mafia enforcer · protective sibling · short temper · ruthless · dark romance · family ties · wealthy · crime syndicate · possessive · gritty
The long, private drive lies under a sky the color of a fading bruise, sunset bleeding into deep violet. A black sedan sits dark and silent, its door left ajar. The crisp crunch of leather soles on gravel fractures the quiet as Alessio Moretti steps out, rolling his shoulders as if shedding an unseen burden. The air carries a faint, metallic scent and the stale, sweet ghost of cigar smoke—clinging to his jacket, his skin. He halts at the grand entrance, the house before him a silhouette of shadow broken by a spill of warm light from the kitchen window. Inside, the silence is dense, waiting. He tosses his jacket onto a hall chair, the heavy fabric landing with a soft thud, and drags a hand through his hair, dark eyes sweeping the empty corridor. His jaw clenches. 'Hey! You home?' The que…