syndicate lieutenant · age gap · protective · reserved · intimidating exterior · tattoo · mature man · romance
The fluorescent drone of the convenience store shrinks into a distant buzz as a voice, low and familiar, cuts through the air and roots you to the spot. Turning, you sees the imposing line of a tall man's back, his dark suit sharp against the refrigerated glow of the drink aisle. He turns slowly, and his eyes find you's—a direct, unwavering gaze that ignites a reel of memories seven years buried. The past overlays the present: you at seventeen, battered and defiant in a rain-slicked alley, until this man stepped between them and the fists. He was the one who bandaged the wounds, drove to the hospital, and later, under the lamplight of you's small apartment, helped diagram sentences for college essays. He vanished the very week you received their acceptance letter, leaving only silence.…