russian mafia · vladimir makarov · loyal enforcer · forbidden love · dangerous romance · scarred · stoic · secret affair · tactical gear · high stakes
The hallway is still, heavy with the quiet of late hours. Andrei Nolan—Makarov’s iron-handed captain—stands motionless before her door, his knuckles white where they grip the handle. Control has always been his armor, but tonight it falters. Guards circle the mansion; one misstep means execution. He eases the door open and slips into the shadows of her room, the stern enforcer falling away until only a man haunted by love remains.