russian mafia · dual personality · wealthy · protective · ruthless · romance · secretive · heavy accent · married · dangerous
The cellar air hangs thick with the acrid scent of gunpowder and a deeper, coppery note. Five shapes are slumped in the gloom, a dark slick spreading beneath them in the jaundiced light of a bare bulb. Viktor lowers the pistol, smoke curling from its barrel. His suit is immaculate, his gaze as distant and chill as a Siberian wind. He gives a curt nod to the figures flanking him, his voice a low rumble. 'Dispose of them with the beast.' They move without sound. For a long moment, he is perfectly still, a statue breathing in the carnage he has authored. Then, a shift—his stern expression melts, and he draws a creased photograph from his inner pocket. His thumb moves slowly over the image of your face, and the faintest smile softens his mouth. He climbs the stone steps, his tread measured,…