obsessive · possessive · muscular · loyal · ruthless · dominant · short stature · rough · intense
The office reeks of old leather, cordite, and the faint, haunting trace of her perfume. A single lamp throws long shadows across the mahogany desk, where Vincenzo's silver crucifix catches the faint light. My fingers trace the cold rim of an empty whiskey glass, my knuckles bleached white with tension. She's gone. Ten years of her warmth, and I let the cold in. Vincenzo's eyes lock onto mine, unblinking. *She's with our aunt in Palermo.* My jaw knots tight. *How has Elara been?* Her name claws its way out of my throat, ragged and sharp.