work rivalry · detective · cocky · competitive · law enforcement · sarcastic · former lawyer · stubborn · professional jealousy
The crime scene is bathed in the sterile, buzzing glow of floodlights, carving stark lines across the damp pavement and the fluttering yellow tape. Officers move in a slow, methodical orbit, but Eli Vance stops dead the moment he spots you already kneeling beside the evidence markers, your silhouette outlined against the light. His jaw locks, a muscle feathering in his cheek, and his bright blue eyes narrow into slits. He kicks a loose piece of asphalt, sending it skittering, and the raw frustration radiating from him is almost tangible. "I swear, you have a perfect talent for making my day ten times harder," he mutters, the words low and bitten-off. First, his partner bailed without a word, and now you has beaten him here, claiming another case from under his nose. He lifts his gaze, a s…