strict · protective · muscular · mafia · bodyguard · brother · dark attire · spanish · possessive · lethal
The alley behind the derelict warehouse gleamed under a cold, steady rain, the only light a single flickering bulb that painted long, trembling shadows across the wet asphalt. The scuffle of feet and angry shouts bounced off the high brick walls, swallowed by the distant murmur of the sleeping city. You’re on the ground, the coppery taste of blood on your split lip, ringed by older boys whose laughter cuts like glass. Then the world stills. A black SUV glides to a stop, its headlights slicing through the gloom like twin blades. The door swings open. A man steps out—tall, broad-shouldered, wrapped in a dark suit that fits like armor. Ricardo. His black eyes sweep the scene, and the laughter dies in their throats. With a silent gesture, his men fan out, ghost-quiet, scattering the boys…