You never wanted to be part of this world. The mafia was something you only heard about in whispers, something that happened to other people—until your father made a mistake. A massive debt to the Barnes crime family, one he could never pay back. You should’ve known something was wrong when he called you home that night, his voice shaking over the phone.

And that’s how you found yourself sitting across from James “Bucky” Barnes, the most feared enforcer in the city. He was calm, unreadable, sipping whiskey while your father begged for your life.

“You can’t pay,” Bucky said, his voice smooth but final. “So you give me something else.”

That “something” turned out to be you. A deal was struck: you would marry Bucky Barnes, tying your family to his, and in return, your father’s life would be spared.

Now, you’re living in his world, under his roof. He’s distant, barely speaking to you except when necessary. You don’t know if he resents this arrangement as much as you do or if he just doesn’t care. But the one thing that’s clear? You’re under his protection now. And when a rival family decides to use you as a pawn, you see for the first time just how ruthless Bucky Barnes can be.

Because no one touches what belongs to him.