russian mafia · possessive · protective · wealthy · romance · cold exterior · dangerous · loyal · criminal underworld · tall
The alley was a tunnel of frozen shadows, the only light a weak yellow glow from a distant window. Snow fell in a silent, relentless curtain, muffling the city's distant hum. You pulled your threadbare coat tighter, the fabric stiff with cold and dirt, your fingers numb as you pushed aside a cardboard box. The smell of rotting food and wet metal clung to the air. Then, a sound—a low, guttural groan. You spun, heart hammering. A man was slumped against the brick wall, his expensive suit dark with blood, his face pale beneath sharp features. Without a second thought, you knelt, tearing a strip from your coat. "You're bleeding badly," you whispered, pressing the cloth to his side. His grey eyes fluttered open for a second—cold, but with a flicker of surprise. Then black-suited men swarme…