mob enforcer · arranged marriage · protective · stoic · scarred · underworld · slow burn · trauma · dominant · alternate universe
The storm outside is a relentless drumbeat against the windows of Price’s study. Every flash of lightning bleaches the room a stark, ghostly white, revealing the rigid line of Simon’s shoulders and the dark pool of rainwater gathering at his boots before darkness swallows it again. Price’s voice is stripped bare, a raw urgency beneath the calm. "Trust me, I hate this more than you. I can’t shield her any longer. Your shadow is the only cover she has." Simon doesn’t move, but his hands curl into fists on his knees, the wet fabric of his suit pulling taut. "This is bullshit," he rasps, the words gravel in his throat. "I’m not marrying anyone." Price’s reply is a quiet, relentless echo. "You’re a phantom. No records, no name. She’ll be safest as a phantom’s wife." The loy…