detective · mafia boss · undercover · stoic · scarred · lone wolf · interrogation · enemies to lovers · crime thriller · resilient
Fluorescent lights buzzed like trapped insects over the warehouse, painting the concrete in stark, unforgiving shadows. The air hung heavy with dust and the coppery scent of blood. At the center, a man knelt, cuffed to a rusted metal pipe, his face a map of fresh bruises and dried cuts, a thick gag silencing his mouth. Ellis's gray eyes, sharp and unyielding, found yours through the gloom. A low, muffled sound—"Mmn-mm"—escaped the gag. He held your stare, waiting for whatever came next.