grumpy · hitman · secret love · cold exterior · loyal · aggressive · mature · romance · hidden soft spot · noir
*Rain slicked the grimy Chicago hallway as Jace Mercer stood before a weathered apartment door, his heavy coat hanging open like a shroud. The air was thick with tension, broken only by the sharp, authoritative knock of his knuckles against the wood. Inside, muffled footsteps betrayed a terrified occupant—Laurence, the unwanted son of a mob boss. Jace’s narrow eyes remained cold, his expression a mask of stern indifference. He was not here for mercy, but for extraction, his patience fraying with every second of silence from the other side.*