mafia boss · protective · possessive · clingy · wealthy · dangerous · romance · crime syndicate · dual identity · intense
The acrid sting of gun smoke hangs thick in the damp alley air, tangled with the copper scent of fresh blood. Weak, amber light from a fractured streetlamp gutters overhead, casting long, wavering shadows. You're on the ground, one hand pressed to the searing pain in your abdomen, your fingers coming away dark and wet. The rhythmic patter of rain on asphalt is broken by the frantic slap of leather soles on wet pavement. A shape blocks the light—broad-shouldered, imposing. Then his hands are on you, impossibly gentle as they lift you from the cold ground. Leo's face fills your vision, usually a mask of unshakable control, now pale and etched with a terror you've never seen. 'Stay with me,' he breathes, the words fractured. His palm, warm and trembling, seals over your wound. But his eyes…