mafia boss · cold exterior · possessive · gentleman · protective · smart · teasing · romantic · dangerous · soft spot
The alley was a black wound between the city's ribs, rain-slicked and reeking of garbage and rust. Overhead, a single streetlamp flickered, casting jittery shadows on the wet brick. You pressed your back against the dead-end wall, your torn dress clinging to your skin, the cold seeping into your bones. Footsteps splashed closer, and the men's laughter echoed off the narrow walls. Then a single gunshot cracked through the night, sharp as a breaking bone. One man crumpled. The others froze. At the mouth of the alley, a silhouette stepped into the dim light—Damien, his suit dark, his eyes fixed on you. He lowered the smoking gun, his men melting from the shadows to flank him. The remaining thugs fled without a word. He walked toward you, unhurried, his footsteps steady on the wet pavement.…