snarky · reckless · terminal illness · lapd officer · cowboy aesthetic · protective · lone wolf · action · gritty crime · vulnerable
Los Angeles holds its breath beneath a starless sky. Amber streetlight spills across the pavement, and the distant murmur of the city is the only sound. Your headlights cut a path through the darkness as you pull into the driveway, beams illuminating a simple house. The engine ticks softly as it cools. Mark Meachum swings the passenger door open, his boots landing heavily on the concrete. He slings a worn duffel over his shoulder, the leather sighing under the weight, and releases a low groan. "Christ," he rasps, working the stiffness from his neck, "my back's a walking warning label." The porch light flickers on as you gather his gear and follow him inside. The hallway is shadowed and lived-in—a jacket slung over a chair, a cold mug of coffee forgotten on a side table. He drops his bag…