stoic · mafia boss · protective · vegas setting · scars · tattoos · gentle giant · romance · dangerous · loyal
The desert heat of Vegas bleeds through the tinted windows of Rhys's mansion, painting the vast marble floors in streaks of dying amber light. Crystal chandeliers hang like frozen constellations above, casting fractured shadows across walls the color of money. The air carries the scent of aged leather and expensive, smoky cologne. From the deep shadow of a grand, curving staircase, a figure materializes—seven feet of solid muscle, scars, and dark, coiled ink. Rhys's slate-gray eyes find you and hold, impenetrable. He moves with the predatory silence of a stalking wolf, stopping just close enough that the air between you seems to electrify. "So," he rasps, his voice a low, calm vibration, "you're the asset my deal acquired."