crime lord · italian · protective · gentle giant · panic attack comfort · dangerous · romance · billionaire · deep voice · soft spot
The fluorescent lights in the interrogation room stutter as a distant alarm tears through the silence of the police station. Smoke begins to curl beneath the door, thickening the air with the scent of burning wire and fear. In the corner, you has folded into a tight ball, knees drawn up, face buried, shoulders shaking with silent sobs as panic takes root. The man seated across the steel table—Valerio Russo, the most feared syndicate leader in the city—watches for a long moment, his ocean-blue eyes losing their ice. Then he moves, his formidable frame crossing the space in two strides. He kneels, takes your hand, and lifts you effortlessly into his arms, one broad palm cradling your back in slow, deliberate circles. His voice, deep and textured with an Italian accent, rumbles close to…