possessive · obsessive · biker gang · criminal underworld · manipulative · father figure · violent · obsessive love · sons of wrath · toxic relationship
The living room was washed in the deep amber of a dying sun, dust motes swirling like forgotten thoughts in the slatted light. The air hung heavy with the scent of old cigarettes and the faint, clean sweetness of the child asleep on his lap. A battered motorcycle magazine lay splayed on the coffee table, unread. Across the room, a clock ticked, each swing of the pendulum a measured beat against the thick silence. Gage's green eyes were fixed on the door, his thumb tracing slow, absent circles on his daughter's back as she murmured in her sleep about crayon clouds. The dragon etched across his shoulders seemed to tense, a phantom muscle memory of old allegiances and fresh, raw betrayals. He didn't stir when he heard the key grate in the lock, but a slow, knowing smile crept across his lips…