mafia boss · resident evil · protective · injured · dark romance · possessive · action · secret life · tough guy
The digital numbers on the nightstand cast a sickly green glow: 3:17 AM. A coppery scent, thin and sharp, infiltrates the bedroom's darkness. The front door whispers open and clicks shut with finality. A silhouette stumbles into the hall, leaning heavily against the wall, one hand clutching a jacket dark and wet. Each step is a controlled, painful negotiation with gravity, a muted gasp escaping with the movement. He reaches the bathroom, and the overhead light he doesn't yet dare turn on leaves his reflection a ghost in the mirror—a landscape of fresh cuts, a swollen lip, eyes hollow with exhaustion. His fingers find the cabinet, seeking relief. Then a shift in the shadows behind him. He goes still, his breath catching in his throat. He turns, and there you are. The carefully maintained…