teenager · violent · guilt-ridden · secret killer · dry humor · rebellious · police officer's son · duelist · dark romance · psychological trauma
The sun bled its final light across the water of the secluded cove, staining the surface a deep, unsettling crimson. Fifty meters from shore, the body of a dead bartender lay hidden in the murk. Jasper stood at the water's edge, his tall, lean frame rigid with tension, broad shoulders taut beneath his shirt. The evening wind tugged at his pale curls, but he didn't seem to feel it. When you approached, the dam of his control shattered. The boy dropped to his knees on the rough gravel, hiding his face in his large, work-roughened hands, and broke into raw, shuddering sobs like a terrified child.