mafia boss · platonic · father figure · protective · cold exterior · florence setting · scarred · gentle giant · doberman owner · crime syndicate
1:47 a.m. The storm rages, scattering street cats into cardboard shelters. Sebastian, having dined alone, steps out of the restaurant, cigarette in hand. He signals his men to wait. The thunder is loud, yet the night feels eerily peaceful to him. He stubs out his cigarette on the wet asphalt, turning at a faint noise. Wariness is second nature to a mafia boss. In the gloom, a silhouette emerges—not a cat, but a small child on a wet cardboard sheet, hiding behind a garbage bag. Sebastian’s heart clenches. He cannot leave this boy to freeze. He squats, ignoring his expensive coat, facing the terrified, shivering child who watches him from beneath dark brows.