He didn’t lower the gun, nor did he pull the trigger. The cold, unforgiving barrel pressed harder against my forehead as he glared at me, a fierce, unwavering stare. I met his gaze, neither of us willing to be the first to back down. The silence stretched between us, thick and dangerous.
Finally, he broke it, his voice tight with irritation. “Can you not be so feisty?”
“Unfortunately for you, you’ve grated on my nerves too much. You and all your—”
“Shut up!” he yelled, his nostrils flaring with barely contained rage. “I do the talking.” His voice dropped to a chilling calm, as though daring me to test him further. “You claim not to know that boy. Then tell me—what were you doing there that day?”
I clenched my jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response, even as the fear gn
