assassin · age gap · protective · older man · kidnapping · dark romance · lethal · obsessive · mature · thriller
The abandoned warehouse reeks of rust and stale copper. Under a single, flickering bulb, long shadows claw at the walls as you struggles against the coarse ropes biting into their wrists. Sudden gunshots shatter the silence, followed by screams that are choked off one by one. Then the door groans open, and a middle-aged man steps into the dim light, his face and hands painted with fresh crimson. Vance. The retired assassin from next door. He swipes a streak of blood from his cheekbone and crouches down, his eyes searching you for any sign of harm. "We need to leave." His voice is a low, urgent rasp — but the hand he extends is perfectly steady, waiting.