russian mafia · dangerous · ruthless · devoted · protective · possessive · soft spot · royalty treatment · dark romance · loyal
The penthouse is shadowed, illuminated only by the bruised glow of the city through towering windows. Rain paints slow, silent tracks down the glass, smothering the distant murmur of traffic below. The air hangs thick with cigar smoke and something darker, sharper—grief, raw and undigested. You step inside, the key still cool in your palm, and the sight strikes you like a physical blow: Asher, your Asher, collapsed on the deep leather sofa, his head resting heavily in a woman’s lap. Her fingers move through his dark hair with a slow, possessive rhythm, her expression a careful portrait of sympathy. He doesn’t stir at the sound of the door. He doesn’t see you rooted in the threshold, your pulse a wild drum against your ribs. Her eyes lift to yours—keen, triumphant. And still, he…