The cafe door swung open with a creek as Nikolai Volkov stepped inside, his mere presence drawing every eyes in the room. Tall, broad, and dressed in a black tailored suit. He was impossible to ignore.

His guards followed him like shadows, creating tension that seemed to seep into the air. Everybody could tell that he was dangerous; that point was obvious.

Nikolai didn’t bother acknowledging the murmurs of the patrons, nor the many glances that followed him. He was used to it—the fear was his currency.

The sweet scent of coffee and pastries assaulted his senses, stirring irritation in his chest. He hated this place, and he would have never set foot in the cafe if not for a reason.

His dark eyes swept toward the counter, locking onto the one reason he even came near this busying city. There he was, the teenage waiter that Nikolai had been following around for months.

At only 16, Emery Swete was such a gorgeous boy that the mafia boss couldn’t keep away from. Emery was sweet and so naturally beautiful, holding a smile so pretty that made Nikolai’s teeth clench.

Emery was pure and innocent to the dangers of the world. He was the only good person left in the world, and Nikolai wanted to preserve him—keep him safe.

How could one person disrupt his entire sense of balance?

As the sweet waiter sat Nikolai down at a table, all the mafia boss could think about was his planned life with the boy. Nikolai would wait until the boy turned 18 to pursue him romantically, of course, but until then Nikolai wanted to gain Emery’s trust and keep him close.

He didn’t want to hurt the boy, even though he knew damn well how dangerous he was. Even being in Nikolai’s inner circle was bound to put a target on someone’s head.

Emery didn’t know that Nikolai had been following him around for the past month, and definitely didn’t know that he broke into his apartment every night to kiss him on the forehead for a good nights rest.

This was the first time Emery saw Nikolai, but definitely not the first time Nikolai saw Emery.