𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐞 || A Mafia Love Story

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Viktor paced in the dimly lit office, the weight of the room pressing in on him, cold sweat beading along his brow. His hands, once strong and sure, now shook as he wrung them together, the skin clammy and pale. The chill of the Russian night seeped into the room, but Viktor couldn't tell if it was the cold air or the ice crawling through his veins that made him shiver. His men were out there, combing the vast, barren expanse that seemed to stretch forever under the weight of the endless snow. His heart thudded against his ribs, each beat like a drum warning of the approaching storm.

He had been through every file in the office of this man they called "Mr. Russo," searching for any thread to pull, any clue that could lead him to her. Marlee. The Italians had been contacted, the Russo family in Italy now aware of the mess that had spilled into Russian territory. He had never imagined their reach would extend so far, threatening to tear apart everything he held dear.

The office door swung open with a crash, the heavy wood slamming against the wall, sending a jolt through Viktor's already frayed nerves. Maxim entered, his towering frame casting a long shadow over the room. The heating system groaned against the cold, but it did little to chase the chill from Viktor's bones.

"We found her, Viktor," Maxim's voice rumbled low and steady, a calm in the tempest that raged inside Viktor's chest. But calm wasn't enough. Viktor's heart hammered wildly, his pulse deafening in his ears as he stared at his cousin, praying that Maxim's words were not another empty hope.

"She'll be alright, cousin." Maxim's words came with an attempt at reassurance, but Viktor couldn't hear him over the pounding of his own heart. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms as he gave a stiff nod. He couldn't fall apart, not now. Not when they were so close.

With a scowl etched deep into his face, he stormed out of the office, the frigid night air biting at his skin as he stepped outside. The car's engine roared to life, the headlights cutting through the endless snow as they sped down the icy highway.

Marlee huddled in the backseat, trying to fold herself as small as possible. Every inch of her body ached with cold, her breath coming in shallow, shaking gasps. The man beside her, the one whose name she hadn't been told, radiated an anger so thick it hung in the air like a storm cloud. His phone rang, the sharp sound cutting through the tense silence, and she flinched, eyes darting toward him as he answered.

A voice on the other end of the line shouted in Russian, the words muffled but the urgency clear. The call ended abruptly, the man's face twisting into a mask of fury. His shoulders slumped, but his eyes darkened with barely contained rage.

"Go faster," he spat, his voice dripping venom. The driver muttered something in response, but it wasn't what the man wanted to hear. His voice grew low, threatening, his hands twitching toward his jacket. "I don't care. Drive faster."

Marlee's heart raced as he pulled a gun from his coat, the cold metal gleaming under the pale glow of the dashboard lights. He placed it on his thigh, fingers tapping against the barrel anxiously, his leg bouncing as though he couldn't sit still. Every nerve in Marlee's body screamed at her to flee, but there was nowhere to go, no way to escape. Her eyes flicked toward the window, out into the vast, star-studded sky. The snow fell softly, steadily, endless flakes swirling in the darkness. The stars—so many of them—were clearer than she had ever seen, but even their beauty couldn't pierce the dread clawing at her chest.

Then, from behind them, a pair of headlights cut through the trees, bright and blinding as they curved around the road they had just taken. Marlee's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. Was it Viktor? Was he finally here?