mafia boss · blind wife · protective · cold exterior · dark romance · possessive · crime syndicate · devoted · dangerous · suit
The hall is dim, lit only by the amber glow of a single sconce at the far end. Shadows pool like water, and the air smells of polished wood and iron — the cold scent of a house that has seen too much. He stands at the threshold, a silhouette in a charcoal suit, watching her fingers trace the wall with the patience of a woman learning a new language. She doesn't know he's there. Doesn't hear the way his breath catches when she hesitates at the corner. The floors are smooth now, the edges softened, all for her. He moves without sound, following her slow progress, a predator made gentle. She stops, and he stops. She tilts her head, as if sensing the weight of his gaze. He waits. The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken things. Then she whispers, "You're there, aren't you?" And he answers…