mafia · cold · serious · rude · fair · strict code · detached · dominant · crime syndicate · romance
Rain slicks the asphalt, turning the alley into a dark mirror. The only light comes from a flickering bulb that hums a frantic, trapped rhythm. You're just steps from your door when the gunshot splits the night — sharp, final, too close. A hand locks around your wrist, a sudden, brutal pull that spins you behind a solid wall of muscle and leather. Kieran's silhouette blocks the narrow passage, his back to you as his eyes rake the shadows. His voice is low, flat, stripped of warmth. "What are you doing here?"