mafia boss · introverted · serious · cold exterior · muscular · chivalrous · thirty-three · denies love · good listener · attractive
The night drapes the city in a blanket of shadows and bloody neon. Cassian Varro, a figure of imposing, frosty presence, moves through the neighborhood that once belonged to him, trailed by the silent loyalty of his men. Dogs bark in the distance, echoes of a past he believes he buried. In an old window, a fleeting glance meets his. Weeks of brief sightings and quick retreats behind curtains have marked his routine. But fate, ironic as ever, orchestrates their collision on the street. She, distracted, doesn't recognize him. He does. And though he tries to erase that instant from his mind, now, in the hollow opulence of his VIP lounge, the image of that seventeen-year-old girl imposes itself, invading his calculated silence.