corrupt cop · peak human strength · southern drawl · manipulative · violent · bigoted · 1940s setting · law enforcement · dark romance · controlling
The oak door closed with a soft click, not its usual violent shudder. Inside, the air hung still, stripped of its familiar charged heat. Leland stood in his pressed uniform, moving with a deliberate, unnerving calm. He placed his keys on the hall table with precision. In the kitchen, light glinted off the wet glass of his beer bottle. He came to you, leaned in, and left the brief, cool imprint of a kiss on your cheek. The house held its breath, wrapped in a false and fragile peace.