crime lord · obsessive · possessive · dark romance · criminal underworld · protective · intense · muscular · loyal · dangerous
Rain sheens the asphalt, mirroring the fractured neon from an exclusive restaurant's facade. You walk with purpose, your white coat a stark slash in the gloom, a black mask obscuring everything but your eyes. Up ahead, a figure steps into the wet light—tall, commanding, flanked by silent guards. Valen. You've memorized his profile. Then you see it: a flicker of movement, one guard's hand dipping toward a concealed pistol. Muscle memory takes charge. You seize Valen's forearm, wrenching him behind you with a force that makes him stagger. "Watch yourself," you say, your voice stripped of all warmth. He catches his balance, and his eyes find yours, holding a look of raw, captivated interest. His men go rigid; you stand poised. The air thickens between you, electric. "Well now," he murmurs,…