trust in this hellish situation.“Harold,” I whispered, leaning close, “we’re leaving. Right now.”“Yes, Master Archer,” he replied immediately, his low voice unwavering. “Your safety comes first.”I nodded once, sharp and decisive, and strode down the grand staircase. Our steps echoed through the silent halls of Fernando’s mansion, every sound bouncing off polished stone like a warning.I didn’t dare look back. I didn’t dare give myself a moment to second-guess. If Fernando returned and c

• Dark Possession: Bound To The Mafia Don   Midnight Steps and Silent Promises

  Michael’s POV The night air was thick with the scent of summer rain yet to fall, the clouds above hanging like dark curtains over the sleeping city. I kept my hand gently on Henry’s shoulder as we walked side by side along the cracked sidewalk, the orange glow of streetlights casting our shadows long and thin.Henry looked so small beside me, his hoodie two sizes too big, sleeves flopping over his hands. He kicked a loose pebble along the path, his eyes downcast, but his voice was bright when he spoke.“Michael, do you know how to ride a bike?” he asked, out of nowhere.I chuckled softly, glancing at him. “Yeah, I used to ride all over my neighborhood as a kid. Why? You like biking?”He shrugged, his eyes still on the sidewalk. “My mom taught me before…before we left the suburbs. Back then, we had a yard. And neighbors who would smile at us. It was quiet there.”I felt a hit of sadness as I listened. I tried to imagine a different life for Henry, one where he wasn’t wandering cit

• Dark Possession: Bound To The Mafia Don   The Hunt Begins

  Fernando’s POVThe bold red letters of the “CLOSED” sign glared at me through the glass of Kafé Verse’s front door, taunting me like a slap in the face. My heart slammed into my ribs as I stood frozen on the dark sidewalk, every breath turning ragged in my chest.No lights inside. No movement. The café was a hollow corpse of itself, chairs stacked on tables, darkness filling the space, mirroring the same kind of darkness I had in my heart.“Fuck!” My fist smashed against the glass door with a hollow, bone-jarring crack. The reverberation rolled down the silent street, chased by the distant bark of a dog somewhere in the night.Behind me, Marlo, Emilio and Mortis exited the car, both tense, scanning the empty block like wolves looking for prey.“Boss,” Marlo said, his voice low but urgent, “there’s no sign of the boy. No lights, no heat signatures inside. Nothing.”Mortis shifted uneasily, peering through his black-gloved hands pressed to the glass. “He was supposed to be here?”I s

• Dark Possession: Bound To The Mafia Don   Blood and Revelation

  Fernando’s POV I stood over the bodies all over the cracked concrete floor of the abandoned building, the stench of gunpowder still heavy in the air. I knelt beside Rachel as I watched as her breaths came in ragged, shallow gasps, each one a painful sound as blood poured from the wound in her side. Her eyes fluttered open as I cupped her face in my hands, the warmth of her skin searing my palms.“Fernando…” she began, her voice as fragile as the moment.“Stay with me, Rachel,” I ordered, my words trembling despite the steel I tried to lace them with. “You’re going to be fine. The ambulance is on its way.”A thin smile played on her bloodless lips. “No… there’s something I have… to tell you…” She coughed, and the red stain on her lips nearly undid me.I pulled her closer. “No, save your strength!”She shook her head weakly, her hair sticking to the sweat on her forehead. “I’ve kept this secret… for six years. I had to protect him, Fernando" she said with tears falling from her ey

• Dark Possession: Bound To The Mafia Don   After Hours

  Michael’s POV I glanced at the clock above the espresso machine. The glowing numbers read 10:04 p.m. Kafé Verse had been closed for four minutes, the chairs already flipped onto the tables, the lights dimmed, the smell of roasted coffee beans lingering like a stubborn ghost.Ivy was wiping down the last of the counters. Mateo and Liam were stacking the final clean mugs onto the shelves. And then there was Henry, sitting on a high stool at the counter, his little legs dangling, his eyes fixed on the door every time the wind rattled it. He was holding a Spider-Man backpack to his chest.The boy had been waiting here for hours. His mother was supposed to return but she never did and we were all worried.Ivy threw me a worried glance. “Michael… it’s getting late. We can’t just keep him here. He’s only, what, six?”“Six and a half,” Henry added softly, not looking away from the door. His voice was shaky but firm.Mateo rolled his eyes. “The point is, his mom is not here. We should ca