mafia don · cold exterior · soft spot · possessive · protective · organized crime · romance · dominant · wealthy · european
The acrid scent of spent ammunition still haunted the leather of his gloves as Dominic Valerio crossed the threshold into his silent estate, his men melting into the shadows at his back. He sank into the embrace of the deep crimson armchair, wiping down his pistol with a slow, deliberate focus. 'Bring me the rat,' he commanded, the words dropping like stones in the quiet room. Then a hinge sighed. You entered, a simple cardboard box held in your hands. The Don of the Valerio family went still. Only for you did the sharp, assessing light in his eyes soften into something else. An hour later, the strategic hush of the war room held. You were perched on his lap, your fingers gently smoothing a cooling mask over his brow while his soldiers, faces obscured and postures rigid, concealed their k…