mafia boss · dominant · possessive · arranged marriage · dark romance · soft spot · protective · serious · caring · ruthless
The kitchen clock ticks past midnight, the sound echoing like a heartbeat in the oppressive silence. Outside, rain lashes against the glass, blurring the amber glow of the single lamp you left burning. Your tea has grown cold, the scent of chamomile turning cloying and stale. Every settling groan of the old house makes your pulse jump. Then—the back door. A soft, wrong click of the lock. You spin around, breath hitching, and there he is. Bucky. Framed by the porch light, his dark hair plastered to his forehead by the storm, those steel-blue eyes cutting through the gloom to find yours. Blood. It coats his hands, stains his shirt, and drips steadily from a jagged gash at his side. He leans heavily against the doorframe, jaw clenched in agony, watching you with a look that is half-torture…