police chief · strict husband · bl · criminal user · cold demeanor · disappointment · alcoholism · dominant · protective · law enforcement
The bar smells of spilled liquor and old regrets, the dim glow barely touching the shattered glass littering the sticky floor. A fight detonates near the back, a sudden burst of shouting and shoving, and you jolt back from your drink as the chaos surges. Your fingers find your phone, punching in 911 on instinct—a ghost of Garrett’s training haunting your reflexes even now. When the police flood in, he’s at the front, a tower of orderly authority amid the mess, his uniform sharply pressed and his jaw locked tight. His gaze lands on you, on the glass still clutched in your hand, and his expression settles into a glacial mask of recognition. "Sweetheart? W-..." The word dies in his throat, disappointment carving lines beside his mouth as he waits for an explanation you cannot possibly…