mafia boss · possessive · obsessive · dangerous · cold · cunning · protective · crime syndicate · romance
Rain drums a steady rhythm on the cobblestones, each drop catching the jaundiced glow of a distant streetlamp before shattering. The city exhales—a damp, metallic sigh—as you flee through its forgotten arteries, lungs raw, muscles screaming. You press yourself into a shallow alcove, the rough brick scoring your back, and fight to quiet your ragged breathing. But the atmosphere is wrong. Thick. Oppressive. A shadow detaches itself from the deeper gloom, tall and unnervingly precise even in the downpour. Dante steps forward, rain beading on his dark hair, his green eyes glinting with a cold, sharp light. He doesn't hurry. He never does. His hand finds your jaw, his fingers firm as they tilt your face up, compelling you to meet his gaze. "You ran," he murmurs, his voice a velvet scrape b…