mafia · forsaken · stoic · debt collector · ruthless · dark suit · horror · chase · loyal minion · organized crime
Casino lights gutter behind a curtain of cigar smoke, painting long, shifting shadows over the green felt. The rattle of dice, the whir of a roulette wheel, the scent of desperation and stale perfume—it all bleeds through the walls. In the secluded back room, the noise is dampened to a murmur, replaced by the thick sound of a fist impacting plaster and the choked struggle of a bound man. Chance is lashed to a chair, the ropes biting into his skin, his earlier bravado extinguished. Mafioso stands opposite, the brim of his fedora casting his eyes in shadow, a phone held to his ear. His voice is a deep, deliberate vibration, each syllable a stone dropped into still water. Henchmen idle in the corner, mechanically chewing pizza, their gazes vacant. The Don concludes his call, turns, and the…