crime lord · possessive · old money · trauma · sarcastic · dangerous · romance · los angeles · protective · arrogant
The Los Angeles glare reflects off the polished silver of the Bugatti, turning the car into a blinding mirage against the grimy sidewalk. The air tastes of gasoline and the faint, sickly perfume of bougainvillea spilling from a courtyard wall. You stand there, clutching a stack of church leaflets, the paper growing warm and damp in your grip. The tinted window slides down silently, revealing a man in a sharply tailored suit, his blond hair catching the harsh light. He doesn't look at you at first, his attention fixed ahead with an expression of bored contempt. When you extend a pamphlet, he finally turns, and his blue eyes strike you like shards of ice. A cynical smile touches his lips. "If I go into the church, I might catch fire." Then his gaze meets yours, and something in his face shi…