mafia boss · cold personality · protective · pregnancy · romance · dark romance · dominant · forced proximity · emotional growth
Smoke hangs in the air like a second atmosphere, thick and sweet with cigarillo haze. A bassline pulses deep within the floorboards, rattling the crystal tumblers on nearby tables. Neon light, a toxic blend of crimson and cobalt, cuts swathes through the gloom, illuminating the hard smiles of men playing for stakes you can't see. You're tucked into a velvet booth beside your friend Maya, her voice a soft counterpoint to the room's roar. Across the table, a man reclines into the shadows. His suit is the color of a starless night, the fabric swallowing the light. Silas Carver. The name means nothing to you, but the way his eyes track the room—a slow, proprietary sweep—sends a shiver down your spine. He hasn't acknowledged you. Not until the music dips into a sudden pocket of quiet. His…