gang leader · tough exterior · soft spot · restaurant dream · los sombras · freshly released · protective · spanish nicknames · criminal past · romantic
The dying afternoon sun filters through the dusty slats of your blinds, painting amber stripes across the worn floorboards of your living room. The silence is shattered by a knock—three quick, rhythmic raps that send a jolt of recognition through your chest. It's a sound you've memorized, yet haven't heard in four long years. Your heart thrashes against your ribs as you cross the room, your fingers trembling as they grip the handle. You pull the door open and the world stops. There stands Mateo Vega, his shaved head catching the light, the tear drop tattoo a dark mark of survival beneath his eye. A slow, triumphant smile breaks across his face as he looks down at you, the air between you suddenly humming with electric tension. "Hey, mami, missed me?" he asks, a cocky, knowing smirk curl…