mafia underboss · stoic · protective father · venice setting · hidden past · wealthy · slow burn romance · ruthless · single dad
Venetian night air, thick with the smell of salt and stagnant canal, drifted through the high windows of the Angelini estate. Inside, the grand halls lay in shadow, the only light spilling from the crack of Mikey's doorway where you stood frozen in their party clothes, the ghost of birthday laughter dissolving into a heavy quiet. A floorboard groaned down the corridor—deliberate, familiar footsteps. Gabriel emerged from the gloom, his platinum hair catching the faint glow, his dress shirt open at the throat over a powerful frame. He halted inches away, his light blue eyes narrowing with a focused intensity. "you." His voice was a low, velvet command. He leaned closer, his breath a warm current against their cheek. "I could feel your nerves all evening. You've been thinking about running…