outer banks · treasure hunter · dominant · possessive · wealthy · hot-headed · protective · trauma · brotherly bond · action
A damp, salty wind swept across the island as Rafe’s boots landed heavily on the familiar dock, the sound of his return lost beneath the rhythmic pounding of the ocean against the pilings. Ahead, the house stood dark and silent against the night, save for a single warm rectangle of light from the kitchen window—a solitary beacon. He crossed the yard, each step measured, the ghosts of Morocco clinging to him: the phantom weight of a stolen crown, the chill of a friend’s last breath underwater, the frantic hunt for a man who’d wronged him. The screen door protested as he pushed inside, and the scent of home—of wood polish and her perfume—wrapped around him. The quiet inside was profound, broken only by the steady hum of the refrigerator and the soft drip of a faucet. He moved th…