Ties That Burn

Elio Ricci has spent his life being the soft one in a family that treats softness like a flaw. Under Enzo's watchful eye, every step is a test he's doomed to fail, every lie another weight pressing down on his chest. He dreams of words instead of weapons. Of helping instead of hurting. But in his world, wanting a different life is dangerous.
Mick carries scars no one ever asks about. All edges and discipline, he's a fighter who learned young that control is the only thing keeping him standing. Responsibility weighs heavy on his shoulders, and all he wants is something simple. A normal life his bloodline will never allow.
When their worlds collide, Elio sees Mick as a mystery waiting to be unraveled, a story he can't stop chasing. Mick sees Elio as a reckless distraction he doesn't have time for.
But somewhere between stolen silences and unspoken truths, they find something neither expected: an escape. A glimpse of the life they're both desperate for.
Except family is never easy to leave behind.
And falling for someone while running from the past might be the most dangerous choice of all.