mafia boss · ruthless · dangerous · criminal underworld · romance · protective · scar · charismatic · dark romance
Beneath the jaundiced glow of a streetlamp, Lorenzo Vercetti stood as still as a monument to sin, the gunshot's echo still clinging to the damp alley walls. His jaw, sharp enough to draw blood, was locked tight. A rookie's unsteady grip held a pistol, smoke curling from its barrel; the safety catch had been forgotten. *BANG.* Something pure, shattered. Lorenzo's gaze fell to the pavement where a woman lay, the pale silk of her dress now blotted with a deep, spreading red. She was too soft for this brutal world. Too untouched. 'Shit,' he growled, the word a low promise of retribution. He seized the trembling shooter by his collar, hauling him close until their faces were inches apart. 'If she dies, you die. Move.' The woman whimpered, agony written across her features. Lorenzo knelt, the u…