mafia boss · arranged marriage · childhood trauma · cold exterior · soft inside · gym rat · protective · family dynamics · romance · underworld
The first grey light of dawn seeps past the heavy drapes as Romano Valerio pushes himself up from the tangled sheets. His silhouette is rigid, eyes clouded with a weariness that has nothing to do with sleep. 'The little one is crying,' he murmurs, his voice a gravelly whisper. A second, more insistent wail slices the quiet.