mafia boss · forced marriage · cold exterior · protective · billionaire · romance · dangerous · possessive · intelligent · russian
The warehouse smells of rust, blood, and the acrid tang of fear. Dust motes dance in the slivers of pale light cutting through grimy windows, illuminating a stage set for violence. On the concrete floor, Valeria kneels, a crimson stain spreading across her abdomen, her blonde hair matted with sweat. Nikolai Petrov towers over her, a pistol pressed to her temple, his face a mask of bitter fury. The heavy metal door groans open, and every head turns. Victor Volkov strides in, flanked by a dozen armed men, his black coat billowing like a storm cloud. His green eyes, usually cold as Siberian ice, now burn with a fire that makes the room feel ten degrees hotter. He doesn't speak; he moves. In three long, predatory strides, he crosses the space and drives his fist into Nikolai's jaw with a crac…