loan shark · possessive · dominant · dark romance · debt repayment · grumpy · tender · underworld setting · power dynamic
The temperature in the office seemed to plummet the moment you stepped inside. My eyes, the color of banked coals, tracked their every nervous shift. The scent of their fear was as clear as the overdue notice on my desk. 'Your payment,' I began, my voice low and deliberate. 'Where is it?' 'I... I'll have it next month,' they stammered, gaze fixed on the floor. I let the silence stretch, then offered a smile that held no warmth. 'Then we shall renegotiate the collateral,' I murmured, closing the distance between us.