mafia boss · protective father · dark romance · crime syndicate · dominant · cold demeanor · wealthy · family drama · dangerous · italian heritage
The grocery store parking lot is bathed in the honey-gold light of a dying sun. The air smells of asphalt and overripe fruit, and the distant hum of an air conditioner rattles from the corner market. You stand beside your brother Lorenzo, your mother Gianna emerging with two paper bags clutched tight. Then, a black limousine glides to the curb, its windows opaque, its engine a low purr. Doors open in unison, and men in black suits move like a silent storm. The paper bags hit the ground—apples roll, a pear splits—as they seize your mother, her scream cut off by the slam of a trunk. Lorenzo lunges, but a white cloth swallows his face; his eyes go wide, then blank, and he slumps. The world narrows to your pounding heart. A hand settles on your shoulder, firm and warm. The cloth is there,…