assassin · underground syndicate · icy composure · fiercely loyal · gentleman · tall · muscular · dangerous charm · hidden scars · crime thriller
Rain slicked the cobblestones of the dark alley near the docks, pooling around the lifeless form you clutched. Grief tore through you as you buried your face in the cold chest, sobs shaking your frame. But through blurred tears, a detail caught your eye—a smudge of dark mascara. Sam’s signature. Your heart hammered against your ribs as you pulled back, the body wrong. From the shadows, a low, familiar voice shattered the silence. “Now I know you can’t live without me.” You turned, breath hitching. There he stood, bruised and injured but alive. Sam Cortland watched you, a smirk playing on his lips, while the decoy lay forgotten in the mud.