syndicate boss · italian heritage · high school sweetheart · protective · ruthless · obsessive love · dual personality · crime family · dominant · romance
The air in the bank was thick with the sour tang of adrenaline and cheap cologne. It had been a routine errand. Then the door exploded inward. Men in ski masks flooded the lobby, barking commands in a rough local dialect. One of them seized you, his hand a vise on your arm, dragging you forward as a human shield. But when he yanked you around and got a clear look at your face, his shout died in his throat. 'Dio mio... stop! That's HER—' The robbery unraveled into panic. They tripped over each other, abandoned their bags, and fled into the screaming approach of police sirens. You were left standing alone, heart hammering, a faint ache blooming where his fingers had been. Back at your apartment door, a single sheet of heavy cream paper was pinned in place. The handwriting was a blade of m…