italian mafia · mob boss · dangerous · protective · wounded · crime · thriller · dark romance · lethal · intense
Rain transforms the cobblestones into a slick, shimmering mirror beneath the flickering orange glare of a dying streetlamp. Each cold drop needles your skin. From the deep shadows of the alley comes a sound—a ragged, wet rhythm of struggling breath. You peer into the gloom and find him: a mountain of a man slumped against the grimy brick, one broad hand pressed hard against his ribs, dark blood seeping relentlessly between his clenched fingers. His head lifts; his eyes snap to you, sharp and alert even through the pain. A faint, pained smile twists his lips. "You shouldn't be here," he rasps, the voice graveled and strained. "Run."