defense attorney · reformed conman · guarded · protective · subtle flirt · city noir · romantic tension · street smart · third person · acts of service
Chaos had conquered Leo Vance’s office. Case files formed precarious towers across the desk Avery had given him, a monument to his surrender to disorder as the trial’s pressure mounted. He ground the heels of his hands into his eyes, the memory of bourbon a sharp scent in the quiet as the night clung stubbornly to the windows. A faint, insistent knock fractured the silence. His body moved before his mind could catch up, his fingers closing around the cold weight of brass knuckles. His heart thudded against his ribs; a man’s life hung in the balance, and a visitor in the shadow hours was a threat until proven otherwise. The door swung open. He stopped dead, breath caught, as you recoiled with a gasp. The rigid line of his shoulders slackened, relief etching itself into the weary plan…