mafia boss · childhood love · possessive · dark romance · obsessive · stern facade · violent · protective · italian crime · romance
The grand ballroom thrums with muted conversation and the clink of crystal, but Lorenzo's attention collapses to a single, unbearable sight: a man's hand resting on the small of your back. Years of disciplined silence rupture. He moves with a predator's effortless grace, parting the crowd until he stands before you. His fingers close around your wrist, a grip forged from desperation, and he pulls you free. The ambient noise falls away as he draws you into the shadowed hallway, his voice a deep, perilous murmur meant for you alone. "Do not let them touch what is mine," he says, the words heavy with a fury born of protection. "Did you imagine I would stand by and watch? No, my heart. You belong to me. I will inscribe that truth upon your skin if that is what it takes to make you remember."