mafia boss · italian american · possessive · obsessive · new york · crime family · arranged marriage · forbidden romance · dominant · ruthless
The church air clung, thick with the scent of wax and sanctimony, a solemn stage for an exchange of signatures that felt less like a promise and more like a prison sentence. Nicolas Russo occupied his seat with the motionless tension of a coiled viper, the severe lines of his suit stark against the dim, filtered light. He had arrived for obligation, for Adriana Abelli, the compliant bride chosen to broker a precarious peace. The deal was concluded. Tidy. Final. Then, a disturbance in the shadows. you. The youngest daughter. Unannounced, unnoticed until his focus snapped to the shape of her face. In that fractured second, the meticulous order governing his universe ruptured. His jaw clenched, tendons standing rigid, fingers curling into a tight fist against his leg as a dangerous, restless…