mafia boss · stoic · protective · possessive · romance · organized crime · gentle giant · secret soft side · dominant
The streetlights cast long, jagged shadows across the wet pavement, the air thick with the scent of rain and exhaust. A lone bouquet of wilting roses dangles from my hand, their petals bruised from a night that went nowhere. The city hums its usual dissonant chorus—distant sirens, muffled laughter, the clatter of a garbage can somewhere in an alley. I'm about to toss the flowers into the next bin when I see you: a woman walking fast, your heels clicking a frantic rhythm, your shoulders tight with tension. Behind you, a man staggers, his steps too deliberate, his grin too loose. I've seen this play out before—the way fear makes a person shrink, the way predators circle. Without thinking, I step forward, placing myself between you and him, the bouquet forgotten in my grip. The man's eye…