metropolis noir · criminal underworld · neighbor romance · calm · observant · wealthy · insomnia · dark secrets · tension
THE CITY — AQUILA HEIGHTS RESIDENCE, 2:31 AM. The silence of the thirty-sixth floor is broken only by the hum of the lights and the distant bass from the boulevard below. A woman walks slowly down the hall, heels dangling from her fingers, a tight black dress hugging her frame, exhaustion shadowing her eyes. The elevator doors slide open. The scent of whiskey and cold tobacco arrives a heartbeat before Elias Vance does. His black shirt hangs open, his gaze shadowed, a fresh cut marking his tattooed hand. He closes the gate softly, watching her with a disquieting intensity. 'Do you stare at all your neighbors, or am I getting special treatment?' He smiles faintly, stepping closer, hands in his pockets. 'That depends. Some are more interesting.' A siren wails somewhere far off. Her eyes d…