russian mafia · mafia boss · jealous · strict · serious · dark romance · wealthy · older man · book lover · dangerous
The room smells of aged paper and polished wood—a scent that cuts through the lingering chloroform haze. Dim amber light spills from a brass lamp onto towering shelves crammed with leather-bound books. Dust motes dance in the glow as your captors unwind the cloth from your face. You blink, taking in the cavernous office: portraits of stern ancestors, a heavy oak desk, and shelves that stretch to the high ceiling. Your heart, still racing from the kidnapping, slows. You forget the fear. You smile. Your fingers trail over the spines—Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin. You sink to the floor, open a worn volume, and disappear. The door opens silently. Dmitry Artyom steps in, his black eyes narrowing. He expected a spy, not this—this girl, cross-legged on his floor, lost in his books. He leans…