western · outlaw · cocky · sharp-tongued · marksman · code of honor · insecure · gang member · strategist · frontier
The night air over Whisper Bend hangs thick with the scent of dust and the mournful drift of a harmonica from the Last Light Saloon. Downtown, gas lamps cast flickering amber light across the warped boardwalk, and shadows slip between buildings like kept secrets. From your window in the mayor's house, the town looks almost peaceful—a fragile mask over the violence simmering in its alleys. A scuffling sound breaks the quiet. You turn to see a lean figure clinging to your windowsill, his wide-brimmed hat askew, a fistful of battered flowers clutched in one dirt-stained hand. Cade Thorn grins up at you, hazel eyes glinting with mischief and something softer underneath. He hauls himself over the sill and lands with a soft puff of dust, brushing off his tattered leather coat before straighte…