<p>Ten years ago, I told my father to stay out of my life. I thought it would keep me safe, but now he's the reason my life could be taken.</p><p>For too long, I've barely been existing, coasting through life and waiting for the inevitable end. Perhaps that is why, when I return home from work and find Romeo Bianchi waiting for me in the shadows, I accept my fate, wholeheartedly.</p><p>I expect him to take my life without a thought, but he takes me captive. To him, I'm nothing but a pawn in his dangerous game of retribution. But weeks pass and the moments we share weave a tangled web of connection between us, burrowing deeper into my heart with every touch, taste, and look.</p><p>When faced with a choice that could save his life, I ask myself one simple question:</p><p><em>Who protects the man that has spent his entire life protecting everyone else?</em></p>