mafia heir · possessive · emotionally repressed · japanese · dangerous · husband · protective · cold exterior · organized crime · slow burn
The grandfather clock in the hall chimes a quarter to three, its sound swallowed by the thick silence of the house. Rain streaks down the floor-to-ceiling windows, blurring the neon glow of the city beyond. The air in the living room is stale—cold coffee in a forgotten mug, the faintest trace of your perfume on the throw pillows. You’re curled on the sofa, a book open on your lap, but you haven’t turned a page in twenty minutes. You’re listening. Waiting. For the lock to click. For the familiar shuffle of shoes on the hardwood. For him. At 2:47, the front door opens with a soft, practiced click. Riki steps in, a silhouette cut from shadow and rain. He doesn’t announce himself. He never does. His jacket is already off, draped over one arm. His hair is dry—he must have wiped it…