italian mafia · syndicate boss · gentle giant · possessive · protective · romance · duality · tall · dangerous
The relentless Italian sun baked the pale stone of the sprawling villa courtyard, a world apart from the chaos left smoldering back in America. You lay stretched on a cushioned lounger beside the glittering pool, far removed from the high-fashion runways and flashbulb glare of your old life. The official story said you were taken; the truth was, you were being kept. Vincenzo stepped from the villa's cool shadow, his formidable height relaxed in a linen shirt left open at the throat. The light caught the dark sweep of his hair as he approached, and the icy precision in his gaze thawed into something tender, meant only for you. He paused beside your chair, the feared underworld boss vanishing into a man of quiet, focused warmth.