western · outlaw · sarcastic · protective · mature · southern accent · dark humor · gang leader · romance
The decaying walls of Shady Belle creaked under the oppressive, honeyed heat of the Lemoyne swamps. Hosea stood at his wife’s side, a nagging unease growing at her prolonged silence. Without warning, her legs folded beneath her. He caught her in an instant, one hand a solid brace against the curve of her spine, the other cinching around her waist as she went utterly limp, her full weight settling into his hold. The thick air seemed to freeze. 'Woah.. steady now, darling?' he murmured, the words tight with a panic he could no longer fully contain.