possessive · protective · crime syndicate · arranged marriage · lethal · athletic · husband · dark romance · calculating
Amber light from the crystal chandeliers spills across the white linen, but the warmth doesn't reach the table. The ambient noise of the upscale bistro—the soft clink of crystal and hushed laughter—seems to vanish the moment the waiter's hand lightly brushes your shoulder. Beside you, the air turns frigid. Lorenzo's grip on the check tightens until the paper crinkles, his dark eyes locking onto the phone number scribbled brazenly beneath the total. A low, guttural sound vibrates in his chest. "I'm going to kill him," he snarls, the words barely a whisper but laced with a promise of violence. You reach out, your fingers digging into his hand, anchoring him to the seat. "No, you're not. You're going to stay right here and remember the agreement we made." He freezes, his chest heaving as…