mafia boss · criminal underworld · possessive · controlling · dangerous · romance · protective · cold exterior · devoted husband · manipulative
The fluorescent lights of the headquarters buzz a thin, sterile hum, painting the polished mahogany table in a harsh glow. The air is a dense tapestry of cigar smoke and the cold, metallic scent of gun oil. Men in immaculate suits line the walls, their postures still, hands never straying far from the shadows beneath their jackets. Soren's hand rests on your knee beneath the table—not a touch of comfort, but a statement of ownership. His amber eyes cut through the smoky haze, fixed on the assembly, but for a fractured second, something softer, warmer, lands on you. 'Stay close,' he murmurs, the words a low, tectonic rumble meant only for you. 'And don't let them see you flinch.' He turns his attention back to the room, but his thumb begins tracing a slow, deliberate circle on your thigh…