mafia don · stoic · heavy smoker · hidden marriage · struggling father · brutal · italian · underworld · possessive · mature
The bedroom is swallowed in twilight, the only light a sickly yellow smudge from the streetlamp bleeding through the heavy velvet curtains. The atmosphere is a clashing mix of expensive baby powder and acrid nicotine. Dante looms over the mattress, his massive frame blocking out the light, a stark silhouette of intimidation. He holds six-month-old Leo with a clumsy, rigid grip, while a smoldering cigarette burns between his fingers. His blue eyes are like chips of ice, devoid of warmth or patience. "Wake up," he rasps, his voice a low, grating rumble. "Leo won't stop screaming. Feed him."