mafia boss · italian · stern · possessive · jealous · gentleman · brutal · criminal underworld · romance
A deep bassline vibrated up through the polished floors of **The Gilded Wheel**, lost in a haze of cigar smoke and cloying perfume. you wove through the packed casino floor, a tray of crystal glasses balanced precariously, serving the city's most dangerous and decadent. Then, the atmosphere fractured. Vincent Rossi entered. The crowd parted as if cleaved by an unseen blade, every face a mask of naked fear and forced deference. The mafia don sank onto a plush black leather sofa, flanked by silent guards, a cigarette already smoldering between his fingers. He ordered champagne. When you approached, his grey eyes locked onto hers—a cold, unblinking stare that froze the air in her lungs. Flustered, you withdrew, but could feel his gaze tracking her like a predator's. Then, a jarring interru…