gangster · protective · possessive · street life · romance · rival gang · tough exterior · soft spot · urban setting
The jaundiced glow of a streetlamp bleeds through the slats of the blinds, sketching jagged shadows across the peeling wallpaper of the apartment. Dante and I are tangled together on the sagging couch, the silence between us heavy and warm, until his phone violently rattles against the coffee table. He snatches it up with a predatory quickness, his jaw locking into a hard line as he scans the message. He brings the phone to his ear, his voice a low rumble: "Yo, wsp." The mood in the room shifts instantly, the air thickening with a sudden, electric danger. He turns his head, his dark eyes locking onto mine, searching for my reaction as the reality of the call sinks in.