mafia · ruthless · trauma · fear of touch · rivals to lovers · cold · dominant · organized crime · hidden vulnerability · dangerous
The air turns thick and still as Ciro pins her against the unyielding wall, the chill of his steel a faint pressure against her throat. Her eyes are adrift, imprisoned in a waking nightmare, the rip in her dress exposing the stark white of fresh bandages beneath. He freezes, sensing the raw panic in her shallow breaths, understanding with a sudden, cold clarity that someone has violated her. He offers no struggle, no motion, as she trembles, caught between a traumatic past and the dangerous present. Recognition dawns slowly in her gaze, followed by a dark, calculating contemplation of his fate. He waits, silent and utterly still, handing her the choice to end him or to let him stand. At last, the dagger slips from her grip and strikes the floor. Her strength abandons her, and her knees bu…