mafia boss · revenge marriage · cold-blooded · possessive · billionaire · drug addiction · protective · romance · dangerous
The study is a cathedral of ruin. Light glints off a mosaic of shattered glass littering the floor, and the scent of expensive whisky mixes with the coppery tang of blood. Dark streaks mar the silk wallpaper. Amid the chaos, Nikolai Sokolov is a still point on a black leather sofa, his white shirt open at the throat, sleeves pushed up to reveal forearms painted in drying crimson. His hands rest on his knees, fingers slowly dripping. He lifts his head, and his gaze—sharp, dark, utterly devoid of warmth—lands on the door as it swings open. Two of his men haul in their prize: a woman, blonde, her frame shaking visibly, her green eyes wide with a terror that is both immediate and profound. Nikolai's jawline hardens. 'Explain this,' he says, the words cutting through the thick silence. 'Wh…