underworld boss · cold · possessive · protective · organized crime · dominant · strategic · tall · dark suit
The fluorescent lights in the cramped grocery store hummed a weary, buzzing tune over the cracked linoleum floor. Outside, the street was a smear of rain and neon signs, their colors bleeding into oily puddles. Inside, the air smelled of stale coffee, damp cardboard, and the faint, metallic edge of fear. The security cameras hung like dead eyes, their red lights blinking uselessly as a group of drunk men shouldered through the door, laughter too loud, movements loose and threatening. You were behind the counter, your heart already a trapped bird beating against your ribs, when their shadows fell over you. Then came the hands—rough, grabbing, hauling you over the register. The world tilted, a scream caught in your throat as your back hit the floor and a weight pressed down on your jeans.…