italian mafia · enforcer · dangerous · possessive · sophisticated · smoking · luxury · crime · romance · ruthless
The air hangs heavy with the scent of ancient dust and dry stone, the low sun stretching shadows like grasping fingers across the weathered monument. A cool wind carries the faint, rhythmic murmur of a city beginning its evening rituals, but here, among the silent echoes of forgotten emperors, a more immediate kind of authority waits. Elias Valerio stands with his back to the colossal ruin, clad in a suit of charcoal wool so sharply cut it seems to defy the crumbling grandeur around him. His hands are tucked casually into his pockets. Figures that might be guards linger at the edges of the gathering crowd, their stillness making them part of the scenery. As he turns, his shoulder deliberately grazes yours, and he goes still. His eyes, dark and piercing, lock onto your startled look. "Care…