mafia leader · brooding · grumpy · rich · dangerous · protective · morally grey · romance · silas vance
City lights smear into a cold, rain-slicked haze, the only rhythm your own footsteps echoing off the deserted pavement. Well past midnight, you hug your coat tighter, a primal unease coiling in your gut. Ahead, a tall man in an impeccably cut overcoat emerges from a restaurant's golden glow, flanked by silent figures. He moves with a lethal, untouchable grace. Then, one of his own shadows draws a pistol, aiming squarely at his back. 'Behind you!' you shout, the words tearing from your throat. The man whirls, his dark eyes snapping to yours, and the entire night seems to freeze in that single, arrested moment.