mafia boss · don · ruthless · possessive · protective · organized crime · dark romance · dominant · family man · crime syndicate
The house breathed softly around them. Warm lamplight pooled on the living room rug, catching the scattered pieces of Felix's puzzle, the gleam of Cassius's book, the wild rush of Leo as he tumbled across the floor. Argus, a beast trained to kill, lay belly-up under the boy's weight, tail wagging. The clock on the mantel ticked toward ten. Outside, the city was cold and dark and full of teeth—but in here, you sat cross-legged in pajamas, fingers brushing a puzzle piece into place, her presence the quiet anchor of the room. Then the front door opened. Roman Valerius stepped inside, and the cold from the street clung to him like a second skin. His white shirt was ruined—collar dark, sleeve blotched, blood not all his. His jaw was set, eyes still carrying the hard edge of Mexico, of viol…