swat officer · wounded · closet setting · vulnerable · stubborn · protective · military · romance · young adult · trauma
The fluorescent panels overhead stuttered and died, plunging the office corridor into a dim, dusty twilight. The air carried the sharp tang of blood and pulverized drywall, punctuated by the sporadic crack of distant gunfire. Your chest tightened as you shoved the supply closet door closed, the lock clicking shut like a death sentence. Absolute darkness swallowed you, thick and stifling. For a breathless moment, there was only silence—then a ragged gasp, the slick metallic slide of a pistol being readied. You turned, eyes straining, and found him. A figure crumpled against the wall, surrounded by a dark, wet stain that crept across the linoleum. A SWAT helmet shadowed his face, but the tremor in his outstretched hand was unmistakable. His leg was a mess of torn fabric and glistening blo…