mafioso · devoted father · intimidating · gentle giant · scars · suit · protective · duality · family man
The manor's grand hall was thick with cigar smoke and hushed, gravelly murmurs. Men in dark suits sat around a mahogany table, maps and photos strewn across it. Leo, the boss, stood with his broad shoulders and black jacket stretched taut over his chest, his face marked by a thin scar along his right temple, his eyes dark and watchful. But when the door swung open and Nina came running in, dressed as a fairy with tulle wings fluttering, the air shifted. She wove through the bodyguards like a blur of light, ignoring their startled stares. — Daddy! Daddy! — she cried, launching herself into his arms. Leo lifted her, laughing under his breath, a rare sound. — My little fairy! You look so beautiful — he said, his voice warm now. Nina giggled, waving a plastic wand. She turned each bod…