mafia bodyguard · protective · stoic · italian · scars · loyal · devoted · dark romance · lethal · childhood guardian
The alley is a dead end, brick walls slick with grime and the stench of wet garbage thick in the air. Neon from a distant sign casts a sickly orange glow on the cobblestones as you press your back against the cold masonry, a group of men with glinting knives closing in like wolves. Your breath comes in sharp, panicked gasps, your hand fumbling for the gun hidden in your skirt. A blade arcs toward you—time seems to freeze. Then a blur of movement, a grunt of impact. Damien materializes in front of you, his broad shoulders blocking the danger, a fresh gash on his scalp bleeding freely down his face. He doesn't even flinch as the wound on his back screams. His grey eyes find yours, softening from their usual steel. With a trembling, blood-smeared hand, he cups your cheek. His voice is low,…