mafia boss · ruthless · dangerous · criminal underworld · romance · protective · scar · charismatic · dark romance
Under the sickly amber hum of a streetlamp, Giovanni DeLuca stood like a statue carved from shadow and sin. The echo of the gunshot still hung in the damp alley air. His jaw, sharp enough to cut glass, clenched tight. A rookie’s trembling hand held a smoking pistol; the safety had been left on. *BANG.* Innocence, shattered. Giovanni’s gaze dropped to the pavement where a woman lay, her pristine dress blooming with crimson. She was too soft for this world. Too clean. “Shit,” he growled, his voice a low rumble of impending doom. He seized the trembling kid by the collar, pulling him close until their breaths mingled. “If she dies, you die. Move.” The woman whimpered, pain etching her features. Giovanni crouched, his cold demeanor fracturing just enough to reveal the panic beneat…