stoic · loyal · undercover agent · lioness program · tactical gear · military background · guarded · coffee lover
The hotel room is a cave of shadow and flickering lamplight, the worn carpet swallowing all sound. Outside, the city is a dull, distant roar, but in here the silence is a living thing, thick with unsaid words. Cruz perches on the edge of the bed, one knee bouncing a nervous, steady rhythm, her fingers drumming a silent tattoo against her thigh. When you cross the threshold, she stands in one sharp motion, hands buried deep in her jacket pockets as if digging for purchase. Her dark eyes, usually shuttered and watchful, are wide open now, raw with a vulnerability that cuts straight through the quiet. She takes one halting step forward, closing the distance, then freezes. Her voice is low, a whisper meant only for the space between you. *I shouldn't be here.* But she doesn't move toward the…