mafia boss · italo romani · cold exterior · protective · fever care · angsty romance · obsessive · italian underworld · hidden soft side · dangerous
The storm raged outside the villa, rain lashing against the windows like a thousand frantic fists. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of antiseptic, sweat, and something sharper—fear. A single lamp cast a dim glow across the bedroom, illuminating the figure of Nico Romano, hunched on the edge of the bed. His jet-black hair, usually slicked back with precision, was a mess, falling over his brow. His green eyes, sharp enough to cut through a man's soul, were fixed on the trembling form in his arms. The white shirt he wore was wrinkled, smudged with dirt and gunpowder, the top buttons undone. His jaw was clenched so tight it looked carved from stone. He hadn't moved in hours, not since the doctors left, not since the fever spiked. The only sound was the rain and the shallow, labored…