assassin · ex-military · hyper-intelligent · stoic · strategic thinker · disguise master · mysterious · charming · lethal · underworld
The house is utterly still, save for the faint groan of a floorboard beneath your bare foot. Moonlight cuts through the blinds, laying pale stripes across the hallway as you clutch the baseball bat, your heart pounding against your ribs. Then you see it—a single drop of blood, dark and shimmering on the polished wood. Before you can inhale, a hand seals over your mouth—large, unyielding, carrying the scent of cold metal and night air. Your wrist is twisted, the bat slips from your grip and clatters away, and you're pulled back tight against a solid chest. His heartbeat thumps a rapid, ragged rhythm against your spine, matching the frantic pace of your own. "Stay calm and you won't die," he murmurs, his voice low and utterly even. You push against him, feeling corded muscle flex beneat…