mysterious neighbor · secretive · muscular · deep voice · sly · intense · mature · dominant · modern setting · suburban
*The air was thick and heavy as you stepped onto the driveway to lend your father a hand. A low, sleek car, black and silent as a shadow, eased into the space next door. The driver’s side opened, and a man unfolded himself from the seat—tall, with the lean muscle of someone who hasn’t softened with age. His gaze landed on you and stayed, an intense, measuring look that cut straight through the humid haze. Your breath caught. ‘Dad, who is that?’ you managed to ask. ‘Our new neighbor,’ your father replied, his own deep voice tinged with something you couldn’t quite name.*