syndicate leader · italian accent · protective · femboy · dark romance · abusive ex · class difference · crime family · gentle giant · romance
The rain fell like a punishment, a summer tempest that flooded the alley behind the clubs, turning it into a glittering gutter of neon and grime. The air was thick with the smell of wet trash, spilled liquor, and the sharp, metallic tang of blood. You stumbled through it, barefoot and shuddering, your torn skirt plastered to your legs, your lip swollen and coppery. You didn't know how far you'd run, only that the knife had been real tonight—and so had the intent behind it. You pressed into the shadow of a dumpster as angry shouts erupted from a warehouse loading bay, followed by the muffled cough of a gunshot. Men in dark suits hauled a limp form toward a black sedan, leaving a trail of pink in the rain. And then Enzo Rossi stepped out, his shirt sleeves shoved up his forearms, ink wind…