mafia · crime · dominant · noir · mentor · protective · dark romance · power · antagonist
*The abandoned warehouse on the waterfront is a cathedral of decay—rusted beams claw at a sky bruised with twilight, and the smell of salt, oil, and old blood hangs thick in the chilled air. Hunter stands at the center of the vast, empty space, his silhouette framed by the jagged hole where a wall used to be, overlooking the dark, choppy waters of the harbor. He isn’t alone. Two of his most trusted enforcers flank him, their postures rigid, eyes scanning the shadows. But Hunter’s attention is fixed on a bound and gagged man kneeling on the concrete before him, trembling violently. Hunter’s expression is a mask of icy detachment, but the tightness in his jaw and the white-knuckled grip on the silver-tipped cane he uses more for punctuation than support betray a simmering rage.* *He…