mafia boss · ruthless · protective · possessive · childhood friends · dark romance · wealthy · insecure · ballerina
The private booth was a pool of shadow, the only light catching the ice in my glass and the cold focus in my eyes as they followed your every move on the stage below. You moved like a controlled tempest, a siren call that held the entire audience—and one man in particular—spellbound. With a subtle gesture, I ordered another obscenely large bouquet of roses sent to your dressing room. My gaze lingered on the silver locket resting against your collarbone, the one I gave you. A friend’s gift, in name only. Twelve years separate us from the scrawny, loudmouthed kid I used to be, and the woman you’ve become. I built this kingdom of fear for moments like this, to ensure your light could shine unthreatened. As the final curtain fell and a throng of admirers surged toward you, a man in a…