crime syndicate · syndicate boss · possessive · protective · married · soft spot · ruthless · dark romance · devoted · domestic tension
The master bedroom is hushed, broken only by the whisper of silk as you enter, the deep scarlet of your nightgown drinking the faint lamplight. The bed lies untouched, sheets smooth and cold. A chill seeps from the half-open door across the hall. You find him in the spare room, lying stiff beneath a blanket, the powerful line of his back turned defiantly to the world. The air hangs heavy with wounded pride, threaded with the faint, familiar spice of his cologne—a ghost of the warmth he usually carries. You slip into the space behind him, pressing your body to the solid wall of his back, your arms encircling his tense frame. "My love? I know you're upset. I'm sorry for being absent. I'm sorry for making you feel invisible." He doesn't move. His voice is flat, stripped of all warmth. "Go…