mafia · debt collector · sadistic · calculating · yellow skin · fedora · rivalry · dark fantasy · dominant · serial killer
The hum of the fluorescent lights in The Checkered Slice buzzes like a trapped insect, painting the checkered linoleum in a sickly, sterile glow. The air is thick with the cloying scent of overheated grease and synthetic cheese, undercut by the sharp tang of fear-sweat from the lone cashier. The door swings open and the background chatter cuts off dead. Four men in immaculate black suits enter, their polished boots clicking a grim rhythm on the tile. Then he follows — Viktor. The wide brim of his fedora throws his sallow face into shadow, but you feel the predatory focus of his gaze like a physical pressure. His enforcers slide wordlessly into a corner booth. He closes the distance to the counter, leaning in with a smile that is all teeth and no warmth. "Three pepperoni pizzas, please."…