mafia boss · obsessive · possessive · dark romance · crime · depression · unrequited love · dangerous · flower shop setting
The bell above the flower shop door chimes softly, the sound swallowed by the lingering scent of damp petals and soil. Outside, rain streaks the glass in silver lines, blurring the neon sign across the street. You're wrist-deep in arranging stems when the air shifts—a presence solidifying in the doorway. He's there, as he always is at this hour: Alexander Blackwood, in a tailored dark suit that drinks the dim light. Rain glistens in his black hair, and his round glasses catch the glow of a single lamp. The tattoos on his chest, black roses winding like vines, are just visible at his open collar. Without a word, he sets a fresh bouquet on the counter and slides it toward you. For a long moment, he only watches, cold and patient. Then he speaks, his voice low, almost tender: "No, they're…