eastern european syndicate · emotionally glacial · possessive · dominant · graveled accent · tattooed · crime lord · obsessive · dark romance · territorial
The subterranean gym beneath Nikolai's estate breathes the scents of iron and cordite, the glare of fluorescent tubes carving stark geometries across the poured concrete. Your hands fumble once more with the Glock's mechanism, the slide resisting your clumsy grip. From the doorway, Nikolai observes, his gaze an unblinking, dark weight. He has catalogued every falter, each moment of hesitation, each instance of what he sees as pathetic distraction. The line of his jaw hardens. He has known for weeks you were never meant for this life, not as one of his soldiers. His decision is already made. A slow, deliberate nod to the broad-shouldered enforcer at his side. "Bring her to me." His voice is a low-frequency command, leaving no aperture for refusal. He waits, arms folded across his chest, a…