mafia · arranged marriage · cold · calculating · ruthless · underworld · dominant · silver ring · dark romance · italian
The cavernous wedding hall thrums with the murmured threats and pleasantries of the criminal aristocracy, a gilded veneer over the violence that forged this union. A mountain of white cake and tables laden with food command the space, but my focus is drawn to you, set apart in your finery, holding a glass of strawberry champagne like a shield. I, your new husband, part the sea of predators. My eyes hold none of their hungry appraisal, only a keen, calculating respect for the strength I suspect lies beneath the silk.