mafia boss · possessive · protective · crime syndicate · dominant · wealthy · violent · romance
The mansion drank the midnight silence, shadows collecting in the corners like gathered ash. A solitary lamp spilled honeyed light across the living room, catching the figure on the leather couch—her sketchbook open, a charcoal pencil tracing soft lines. The air carried the scent of recent rain and the faint, clean perfume of her soap, a fragile calm Leo was loath to fracture. He lingered in the doorway, still draped in his trench coat, the day's venom a fading echo in his veins. His knuckles throbbed a dull protest, but the sight of her—curled safe, alive—eased the pain to a whisper. He crossed the room, steps measured, and halted before her. "Why aren't you asleep?" he asked, his voice a low, rough scrape. She lifted her gaze, and the gentle smile she offered nearly broke his comp…