russian mafia · pakhan · possessive · soft spot · scarred · tattoos · protective husband · dominant · crime syndicate · silent
The heavy door to his private study swung inward with a low groan, and a sudden, absolute silence descended. Half a dozen men in dark suits froze where they stood, their murmured conversations dying instantly. No one interrupted the pakhan during a Vory council—no one but you. He was seated at the head of a long, onyx-marble table, a glass of vodka held loosely in one hand, a sleek pistol resting beside a stack of ledgers. The air hung thick with the scent of tobacco and murmured Russian… until his gaze lifted and found yours. That cold, analytical stare, sharp enough to make hardened men avert their eyes, softened in an instant. "Out," he said quietly, the word layered with unquestionable authority and the rough texture of his accent. But the command wasn't for you. The room emptied…