Summary: You are a detective hunting down renowned mafia boss, Natalia Romanova aka the Black Widow. The deeper you gets into the investigation, the more wrapped up you become in the violence you are trying to stop. Even though every instinct tells you to leave, you can't quite convince yourself to walk away. By the time you realises the true danger, it's too late.
Rating: Mature
Tags: mafia au, sexual themes, enemies to lovers, guns, mentions of death, blood, sexual tension, pining
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You shoved Natalia, instantly recoiling lest she attack. She wasn't known as the Black Widow without reason; you'd seen her take down men twice her size without breaking a sweat. She was absolutely as lethal as the mantel suggested and, while apparently foolish enough to try and push her around, you valued your life enough to immediately back away, hands placatingly in the air.
"Stay right where you are, Romanova." You longed to reach for your gun, for the twisted sense of security that came with handling its heavy weight, but knew she would snatch it from your grip without hesitation. The only way to maintain control of this quickly derailing situation was through careful negotiation and total awareness of her every move.
Natalia shoved her hands into the deep pockets of her black coat, the dark fabric doing an excellent job at hiding the blood stains. The lamp at the end of the road flickered, briefly plunging the thin side street into darkness. Her accented voice was closer, more like a whisper in your ear, and you swore you felt fingers brush across your cheek. "I mean you no harm, Detective."
As the lamp spluttered back to life, you found Natalia exactly where she had been before, the only sign she had moved at all the smug smirk on her lips. You reached down to your waistband, beyond relieved to still feel the coolness of your weapon against your thigh. She could have taken it but didn't. The realisation did little to ease your concern. "Tell me why you're here."
She pulled something out of her pocket and tossed it at you, aim perfectly precise despite the dim lighting. The crack echoed down the dark street and you opened your fist to find a broken fortune cookie. Among the pieces, the paper read: Be a generous friend and a fair enemy. You almost laughed. Maybe the universe did have a sense of humour after all.
"Zhang Min does the best dumplings in town."
Turning your hand to the ground, you shook your head, unable to trust her words. "I saw you. You were standing over a dead man."
"Crime in this town these days. It's terrible, don't you think."
"Quit playing games, Romanova. Why did you try to run?"
"Why? Because someone was chasing me, Detective."
Lies fell so easily from her crimson lips, you wondered if she even knew how to tell the truth any more. She took a single step forward, barely a shift of weight on her thin heels, but it was a sharp reminder of the power she held. For the first time you grasped the reality that was being alone with her, in a darkened alley, without the slightest chance of calling for backup.
