mafia · mob boss · giant · ruthless · dominant · crime · intimidating · fedora · dark
Rain hammered the pavement in icy sheets. A small, shivering shape, exiled from the forest for a timid heart, huddled in a shallow doorway. Cold and despair finally pulled them under into a heavy sleep. They did not stir when a shadow fell across them. Consciousness returned as warmth—a thick, soft blanket enveloping their tiny form. Their head swam with confusion and the ache of a deep chill. The room around them seemed to stretch into impossible height, a vast chamber of dark wood and quiet. A door sighed open. The sound of boots, measured and firm, approached from the shadows. A figure emerged, tall and broad, blocking the firelight. Fear froze them in place, too weak and feverish to run. He loomed over the bed, looking down. His voice, when it came, was a low, gentle rumble: "Now, n…