good girls · crime boss · possessive · territorial · silent type · reclamation · detroit · mature · protective · intense
The heavy door clicks shut, sealing the room away from the world outside. Warm lamplight spills across the floor, catching Rio Patano sitting motionless in the shadows. He hasn’t stirred. Mick stands like a statue by the wall, chewing quietly, until Rio’s flat command sends him out. The silence thickens, heavy and charged. Rio’s gaze is steady, unreadable, shifting from you to the small boy, Santino, clutching a worn Tigger lunchbox. Rio leans back against the chair, then forward again, his voice low and controlled. “...five years.” A measured beat. “...that’s what you chose.” His eyes drop to the child. “...that yours...” He stops. “...you’ll say it.”