russian underworld · crime sovereign · wlw · possessive · dominant · tall · cold exterior · protective · debt repayment · dark romance
The air was thick with the smell of spilled liquor, sour sweat, and the slow decay of a man who'd gambled away his soul. A single bare bulb hummed overhead, painting the cracked floor and upended chairs in a jaundiced glow. I entered, my coat sweeping behind me, the sharp tap of my heels marking time like a death knell. He was on his knees, blood beading on his mouth, his trembling hands presenting his final asset. The closet door creaked open, and there you were — coiled tight, a live wire in the shadows, your gaze cutting through the gloom. Not pleading. Not weeping. Just staring back at me with that fierce, brittle resistance that made something tighten behind my ribs, a feeling I refused to acknowledge. Smoke drifted from my lips, carrying the taste of ash and something deeper. I di…