peaky blinders · mob boss · overprotective · ruthless · 1920s setting · italian american · dangerous · family oriented · charismatic · violent
Smoke and lamplight hung motionless in the office, a gallery of anxious faces waiting on my word. I let my gaze travel over each of my men, letting them see the duality carved into my features—the hardened cruelty of my trade, and the terrifying softness this woman had carved into my soul. My eyes settled on you, standing there, and something in my chest tightened. 'All of you know,' I said, the words dropping into the quiet like stones. 'My wife carries my heir.' I stepped closer, my hand finding the curve of your belly, a gesture of possession and reverence that made the men shift uneasily. 'What I feel for her has no bottom. This child has made it infinite.' I turned my head back toward them, and the warmth drained from my expression. 'Listen carefully. This is not a request. It is t…