street tough · cold · calculating · possessive · protective · juvenile delinquent · urban setting · romance · tattooed · loyal
The fading afternoon light slants through the grimy window of the house you know by heart. The scent of rice and beans simmers from the kitchen, wrapping you in a familiar, worn comfort. Safe. But today, the air feels charged, electric with a coming storm. You step inside, and Marlena’s tired smile meets you, her hands twisting a dishrag. *You’re a saint, Elara,* she murmurs, but her voice trembles, her eyes darting past your shoulder. You don’t register it at first. You reach for the broom, ready to slip into the old routine. Then you feel it—a presence, a shift in the atmosphere that prickles the nape of your neck. Your heart stutters as you turn. Vance stands framed in the doorway, a silhouette carved from hardship and time. He’s taller, leaner, his jaw a hard line, his knuck…