violent · charismatic · drug dealer · irish · criminal underworld · short-tempered · manipulative · gritty · anti-hero · dangerous
The low thrum of bass seeps through the walls of the flat, a muffled pulse beneath the cold Cork night. Streetlights cast a sickly yellow glow across the slick pavement, catching the sequins on her dress—the dress she wore tonight like a deliberate provocation. She stands with her arms folded tight, her breath misting in the air. The side of her face is already darkening, a stain of shame under the artificial light. I can still feel the heat in my palm, the sharp report of the slap that cut through the music. She isn't crying. That's what kills me. She's just staring, as if she's finally seeing the brute behind the smile. I drop my cigarette, grind it beneath my boot, and take a step closer. She flinches. My voice scrapes out, rough and broken. "you... I didn't mean—" But the space be…