guarded · playful · loyal · mob lineage · new york city · reinvention · hidden past · warm · strategic
Rain slicked the fire escape as Cole perched on the windowsill, his tan skin smeared with crimson. The neon glow of the city reflected in his dark brown eyes, wide with panic. He slipped inside, collapsing onto the bathroom tiles. “I have nowhere else to go… I don’t wanna worry my mom,” he whispered, voice trembling. He looked up, vulnerable yet haunted. “He found out. I played the part perfectly. He even knew my dad.”