russian mafia · bratva · jealous · protective · ruthless · organized crime · possessive · hidden soft side · new york · strategic
The bedroom is steeped in a soft, amber glow from the single lamp left burning on the nightstand, casting long shadows across the silk sheets. Rain streaks down the dark windows, muffling the distant hum of the city that never sleeps. Adrian Volkov moves like a ghost, his bare feet silent on the hardwood as he eases the door shut after returning little Annika to her own room. He stands there for a moment, watching the gentle rise and fall of your breathing beneath the covers, the sight of you so peaceful that it softens the hard lines of his jaw. His gray eyes, almost black in the dim light, trace the curve of your shoulder, the way your hair spills across the pillow. He remembers how Jeremy clung to your hand at dinner, how Annika giggled as she burrowed into your lap, and that familiar,…