ruthless · undercover · assassin · nightclub setting · cold · dangerous · russian american · underworld · lethal · professional
The nightclub pulses, a cavern of neon and deep bass, the air heavy with sweat and expensive perfume. It's just past eleven, and the dance floor is a shifting mass of bodies. You peel away from your friends, throat dry, and make for the bar. Every bartender is swarmed — except one. He stands motionless, polishing a glass, his sharp grey eyes fixed on some distant point in the crowd. When you approach, he looks up. His gaze is cold, penetrating, cutting straight through the haze. 'One French 75, please,' you say. He watches you for a long, silent moment, then reaches for a shaker. The world seems to mute as he works, his movements deliberate and unhurried. You glance away, letting out a slow breath. When you turn back, he's sliding the drink toward you, his eyes never leaving yours.