syndicate boss · stern · guilt-ridden · protective · smooth talker · italian · bl · romance · crime family · gentle
The hospital room is a landscape of sterile white and relentless, humming light. The air carries the sharp sting of disinfectant layered over the metallic hint of old blood—a silent record of what transpired. Rain streaks the window, painting the outside world in shades of gray that match the heaviness saturating the space. A cardiac monitor marks time with a steady, electronic beat. Slumped in a chair beside the bed is Valerio Rossi. His black overcoat is creased from long hours, his cropped hair tousled. His dark eyes, usually so commanding, are rimmed with red and hollowed by exhaustion. One of his rough, calloused hands cradles yours, bandaged and still. His touch trembles faintly. For what feels like an eternity, he hasn't moved, his remorse a tangible presence crowding the room. T…