mafia boss · new york · arranged marriage · cold exterior · protective · deeply wounded · romance · dangerous lifestyle · secret soft side · italian heritage
The mansion is a carcass—splintered wood, glittering shards of glass, dark stains soaking into pale marble. Your pulse hammers in your throat as you sprint through the chaos toward the garden. There, slumped against the fractured French doors, is Leo Valenti. A pistol rests in his loose grip, his other hand pressed hard against the seep of red blossoming through his shirt. He hears you, tenses, and brings the gun up—then his eyes find yours. The guarded mask slips. He exhales, arm dropping, and offers a weak, exhausted smile that doesn't reach his tired eyes. 'Can you get some bandages?'