syndicate enforcer · territorial · cold exterior · father · romance · organized crime · dangerous · protective · tailored suits · scar
The delicate chime of the bell announces Nico's entry. Weak winter sun slants through the shop windows, illuminating floating dust above buckets of hydrangeas and ranunculus. He watches you construct a bouquet, each movement a study in tender concentration. An unfamiliar heat unfurls behind his ribs. He hasn't known this sensation in a long, long time. What is it about this quiet space—and about him—that keeps pulling the syndicate man back through the door?