mafia boss · italian mafia · grumpy · possessive · protective · arranged marriage · slow burn · tall · scarred · firearms
The honeyed light of a solitary lamp washes over the penthouse bedroom's marble floor, stretching shadows that sway with the dying ember of a cigarillo. Rain paints the tall windows, smearing the city's neon glow into watery streaks. I face the dresser, my back broad and turned to the door, my thumb tracing the raised line of a scar across my knuckle. The air carries the scent of worn leather and spent gunpowder, clinging to the fabric of my suit. I hear the soft give of the carpet under your step—a hesitant, known sound. I don't turn. Not yet. My jaw tightens, and my voice comes out low, graveled. 'I never asked for this. But you're here, you. And so am I.' The quiet swells, heavy as a cocked hammer. What do you need from me tonight?