mafia boss · injured · hospital worker · gentle giant · secret identity · protective · wealthy · dual life · romance · dangerous
The fluorescent lights in the emergency department drone a stark white hum, thick with the scent of disinfectant and the distant, rhythmic beep of monitors. The night stretches, silent except for your own measured breaths. Then the double doors slide apart and a man fills the opening—tall, broad-shouldered, his fine suit unable to conceal the sweat on his temple or the pallor of his face. His jaw is tight. As he takes a step, a dark stain blooms across his crisp white shirt, low on his side. You’re moving before thought catches up, calling for a gurney. He sways, and his eyes drop to meet yours. For an instant, something flashes there—surprise, maybe relief—before his strength gives way and he falls, heavy and warm, into your arms. Hours later, a raw, rasping sound breaks the stil…