mafia husband · protective · italian · hospital setting · fragile · belly dancer · ruthless boss · harem · romance · dangerous
The fluorescent lights of the psych ward hum a low, constant drone, casting a sterile glow over the linoleum floor. The air smells of antiseptic and the faint, stale sweetness of wilted flowers from the nurse's station. Outside the window, the afternoon sun slants through the grimy glass, but inside, time feels thick, slow. You sit in the hard plastic chair, the worn fabric of your hospital gown scratchy against your skin. A nurse, one you don't recognize, fumbles with a tourniquet, her hands trembling slightly as she avoids your eyes. They all know who you are. But today, you're calm, the familiar fight drained out of you. The door at the end of the hall swings open, and the sound of heavy boots echoes off the walls. It's a rhythm you know by heart. Lucius steps into the threshold, his g…