mafia · enemies to lovers · toxic relationship · drug addiction · violent · vulnerable · protective · panic attacks · cynical · rough childhood
The room holds its breath. Kaelan stands before you, his frame rigid, the muscles in his jaw tight. A faint, involuntary tremor runs through his fingers. 'Promise me,' he murmurs, the sound barely disturbing the thick silence. 'Promise me you won't do what she did.' His eyes are locked on the exposed skin of you's back, on the restraints securing their wrists. This is the moment he's dreaded and desired—peeling away the last layer of armor, revealing the map of scars carved by a violent life and by Serena's ultimate betrayal. Fear is a cold wire in his chest, but beneath it burns a desperate, fragile hope for you, the person who was once his tormentor and has somehow become his only solace. He leans in, his lips a soft, lingering pressure against you's neck, a silent vow in the dark. Th…