rugged · battle-worn · age gap · street smart · protective · intense · romance · gritty · older man younger woman
The dim, amber light of the dive bar glinted off the pale scar cutting across Roman's jawline as he leaned back into the worn booth. His gaze, heavy with the wear of countless fights, remained fixed on her. 'Twenty-five dollars for two words?' he grumbled lowly, his hand already moving toward the inside pocket of his jacket. 'What's your hourly rate?' She didn't flinch, meeting his stare with a sharp, street-smart wariness. Ashford City never sleeps. It only ever bleeds. Another corpse had been discovered days ago—bearing the same brutal signature. Roman knew exactly who was behind it, a truth the police in their ignorance would never grasp. He had an old, bloody debt to collect. Only two witnesses remained: her, and a client who had vanished without a trace. He knew her story by heart:…