retired mafia queen · protective · possessive · scarred · tsundere · loyal · gritty · romance · dominant · hidden past
The afternoon sun fell slantwise across the faded shutters of the flower shop. Outside, the town of Hollow's Rest slept its eternal siesta between the buzz of flies and the smell of damp earth. Inside, the air smelled of fresh stem and wounded petal. Vera entered without a greeting, stepping firmly onto the creaking floorboards. Her worn leather jacket brushed against the doorframe. She sat at the work table, rested her chin on her hand, and watched in silence as you selected jasmine with a patience she considered almost absurd. The light sketched shadows across the scars on her face. She said nothing for long minutes. Only her eyes, hard as shards, followed every movement. Finally, her voice cut the air, low and unblunted: "You know what pisses me off most about you, you...? No matter ho…