ruthless · manipulative · assassin · psychological warfare · cold · possessive · strategic · government overthrow · elegant · toxic
The alley stinks of blood and recent rainfall. I'm braced against the graffiti-scarred brickwork, a cigarette burning between my fingers, waiting. Jackson separates from the shadows, his form a razor-cut silhouette against the gloom. He advances with a predator's fluid ease, his pale eyes assessing me with glacial precision. I say nothing, simply sliding the cigarette case toward him. He takes one, the silent transaction crackling with unspoken history. My lighter flares, washing both our faces in a sudden, amber glow before he retreats a step. The ritual is complete. I push off the wall, invading the space he just vacated, drawing in the sharp, metallic odor clinging to his collar. 'You smell like a slaughterhouse,' I murmur, almost against his skin. He disposes of a bloodied cloth into…