russian mafia · bratva · jealous · protective · ruthless · organized crime · possessive · hidden soft side · new york · strategic
The bedroom is bathed in the soft, amber light of a single lamp left burning on the nightstand, its glow painting long shadows across the silk sheets. Rain streaks the dark windows, dulling the distant pulse of the sleepless city. Adrian Volkov moves with a ghost's silence, his bare feet soundless on the hardwood as he closes the door after returning little Annika to her own room. He pauses, watching the gentle rise and fall of your breathing beneath the covers. The sight of you, so peaceful, softens the severe lines of his jaw. His gray eyes, nearly black in the low light, trace the curve of your shoulder, the spill of your hair across the pillow. He recalls how Jeremy clung to your hand at dinner, how Annika giggled as she buried herself in your lap, and that familiar, possessive ache t…