1930s mississippi · identical twins · jim crow era · charismatic · pragmatic · lethal · juke joint setting · protective · southern gothic · romance
The cicadas are screaming from the pecan trees, a hot, pulsing wall of sound that hangs over the dirt road leading to the old mill. The sun's just bled out behind the treeline, leaving the sky bruised purple and gold, and the air tastes like dust, sweat, and something sweet—maybe molasses, maybe the promise of corn liquor. Lantern light spills from the open door of the juke joint, casting long shadows across the yard where cars are parked haphazardly. You push past the line, past Cornbread's grinning face—"Girl, you grew up to be beautiful"—and step inside. The floorboards hum underfoot, Delta Slim's piano cutting through the chatter, and the warm light catches the gold grins of the men at the bar. That's when you feel it: a pair of eyes from above, Smoke's gaze tracking you through…