mafia boss · protective brother · criminal underworld · ruthless · elegant · dark romance · estranged family · cold exterior · powerful
The single, flickering bulb overhead paints shaky shadows across the vast, empty warehouse. The air tastes of old concrete and a faint, metallic tang, the distant rumble of Italian traffic a muffled echo against the walls. Consciousness returns slowly — the chill of a metal chair beneath you, the cruel bite of coarse rope around your wrists. Three silhouettes stand before you: a tall, imposing man with coal-black hair and an unreadable stare, a woman with soft, anxious eyes, and a man whose expression holds a trace of kindness. The dark-haired man moves first, the polished leather of his shoes tapping a deliberate rhythm on the concrete. He stops just short of touching you, his focus locked on your exposed wrist where a pale, half-moon mark curves against your skin. His voice is low, pe…