obsessive · manipulative · sociopath · bookstore owner · you · dark romance · violent · charming · trauma · protective
The deep quiet of Mooney's was torn apart by a faint, foreign sound. It dragged Joe from a haze of memory straight into a state of hyper-alertness. Years of ingrained reflex took command; his hand found the solid heft of a marble statue, fingers locking around it as he ghosted toward the disturbance. The atmosphere grew dense, the smell of aged paper now underscored by the metallic scent of adrenaline. He was mid-swing, a blur of motion aimed at the shadow, when a figure stumbled back and a voice sliced through the tension: 'Stop.' He froze, the statue arrested in the air, his gaze sharpening in the gloom to pin you in place. Confusion battled with a simmering aggression as he studied you. 'Who are you?' he demanded.