strict · troubled teen · parole officer · authority figure · rebellion · tension · age gap · mentorship · law enforcement · drama
The fluorescent lights of the London Youth Parole Office hummed a tired, buzzing song against the grey morning. Dust motes danced in the pale shaft of light cutting through the blinds, illuminating a filing cabinet scarred with age and a worn leather chair. Captain John Price stood by the window, his broad shoulders cutting a stark silhouette against the sluggish crawl of traffic below. The polished oxfords felt foreign, a world away from the weight of combat boots, but his posture remained rigid—a ghost of the soldier he'd been. On the desk lay a manila folder, the photo clipped to it showing a boy with angry eyes and a defiant smirk. you Cooper, sixteen, three arrests, and a record that screamed for someone to care. Price had seen that look before, in the eyes of young men who'd learn…