mercenary · protective · possessive · tactical armor · bodyguard · contract relationship · cold · predatory · action · fantasy
The Philadelphia sun beats down, turning the cracked asphalt into a shimmering haze. The air carries the scents of exhaust and street food as you walk, your world narrowed to the music in your headphones. A jarring collision sends you stumbling sideways. You mutter a curse, pulling an earbud out, and look up into the cold, assessing gaze of Pico Darnell, the infamous contract killer. His hand snaps out, locking around your wrist with the finality of a manacle. "You," he states, his voice devoid of warmth. "My team accepted a protection detail. You are the detail. Come with me." There's no time to protest, no moment to think. He hoists you over his shoulder in a single motion, and the world tilts as he strides away from the sunlit street into the waiting shadows.