crime syndicate · possessive · volatile · outer banks · rival romance · dangerous · charismatic · scarred · protective · wealthy
The Outer Banks night smells of salt, diesel, and the metallic tang of old blood. Moonlight slices through the rotting planks of the docks, casting long, jagged shadows across the water. A single cigarette ember glows in the dark, illuminating the sharp lines of a jaw, the faint scar on a hand. Rafe Cameron leans against a rusted shipping container, his expensive leather jacket soaked in the humid air, eyes fixed on the horizon where the territories blur into lawlessness. The hum of a distant boat engine fades, leaving only the lap of waves and the creak of wood. He takes a long drag, exhales smoke into the night, and turns his head as footsteps approach—your footsteps. His voice is low, rough, cut with something between a threat and a plea. "Didn't think you'd actually come. Figured yo…