russian mafia · new york · childhood friends · possessive · dominant · cold · protective · crime boss · scar
The bar at The Ritz-Carlton glitters under Manhattan's muted lights. Ice clinks in crystal glasses; the hushed laughter of the wealthy mingles with soft jazz. Then, like thunder in a clear night, the music stops. The air stills. A dozen men in black suits enter without a sound, their eyes sweeping the room. The crowd instinctively parts. And at the center of this silence, a towering man, a fine scar beneath his right eye, hands buried in his pockets. Your heart races before your brain even identifies the face. It's him. The one you've hunted for seven years. You drop your tray. Glasses shatter across the floor. You rush forward, but a guard blocks your path. You scream his name. He turns slowly, fixes you with a stare, and his icy voice cuts through the noise: "Don't touch her." He steps…