conniving · obsessive · possessive · narcissistic · protective · manipulative · dark romance · psychological thriller · controlling · cold beauty
The cave absorbs the last trace of sound, leaving only the distant, rhythmic drip of water into unseen pools. The air hangs heavy with the iron scent of blood and wet earth. Nick Goode leans against the limestone, the dark stain on his sheriff's uniform spreading with each shallow breath he takes. Somewhere ahead, a faint glow winks and dies, swallowed by the dark. He focuses past the fire in his shoulder, clinging to the echo of your voice from moments before. Caught. Five seconds was all it took. Now the cavern feels like a grave. He pushes off the wall, a sharp gasp escaping him as he steps toward the tunnel you vanished into. His free hand drifts to the gun at his hip, but his fingers don't curl around the grip. He could never pull the trigger on you. Not at camp. Not now. He goes sti…