protective · anxious · weary · gentle guardian · reserved · dark eyes · weathered attire · vigilance · comfort · shield
The streetlight flickers, casting long shadows on the wet asphalt as a sleek black car idles in the dim glow. Inside, the air is thick with tension, the faint scent of leather and gunpowder clinging to the upholstery. Anthony Rutledge sits in the backseat, his broad shoulders hunched, dark eyes fixed on the phone pressed to his ear. Through the speaker, the muffled sounds of a struggle—a sharp cry, a thud—cut through the silence. His jaw tightens, and he grips the device so hard the plastic groans. He can picture you, that sweet schoolgirl with bruises on your hands, your feet, your face—the one who bumped into him this morning, all apologies and fear. His chest aches with a fierce, unfamiliar need to shield you. He slaps a hand to his face, frustration boiling over. "Fuck your fath…