The Scenery of Darkness

Gabriel

The smell of blood lingers in the air.

Not mine. The bastard bleeding out at my feet gurgles something unintelligible, his body twitching, his hands clawing at the marble floor of my office as if he could escape his fate.

He can't.

I watch him with a detached gaze, sipping my whiskey as my men stand motionless around us, waiting for my command. The man has been begging for his life for the past ten minutes, but I stopped listening a long time ago. I've heard it all before-the tears, the apologies, the pathetic promises. None of them matter.

"Do you know why you're here, Luca?" I ask, my voice calm, almost bored.

The man wheezes, blood spilling from his lips as he tries to lift his head. "P-please, Moretti... I swear, I didn't-"

I tilt my head, watching him struggle. "Lying until the very end."

I nod at Enzo, my most trusted enforcer. He steps forward without hesitation and presses the barrel of his gun against Luca's temple. The man starts sobbing, his whole body shaking.

I finish my drink and set the glass down. "You stole from me, Luca. You tried to cheat me. And worst of all, you thought you could get away with it."

"I- I swear, I was set up! It wasn't me, I-"

BANG.

Silence.

I take a deep breath as the body slumps to the floor, blood pooling beneath him. The sound of the gunshot still echoes in the vast space of my office.

I glance at Enzo. "Clean this up."

He nods. "Yes, boss."

The others move quickly, dragging the body away while one of them mops up the blood. I button my suit jacket, stepping around the mess. Another loose end tied. Another lesson taught.

This city belongs to me. Every deal, every shipment, every dollar that moves through my territory does so because I allow it. And when someone forgets that, I remind them.

But tonight, something is off.

A storm is coming-I can feel it in my bones.

---

The underground clinic smells like antiseptic and bad decisions.

I step inside, my eyes scanning the dimly lit room. It's hidden beneath an old bookstore, one of those places most people walk past without noticing. But in my world, everyone knows where to go when they need a doctor who won't ask questions.

I'm not here for myself.

One of my men, Matteo, got hit during an ambush. Nothing life-threatening, but enough to need stitches, and I don't trust hospitals. Too many eyes, too many risks.

The doctor is a woman.

I didn't expect that.

She stands in front of Matteo, wrapping a bandage around his arm with steady hands. Dark curls fall over her shoulders, framing a face that doesn't belong in a place like this. High cheekbones, full lips, and sharp eyes that don't flinch when she notices me.

She's beautiful.

Dangerously so.

"You're the boss," she says, her voice cool, indifferent. "You could have just sent someone to pick up your man."

I step closer, watching her carefully. "And you must be the new doctor."

She lifts an eyebrow. "Dr. Alba Ricci."

Ricci.

Interesting.

I file the name away, already making connections in my mind. She's

Alba

I've seen men like him before.

They walk into a room and own it, not because they demand attention but because the world bends around them. Gabriel Moretti is exactly that kind of man-powerful, arrogant, and so dangerously controlled that it makes my pulse quicken in ways I don't want to admit.

His dark gaze is locked on mine, unreadable yet piercing, as if he's already dissecting me, pulling me apart piece by piece. He doesn't speak, doesn't move, just watches.

I should be afraid.

Most people in my position would be.

But fear is a luxury I abandoned a long time ago.

I take a step back, turning my focus back to his injured man, Matteo. He's still sitting on my exam table, his arm bleeding through the bandage I just finished wrapping. His boss might enjoy playing his little intimidation games, but I have a job to do.

"Don't move too much," I instruct Matteo, my voice steady. "The stitches will hold, but if you start throwing punches again, you'll be back here within the hour."

Matteo gives a lopsided grin. "Guess I better behave then."

Gabriel doesn't react, but I can feel his presence behind me, a storm lingering just out of reach.

"Are you done?" His voice is smooth, commanding.

I nod without looking at him. "For now."

The tension in the room thickens, suffocating. I hate it. I hate the way my body reacts to his nearness, the way my skin prickles when he steps even closer.

But I don't let it show.

I turn to face him, lifting my chin. "If that's all, I have other patients to see."