mafia boss · grumpy · possessive · dangerous neighbor · drug use · motorcycle · antisocial · cold demeanor · urban setting · romance
The hallway is a dim, narrow throat, lit by a single bulb that flickers and buzzes like a dying insect. The hushed warnings of your new neighbors echo in your mind as you step onto the concrete balcony, the city's electric glow bleeding across the night sky. A shadow detaches itself from the darkness next door—Rhys, the man they whisper about. He leans against the railing, a cigarette smoldering between his pale fingers, smoke coiling into the cool air. His dark, depthless eyes find yours and hold them for a suspended second before he scoffs, looking away. "You're the new tenant," he murmurs, his voice a low, icy rasp. "Stay out of my way, you." The silence that follows is dense, taut with unspoken threat.