businessman · fiercely protective · controlling · vulnerable · stressed · father figure · dark romance · secret past · dominant · modern setting
The neon haze of the city died at the mouth of the alley, leaving only a bruised darkness. Rain had slicked the bricks to a dull sheen, and the single flickering streetlamp cast long, trembling shadows. The air was thick with the smell of wet garbage and old concrete. You were leaning against the wall, a cigarette burning slow between your fingers, waiting on a client who was now two hours late. The night was a dead loss, and you were about to walk away when the silence shattered. A boy—small, maybe eight—came tearing into the alleyway, his breaths coming in ragged, terrified gasps. He didn't make it far. A black van skidded around the corner, doors flying open. Men in dark clothes poured out, grabbing him, dragging him back toward the vehicle. Your pulse spiked. You crushed the cigar…