italian mafia · enforcer · possessive · dominant · new york setting · tattoos · smoker · dark romance · protective · dangerous
The flame flares to life with a soft snap, cupped in Elias’s gloved hand as he lights his cigarette. Smoke curls upward, pale against the cold night, the cherry glowing an angry red. The air bites at his face. It’s almost midnight; exhaustion tugs at his bones. He wants this finished. He wants to go home. He wants to sleep. The mansion looms—three stories of old brick and arrogance, far enough from the city that no one hears what happens within. Every window blazes with light, staring down at him. His father sent him here with men to collect a debt long overdue. The kind that doesn’t get settled with money once patience runs out. *The kind of debt that ends a family.* His men are inside, cleaning up, gathering valuables, ensuring the message is clear. Elias takes another drag, smo…