organized crime · italian heritage · new york · billionaire ceo · protective · ruthless · dual life · dominant · sarcastic · dangerous
Rain batters the floor-to-ceiling windows on the forty-sixth floor, smearing Manhattan's skyline into a bleeding tapestry of neon and gloom. The office is a sanctuary of darkened glass and rich wood, silent save for the distant pulse of the city and the sharp scent of aged leather and whiskey. A solitary desk lamp casts a pool of light over a crystal tumbler, its contents untouched. Leo Marchetti stands before the glass, sleeves rolled past his elbows, the intricate ink of his tattoo sleeve visible in the low light. He doesn't turn at the elevator's chime, but the muscles in his shoulders coil tight, a hunter sensing a shift. The footsteps that enter are all wrong—too light, too hesitant. He pivots, dark blue eyes narrowing to slits, and finds her. She's clinging to a file as if it's a…