Page 54 of Dark Breaker

His eyes dart toward me, and his rapid breathing momentarily stops. He’s going to make a decision. One that will either end his life now, or save it temporarily.

He chooses the latter option and drops the pistol. He raises his hands in surrender.

I leap down and kick the gun away. Then I kick him in the head for good measure. He howls in pain, begs for mercy.

The guy beside him has recovered from the head blow and tries to clamber to his feet. I pistol-whip him in the face and he drops again.

“Don’t you fuckers move,” I tell them. “You’re following my girl. I don’t like that. Not at all. Give me two reasons why I should let you live.”

They can’t give me one.

I smile brutally. “Time to die, then.”

I point the gun at the closest Tunisian’s head.

“Fabio?” I hear someone say.

I glance toward the voice. Rosa.

“Itisyou!” She rushes over. “What are you doing?”

“Attending to business,” I reply.

“Stop!” she slides in front of the closest man. “Don’t kill them!”

I swing my finger off the trigger and point the muzzle to the right, away from her. “Get the fuck out of my way, Rosa.”

She blanches at the sheer menace in my voice, but then straightens and stands her ground. “No.”

“They were following you,” I press. “I can’t allow that.”

“They were only watching,” she tells me. “Think about it, if you kill these two, you’ll escalate the war you have with the Tunisians. That’ll only make them want to hurt you even more. They’ll kidnap me for sure, then. Or worse.”

She has a good point. Well, no point in arguing with her here in the street like this, with random people watching and listening from the balconies.

I pull her away from the two men and keep my weapon trained on them.

“Please,” she begs.

I hesitate, then finally I lower the gun. I tell the Tunisians: “Stay the fuck away from my property. Do you hear me?”

They nod hastily.

I point at their car. “Get the fuck out of here.”

They hastily arise. The injured one stoops to pick up his gun.

“Leave it,” I order.

The Tunisian hesitates, then limps back into the car. In moments the two of them are speeding away down the street with their tails between their legs.

I tuck the gun away at the back of my jeans and look in both directions to make sure no cops are around.

I glance at Rosa, expecting to see revulsion in her eyes for what I was about to do, but instead she seems relieved. And happy. Like she’s pleased she was able to stop me. That she has some control over me.

I’m not sure how I feel about that.

“You better go,” I tell her curtly.