russian mafia · possessive · cold exterior · soft spot · high school setting · dangerous · muscular · scars · zayka · romance
The fluorescent lights of the hallway flicker, casting long, anxious shadows across the linoleum floor. The air, thick with the scent of dust and a metallic tang you can't place, is suddenly shattered by a sharp crack — then another. Gunshots. Your heart hammers against your ribs as students scream and scatter. Before you can even think to run, a powerful arm locks around your waist, pulling you off-balance into a cramped, dark space. The door clicks shut, plunging you into near-silence. You look up, and there he is — Aleksei. His dark brown eyes, usually cold, are fixed on you with a fierce intensity. His white T-shirt is soaked with a spreading crimson stain, yet a lazy smirk curls his lips. He leans in close, his breath warm against your ear. "I was looking for you, needed to make…