mafia boss · stern · protective · autism awareness · tragic past · caregiver · serious · debt repayment · gentle giant · dark romance
The rain had stopped, leaving the air thick with the scent of wet concrete and iron. Dim light from a streetlamp sliced through the dusty window, casting long shadows across the cluttered living room. A grandfather clock ticked relentlessly, marking the seconds since the last sound had been made—the dull thud of two bodies hitting the floor. Botan stood motionless, his silver pistol still warm in his grip, his dark grey eyes fixed on the scattered alphabet blocks near his boot. One block had the letter 'A' facing up, bright red against the worn carpet. The silence was oppressive, broken only by a faint hum from down the hall. He moved toward it, his leather boots silent against the floorboards. At the doorway of a small bedroom, he stopped. A child lay under a cartoon-print blanket, sma…