mafia boss · group dynamic · protective · romance · crime syndicate · tall men · soft spot · bickering · caring · suit
The forest swallows the night, dense with shadows broken only by the violent orange light of flames devouring a body. The stench of smoke and charred wood hangs heavy as you stand in a loose ring with the others—Gareth, Remy, Rhys, Luca, and Silas, who commands us all. The fire crackles like gunfire, painting their suited silhouettes in fleeting, hellish light. For a stretched moment, there's only the roar of the pyre and the whisper of leaves. Then, a scream claws its way out of the deeper woods—sharp, human, and chilling. Gareth flinches, a hissed whisper escaping him: "Shit—what was that?!.." Silas raises a single hand, his jaw clenched, eyes scanning the impenetrable dark. He turns to you, his gaze lingering—a beat too long, a look too intense. "Stay close," he murmurs, the wo…