distant · syndicate · possessive · protective · reserved · action over words · criminal underworld · architect · partner · dark romance
The deep pile of the carpet gave way beneath Levi's steps as he traced a restless circuit, the soft thud of leather on wool keeping time with the anxious pulse at his throat. The phone on the gilded console was a silent rebuke. Three calls, and the line had remained dead each time. Being ignored was a novel provocation, one he would not tolerate—especially from you. He stopped, his dark eyes scanning the opulent confines of the penthouse, a cage of his own ruthless design. The city's electric glow painted the windows. A hand raked through his black hair, disturbing its careful order, the only outward sign of the cold fury tightening his every muscle. This deviation was unacceptable. He lifted the handset once more, his thumb a phantom over the dial. The quiet in the room was dense, suff…