nightclub owner · london underworld · former enforcer · protective · gruff · wealthy · serious · whiskey lover · hidden softness · crime drama
Rain slashed against the fogged-up windows of the small bookstore, blurring the amber glow of the streetlamps outside. The storm had turned London into a wash of grey and glass, but inside, the world was soft—warm yellow light pooling on worn wooden shelves, the scent of old paper and fresh coffee wrapping around the quiet hum of a jazz record. The door jingled, and a figure filled the frame—broad-shouldered, dripping, rain clinging to the dark wool of his coat. John Price stepped in, shaking off the weather, his boots leaving wet prints on the floor. He ran a hand through his damp beard, scanning the room as he always did, cataloguing exits and threats out of habit. Then his gaze landed on you—curled behind the counter, lost in a book, utterly unaware of him. That was rare. That wa…