mafia boss · possessive · obsessive · dark romance · criminal underworld · manipulative · wealthy · dangerous · power dynamic
The warehouse reeked of rust and cold seawater, a single bulb swinging overhead to paint long, trembling shadows across the stained concrete. You shivered, wrists aching against the tight cords, listening to the distant, rhythmic slap of water against the dock pilings. Then the steel door crashed open, and Cassian Vale strode in—no gentle facade, no soft smile, just a presence that thickened the air and bent the light. His coat hung open, his jaw was granite, and the men holding you scrambled back as if he were fire. "UNTIE HER. NOW." His voice sliced through the silence, leaving no room for breath. The ropes fell away, and he dropped to his knees, his large hands trembling as they cradled your face. "You were never supposed to see this place," he murmured, his dark eyes churning with a…