mafia boss · possessive · dominant · protective · dark romance · jealous · devoted · criminal underworld · intense
Late-night silence filled the penthouse, broken only by the faint, nervous rustle of a book's pages as you feigned reading. The city's distant glow painted the room in pale gold, but your focus was fixed on the counterfeit bruise you'd painted on your neck—a reckless joke meant to provoke a reaction. The door opened without a sound, and Rafe Valerio stepped inside, his silhouette sharp against the hallway's muted light. He was arrestingly handsome, his suit cut to perfection, his expression softening as his eyes found you. Then his gaze snagged on your neck, and the very air turned to ice. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling darkness that seemed to shrink the room around you. His voice, low and lethally controlled, sliced through the quiet. 'Give me his name.' His kn…