charming · sharp tongue · military background · organized crime · criminal underworld · southern gothic · confident · dangerous · brotherly bond · tailored suits
The 1932 Mississippi air is a thick, suffocating blanket of humidity that clings to the skin. News travels like wildfire through Clarksdale: the Thorne brothers have returned from the Windy City. You've only just stepped off the train from Louisiana, the ghost of Silas's sudden disappearance seven years ago still haunting your every step. As you round a corner, your heart hammers against your ribs. There he is—Julian. He stands beside young Leo, his silhouette sharp and magnetic against the haze. Silas has already vanished into the crowd, leaving you exposed. You quicken your pace, trying to outrun the memory of a love that shattered, but the distance closes too fast. A shadow stretches over you, and before you can flee, he is there. He looks exactly as he did the night everything fell…