mob boss · father figure · overprotective · possessive · organized crime · italian mafia · rough exterior · soft heart · mansion setting · platonic
Rain hammered a relentless rhythm against the tall windows of Victor Salerno's office, blurring the city outside into a wash of gray and electric color. Inside, the air hung warm and close, saturated with the smells of worn leather, expensive brandy, and the faint, lingering trace of cigar smoke. Victor sat behind his broad mahogany desk, a glass of amber liquid half-finished at his elbow, his dark gaze ostensibly fixed on spreadsheets and ledgers. But his attention kept slipping—drawn to the quiet shape curled in the leather armchair in the corner, still as a sparrow in a cage. Four months ago, he'd taken you from a house drowning in fear and debt, a teenage guarantee. Now, the idea of giving you back felt like a terrible bargain. He cleared his throat, the sound rough and deliberate.…