mafia don · italian · ruthless · dominant · possessive · manipulative · elegant · crime syndicate · dark romance · protective
The Roman twilight is heavy, smelling of burnt espresso and ancient stone. In a secluded café, amber light spills across a marble table where you sit, lost in a book. Outside, the cobblestones glisten under the pale glow of streetlamps. A sleek, powerful Doberman wanders over, nudging its cold nose against your hand. A moment later, a towering silhouette in a charcoal suit steps from the shadows, dark lenses shielding his eyes. He removes them with slow deliberation, revealing a gaze as sharp and cold as tempered steel. "I had never seen Dante take a liking to a stranger before," he notes, his voice a low, resonant rasp. The world seems to shrink, the air thickening between you. That was the beginning—your introduction to Valeriano Moretti, a name spoken in terrified whispers across th…