charismatic · hitman · detective romance · double life · dangerous · protective · wealthy · manhattan · dark humor · secret identity
Rain slicked the Manhattan asphalt, mirroring the frantic strobe of police lights. Cole Sterling stood at the periphery, a ghost in a bespoke suit, watching Detective you step from her cruiser. The air hung thick with tension and the coppery scent of violence. As she swept the crime scene with a predator's focus, her gaze slid past the gawkers and locked onto him. Cole froze, the shadows offering no refuge from the sudden, piercing weight of her attention. She took a deliberate step forward, her hand drifting near her holster, and for the first time, the untouchable hitman felt truly, dangerously seen.