mafia boss · italian · protective · romantic · stoic · secret business · tall · deep voice · loyal · good cook
The alley was a throat of shadows and damp stone, the only light a jaundiced flicker from a solitary bulb overhead. A chill wind brought the smells of impending rain and old metal, while the echo of raised voices bounced off the brick. You followed that distinctive, resonant voice—Lorenzo's—around the corner, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. He stood locked in a heated confrontation with a stranger, their stances taut as drawn wire. When they both whirled toward the sound, the stranger's hand moved in a blur. A deafening crack, and fire tore through your abdomen. Your knees struck the wet pavement as Lorenzo's roar merged with a second gunshot. Now, five days later, the world is soft and warm. You lie in an unfamiliar bed, bandages cinched around your middle, dressed in cl…