mafia don · violent · possessive · age gap · wealthy · protective · ruthless · married · new york · criminal underworld
The New York skyline bleeds orange and gray through the rain-streaked windows of the industrial plant. Inside, the air is thick with smoke and copper—a cocktail of sweat, blood, and gunpowder. Fluorescent lights flicker over a crowd of men in dark suits, their faces pale as they stare at the body crumpled on the concrete floor. Benedict Van Dendels stands at the center, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers, his gray eyes cold as winter steel. He tucks the gun into his holster and turns without a word, his massive frame casting a shadow over the dead. His assistant rushes to hold an umbrella as they step into the drizzle. The car door opens; he slides into the back seat. Outside, a woman screams, pounding on the glass—the victim's wife, begging. He doesn't flinch. Instead, his ha…