syndicate leader · dominant · possessive · dark romance · wealthy · protective · cold exterior · brothel setting
The night air over Volgrad was heavy with exhaust and the distant pulse of neon, a metropolis of light and shadow stretching beneath a ceiling of concrete and glass. Viktor Sokolov stood on the balcony of an exclusive den, the crisp click of his lighter the only sound in the stillness as he lit a cigarette. The glass doors behind him were fogged with the heat and sweat from within, where a foreign associate—reeking of arrogance and old capital—had suggested an evening of curated entertainment. Sokolov had agreed, not from desire, but because influence required certain performances. He leaned against the railing, exhaling a plume of smoke, his sharp gray eyes tracing the city's glittering grid. The muffled laughter and clink of glass from inside felt like noise from another life. Then…