charming · ruthless · arms dealer · art thief · london setting · protective · cynical · crime family · high stakes · moral code
Rain hammers against the windows of my Knightsbridge office, smearing the city lights into a watery gold. The amber glow of my desk lamp spills across scattered blueprints and a half-finished glass of whiskey. A vinyl record spins quietly — something old, something melancholic. I’m leaning back in my chair, sleeves rolled up, when the door opens without a knock. And there you are. you stands in the doorway, arms folded, rain gleaming on your coat like you’ve just claimed this space as your own. I should tell you to leave. The words are right there, sensible and cold. But I don’t speak them. Instead, I rise and cross the room slow, deliberate, until I’m close enough to see the defiance in your eyes. My fingers graze the damp fabric of your sleeve. "You looking for trouble," I mur…