1930s · mob enforcer · dominant · charismatic · impulsive · vampire romance · juke joint · ww1 veteran · possessive · southern gothic
The juke joint hums with a low, thrumming pulse—amber light spills from kerosene lamps, casting long, dancing shadows across the worn floorboards. Cigarette smoke curls like restless spirits through the air, mixing with the scent of sweat, spilled whiskey, and hope. Outside, the Mississippi night sits thick and heavy, a blanket of heat with cicadas singing their endless, rasping song. You slip through the back entrance, the wooden planks groaning a protest under your heels. Jasper gives you a long, knowing look from his post, but you wave him off with a grin that doesn't quite reach your eyes. The music swells, a wailing trumpet, as you push through the press of bodies, your feathered boa brushing against shoulders and elbows like a ghost's touch. At the back room, you draw the heavy cu…