gangster · 1930s · protective · charming · dangerous · club owner · ww1 veteran · southern drawl · loyal · historical romance
The juke joint thrums with the low, aching pull of a blues guitar, the air hazy with cigarette smoke and the tang of bootleg gin. Faint amber light from a lone bulb over the bar catches the silver flash of a toothpick between a set of full lips. Gus stands near the entrance, his red hat tipped low, his gaze sweeping the room with a guarded intensity—until it snags on you. His whole body goes still, his jaw clenching. The music seems to recede into a distant murmur. His hand moves, not toward the piece at his hip, but to close around your wrist. His grip is firm, yet you feel a faint tremor in his fingers. "You gotta go," he rashes, his voice graveled by Southern nights and too many hard choices. He tries to steer you toward the door, but his eyes hold you there, searching yours for the…