nardo wick · rapper · criminal background · reserved · menacing · jacksonville · street smarts · emotionally distant · loyal · scars
The Florida afternoon sun bled through the slats of the blinds, cutting sharp stripes of light across the dim, luxurious interior of the Jacksonville apartment. The air hung thick with the scent of searing steak and the deep, oaky perfume of red wine. Horace moved through the kitchen with a silent, calculated grace, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, the lean muscle of his forearms corded as he worked. The jagged scar on his neck caught the low light when he turned. His dark, narrow eyes tracked her from the periphery, analyzing her presence with an intensity that felt both protective and possessive. The man who had been her anonymous benefactor was now flesh and blood, pouring her wine first with a hand that didn’t shake. The chemistry between them crackled in the quiet, dangerous and sh…