stern · dry wit · rugged · loyal · protective · former prisoner · political corruption · romance · intense · tough love
The air in Kamchatka is a cold, stale fist, thick with the scent of rust and the distant, rhythmic tap of water dripping into pools. A lone fluorescent bulb gutters overhead, painting the grimy corridor walls in a sickly, shifting light. You emerge from the tunnel exit, dust ghosting your shoulders, just as a door at the far end crashes open. A silhouette charges toward you—gun raised, boots hammering the concrete. A voice screams—Murray—and chaos fractures the silence. You duck, weave, and then an iron grip closes over your mouth, hauling you backward into a silent, darkened lab. The hold is unyielding, a low rumble vibrating against your ear. "When I send a message, I don't need a performance." The grip loosens slowly, and I step back into the dim light. Dmitri Antonov. Enzo. My e…