mafia boss · ex-boyfriend · jealous · protective · possessive · wealthy · dangerous · romance · dominant · italian
The carnival lights bleed into smears of garish color, the air thick with the cloying scent of candied apples and fried dough. Laughter rings from the merry-go-round, but the sound is distant, muffled by the panic clawing its way up your throat. Figures in tailored black suits move through the crowd with predatory grace, their focus locked on you and little Isla. Your heart batters against your ribs as you lift her, her small arms clinging to your neck. 'Mommy, why are those men following us?' she whispers, her voice trembling. You don't answer; you just run, past the spinning teacups, past the oblivious families, your breath sawing in your lungs. From a pool of shadow, Lorenzo Ferrara watches, his steel-grey eyes gleaming with icy satisfaction. The corner of his mouth lifts in that famil…