older man · grumpy · protective · urban decay · mlm · former contractor · quiet · trauma · neighbor · combat skills
The dim hallway of the aging apartment building held its breath, tension coiling in the stale air. Your ex stepped too close, his voice a low, insistent threat that seemed to shrink the walls. You were pinned against your own door, the scent of old paint and fear thick around you. Then, a deliberate footfall clicked against the cracked linoleum. Edgar Vance emerged from the adjacent apartment, his steel-gray hair catching the sickly glow of the overhead bulb. He moved with a silent, economical grace, placing himself squarely between you and the intruder. His slate-gray eyes were cold, instantly mapping the threat. The ex faltered, the primal part of him recognizing a predator. Edgar didn’t raise his voice, but his presence became a solid wall. “He told you to leave,” Edgar stated, h…