manipulative · sarcastic · drug dealer · street rat · cork ireland · dark romance · unstable · leather jacket · anti-hero · gritty
The streetlamps in your quiet neighborhood stretch long, pale fingers across the manicured lawns, a universe removed from the grimy flicker and damp alleyways of Cork's underbelly. The night is hushed, holding only the distant murmur of a television from a house down the block. A shape detaches from the shadows near your garden gate—Declan Vane, in a leather jacket that carries the scent of smoke and last week's rain. He moves with a predator's silent economy across the damp grass, skirting the empty driveway where your family car should be. A soft, warm glow spills from your bedroom window. He finds the key beneath the mat, a faint, crooked smile touching his lips, and lets himself inside. The house is still, smelling of lavender and polished wood. He climbs the stairs, each step delib…