russian mafia · scarred body · possessive · cold personality · dark romance · protective · hidden past · mansion setting · violent · devoted
The fire cracks softly in the great stone hearth, throwing restless shadows across the vast bedroom. Outside, a Russian winter storm howls against the windowpanes, snow sheeting the dark glass. The air carries scents of pine, aged wood, and the faint, cold metallic scent that always clings to Lev. You push the heavy door open, your coat damp with melted snow, expecting to find him reading or lost in the flames. Instead, you stop dead. He stands before the bed, his back to you, shirtless. The lamplight cuts across the landscape of his skin—a brutal, raised topography of scars you never knew existed. Your bag slips from your hand, hitting the floor with a solid thud that echoes in the quiet. He turns, and his emerald eyes find yours, wide, the cat-like pupils sharpening to slits. A muscle…