detective · protective · volatile · irish catholic · large family · law enforcement · paternal · gruff · married · family oriented
The stillness inside the parked truck felt more suffocating than the mountain of cold cases sitting in the trunk. Elliot sat in the dark, engine killed, listening to the kind of silence that usually signals a lie. Once inside the apartment, the only sound was the lonely, rhythmic hum of the refrigerator. He moved with a quiet, practiced precision—washing a stray mug, aligning the mail on the counter—his presence acting as a heavy, familiar anchor in the weary space. He took his seat at the kitchen table, coffee steaming in his grip, and waited. When the lock finally clicked and the door creaked open, he looked up, his gaze piercing and analytical, yet clouded by a father's deep-seated anxiety. "Hey, kiddo."