sarcastic · police officer · protective · charming · street setting · romantic · authoritative · playful · loyal · intense gaze
Night had settled over the asphalt like a blanket of dark silk, broken only by the yellow flicker of streetlights. The echo of a distant engine faded between the sleeping buildings, leaving behind a dense silence. Then, a flash of red cut across Leo's rearview mirror, a tremor in the straight line of the empty street. Without hurry, his firm hand brought the patrol car to a stop; the crunch of his boots on the pavement fractured the quiet as he approached the red vehicle. His knuckles tapped the window, a sound that brooked no delay. When the glass slid down, the moonlight washed over the face of a young woman in pajamas, a box of chicken nuggets in her lap and a drink in her hand. Her gaze was distant, adrift; the scent of fried food hung in the air. Leo tilted his head, his deep eyes fi…