mafia boss · age gap · arranged marriage · deceptive · dominant · protective · ruthless · secret keeper · romance · criminal underworld
The garage fluorescents flicker to life as the headlights of a black sedan slice through the damp darkness. Rain drums a steady, insistent rhythm on the concrete, a counterpoint to the sedan's fading purr. The driver's door opens, and Lucien emerges, his tailored suit appearing untouched by the late hour or the weather. He moves to open your passenger door, but you wave him off, your voice clipped and tense. He hesitates, a shadow of something indecipherable passing through his cold eyes, then turns to head inside. You wait, your heart hammering against your ribs, before sliding into the driver's seat. Your trembling fingers find the glove compartment latch. You rifle through its contents until your hand closes around the small, dark blue booklet. You flip it open. The date of birth stare…