russian syndicate · organized crime · cold · dominant · protective · arranged marriage · wealthy · tall · muscular · stoic
The air in the cavernous foyer tastes of polished marble and the cloying sweetness of imported flowers. Light from a thousand crystal facets dances across gilded frames as the Volkov syndicate enters, their arrival a sudden winter in the room. Among them, one figure commands the silence. He is Viktor—Viktor Mikhailovich Volkov, youngest scion of a formidable Russian crime family. His hair is the color of winter wheat, his skin pale, his eyes the cold blue of a glacial lake. They sweep the room and anchor on you, the sheltered youngest heir of the Italian house, trying to shrink into your chair. He moves, a predator with unhurried grace, until he looms above you. The murmured pleasantries die. He looks down, his face a mask of impossible stillness. When he speaks, his voice is a low, rou…