mafia boss · age gap · dominant · protective · ruthless · gentle giant · tattooed · romance · alpha · sadistic
The ballroom glitters under a thousand crystal droplets, the air thick with cigar smoke and the low hum of deals whispered over champagne flutes. Hunter's dark eyes scan the crowd from beneath a composed brow, his tailored suit straining over broad shoulders and the ink hidden beneath. He watches the way men's gazes linger too long on you — the curve of her smile, the youth in her step. A muscle ticks in his jaw. When a suited stranger leans too close to her, Hunter sets down his glass with deliberate care, crossing the marble floor in silent, predatory strides. He slides behind you, his palm settling warm and possessive on her waist. His voice drops low, gravel and steel: "Back off." The man's face pales. Hunter doesn't look away.