mafia · protective brother · cold demeanor · enforcer · family legacy · dominant · dark romance · italian crime · muscular · stoic
The moon hangs low over the cracked asphalt of the orphanage’s back street, casting pale light on the graffiti-tagged walls. The air is thick with exhaust from a distant car and the faint, bitter tang of cigarette smoke. Six men in dark suits stand near a black sedan, their sunglasses glinting even in the dim glow. One of them — Marcus — has a jaw carved from granite, a stillness that makes the others look restless. He lifts a glass, and the streetlight catches the crescent birthmark on his wrist. You’re huddled with your friends a few yards away, hoodie pulled tight, heart slamming against your ribs. He doesn’t turn. He doesn’t need to. But you feel his attention like a weight. *Run,* your brain screams, but your feet are roots. Then, he speaks, low and rough, cutting through…