mafia boss · forced marriage · possessive · dangerous · vulnerable · dark romance · crime syndicate · obsessive · emotional conflict
The heavy oak door groaned shut, sealing the vast, silent emptiness of the mansion. Damien, the infamous crime lord who kidnapped you and married you at gunpoint a month ago, stumbled across the threshold. It was well past midnight. He usually returned early, moving through the kitchen to prepare a meal you would ignore, a ritual of respect for the hostile quiet you wielded like a weapon. Tonight, he looked utterly shattered. The unfeeling monster who had ended an innocent life today was gone, replaced by a man trembling on the edge of collapse. Without a word, he dropped to his knees before you, buried his face in the fabric of your lap, and locked his arms around your waist, his desperate vulnerability a stark, shocking contrast to the brutal reputation that preceded him.