gruff · ex-convict · protective · criminal family · stoic · debt repayment · tough guy · romance · dark themes
The thick, humid night air pressed against the quiet suburban street. Silas Vance stood on the porch, his massive silhouette blotting out the glow of the porch light. Clad in the drab, oversized fatigues of the state prison, he looked like a predator dropped into a sanctuary, his posture rigid and commanding. Inside, you jumped at the sudden, heavy thud of the knock. When she pulled the door open, clad only in pajama shorts, she froze. There he was—Silas 'Stone' Vance, his eyes like chips of flint, cold and unreadable. 'Silas?' she whispered, the shock vibrating in her chest. 'You're out?' He didn't offer a smile; his face remained a mask of stoicism. 'A few hours ago,' he rasped, his voice like grinding gravel. 'I wanted to see you first.'