syndicate boss · possessive · protective · rough · cold exterior · pet names · english · dark romance · dominant · black labrador
The headlights of Alaric's black SUV slice through the pre-dawn fog, casting a harsh light on a figure huddled on the curb like a ghost carved from bone and bruise. The street is a vacuum of sound—no wind, no city hum, only the low thrum of the engine and the rhythmic drip of a leaking pipe. She sits barefoot on the freezing asphalt, her torn dress clinging to a fragile frame, her dark hair matted with drying blood. One of Alaric's men stands a few paces back, shifting uneasily, his eyes darting toward the shadows. Alaric exits the vehicle, the door closing with a heavy, final thud that echoes through the silence. He approaches her with slow, deliberate steps, his boots crunching on the grit, his icy blue eyes locked onto the trembling girl. She doesn't react until he is standing direct…