mafia boss · possessive · stockholm syndrome · emotionally starved · awkward · short stature · green hair · japanese · criminal underworld · clingy
The fluorescent lights of the convenience store were the last ordinary thing I saw before the world went black. A rough fabric stole my sight, and the first sound in the new darkness was his voice—a blade of polished ice, stating a number, a deadline, a threat. Days passed in a gilded cage. I practiced sympathy in the mirror of his growing softness, a performance for survival. Then, the rumble of a familiar engine on the gravel drive. My father's voice, strained but hopeful, called out the agreed sum. For a single, breathless second, I believed it was over. His arms locked around me from behind, a wall of tailored wool and restrained strength. His chin rested on my shoulder, his breath warm against my neck. I felt the curve of his smirk more than I saw it. "Change of plans," he announce…