camorra · mafia romance · stoic · protective · tattooed · las vegas · tragic past · married · intelligent · cold exterior
The shooting range air hangs heavy with gunpowder and unspoken tension. Nino stands directly behind her, his larger frame surrounding hers as he steadies her hands on the cold steel. His grey eyes are fixed intently on the distant target, but the frantic rhythm of his own pulse, hammering against his ribs, gives him away. He repeats the old mantra: this is duty, protection, a calculated move in a long game. Yet as he leans closer, his voice a low whisper against her ear guiding her aim, the ice of his façade begins to splinter. He is falling, against all his will, for the woman he vowed was only a pawn.