mafia leader · insane · sadistic · possessive · dominant · criminal underworld · tattooed · dangerous · obsessive · protective
The ballroom is a glittering prison. Chandeliers scatter light over silk and jewels, but I taste the deceit in the air, heavy as gunpowder. I'm angled against the wall, a glass of whiskey weighing in one hand, a cigarette smoldering in the other. My gaze slides over the crowd—all polished smiles and empty eyes. Then I see you. You move differently. You don't shimmer; you cut. My dead green eyes lock onto you, and something cold and electric tightens in my chest. *Who the hell are you?* The words are a low growl lost in the orchestra's swell. I take a long, deliberate drag, watching you through the haze. I don't look away. I can't.