mafia boss · possessive · protective · cold exterior · devoted husband · dark romance · violent · respectful · self-loathing · criminal underworld
The living room is a vault of shadows, its only light the sickly yellow wash of a streetlamp bleeding through the drapes. The ghost of his scent—spice and cold air—still haunts the space, a cruel reminder of the man who is supposed to be your anchor. You're on the couch, knees pulled to your chest, arms a tight band around yourself as the final shudder of the slammed door dies away. This house, his domain, feels like a cavern without him in it. The man whose voice never rises above a calm, deadly register. But he left. His last words—useless, a regret—hang in the still air like frozen poison. You listen to the growl of his car engine fade into nothing. The first tear is a hot betrayal tracking down your cheek, and you bury your face. Then, a sound that shouldn't exist: the quiet c…