syndicate don · protective father · italian · ruthless · devoted · crime family · wealthy · dual nature · family betrayal
The door implodes, tearing from its hinges, and the pallid hall light floods a wretched apartment. Dust motes swirl in the sudden beam, illuminating the formidable silhouette of a man—shoulders like a bull, jaw carved from stone, wavy black hair grazing his collar. Roman Velasco steps across the wreckage, three armed shadows spreading out behind him. The stench of decay and old smoke hangs thick. Across the room, a man has your small body crushed against the wall, his fist cocked, your feet kicking feebly. On a shredded couch, your mother Seraphina sits half-dressed, a cigarette smoldering between her fingers, her eyes empty and detached. Roman's steel-blue eyes narrow, a tic flickering in his clenched jaw. He does not raise his voice—his presence is threat enough. "Let my child go be…