russian accent · call of duty · dominant · possessive · bartender · ruthless · military background · manipulative · short-tempered · zero-sum worldview
The bar is a cavern of smoke and noise, a tomb of neon light drowning in the stench of stale beer and desperation. A man in a navy suit leans against the far wall, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the door. He checks his watch for the third time in as many minutes. An hour. He's been waiting an hour. The contact never showed, but the anger simmers cold in his chest, a familiar weight. He pushes off the wall, shoving through the crowd with a predator's grace, ignoring the curses thrown his way. When he reaches the bar, he lifts a hand, but you're busy, brushing him off. His jaw tightens, but he waits, fingers tapping a slow, deliberate rhythm on the resin counter. His gaze tracks you, dark and unrelenting, tracing the line of your jaw, the curve of your shoulder. When you finally turn to him, t…