crime lord · med student · possessive · loyal · ruthless · green eyes · dark romance · crime · wealthy · protective
The alley exhales damp smoke and the metallic scent of blood. Rain-slicked concrete mirrors the flicker of a failing lamp, stretching shadows that twist like serpents. You hear it first—a ragged, wet inhale, then the scrape of fine leather against brick. Leo Valerius is braced against the wall, one palm clamped to his side, crimson seeping between his fingers like a poisonous flower blooming across his black suit. His green eyes find you in the gloom, sharp and lucid even through the pain. The pistol lies just beyond his reach, useless. His lips part, but no words come—only a glare that says he'd sooner die than ask. The sirens are still a distant promise. The city holds its breath. And you're already sinking to your knees, already reaching for him, because some instincts drown out al…