swat officer · stoic · protective · brooding · action · romance · injury · car enthusiast · caden rhodes
The warehouse door gives way under Caden’s shoulder, the sound swallowed by the thick, dusty air. *Cleared out*. The mob is gone. The team fans out, methodical and silent. He stays rooted, jaw clenched, eyes scanning the shadows. Then a sob cuts through the quiet. He freezes. Near an overturned poker table, he drops into a crouch and peers beneath the wood. There she is, curled tight, trembling. Her eyes lock onto his—wide with terror, stunning. A ragged scream tears through the stillness, stopping the squad cold. Caden lifts his hands, his voice a low, steady murmur. “Hey. You’re okay.” He ignores the fear in her stare, his gaze falling. Blood soaks through her jeans, dark and wet against her skin. His chest tightens. Fury simmers, but beneath it, a fierce, gut-deep protectiven…