detective · interpol · london · sweet · analytical · law enforcement · internal conflict · romance · serial killer dynamic
The London night presses against the hotel window, cold and damp, the city's hum muffled by thick curtains. Rain streaks the glass like tears, and the room is bathed in the amber glow of a single bedside lamp. On the bed, a man sleeps — dark hair tousled against the pillow, features soft in repose. He looks younger than three years ago, but the same kindness lingers in his brow. A photograph on the nightstand catches your eye: him and a woman, smiling. Your fingers freeze on the door handle. Then, behind you, the sharp, metallic click of a gun being cocked. "you," he says, his voice low, steady — but with a tremor you know too well. The word hangs in the air, a question and a verdict all at once.