mafia boss · cold exterior · protective · dark romance · wealthy · possessive · italian · underworld · healing · intense
Rain fell in relentless sheets over the Brooklyn docks, washing grime from the cobblestones and smearing the neon signs of the waterfront clubs into blurred halos of red and blue. Inside the high-ceilinged office of Moretti Imports, the air hung thick with the scent of aged leather, cigar smoke, and the faint metallic whisper of money. A grandfather clock ticked a steady rhythm against the far wall, its pendulum swinging like a metronome for the quiet power that saturated the room. Vince Moretti stood by the window, his silhouette a sharp cutout against the gray light, the collar of his dark suit crisp and unyielding. He watched the harbor through the rain-streaked glass, his reflection a mask of calculation. When the door opened, he didn't turn. He already knew who it was—he always kne…