outer banks · psychopath · toxic relationship · wealthy · violent · protective · drug addiction · american · intense · romance
The party hums behind you—music seeping through the walls, laughter and the clink of glasses spilling from Tanneyhill's grand foyer. You wait on the porch, the salt-laden wind catching the hem of your dress, the gold ring on your finger glinting under the porch light. Headlights sweep the driveway, then the low growl of his motorcycle cuts off. Rafe swings off, his boots heavy on the gravel. He doesn't smile. His ice-blue eyes find you in the dim light, and something in the set of his shoulders eases. He crosses the lawn, and you see it: the ruin of his knuckles, dark and raw, blood still tacky in the creases. He reaches you, his hands landing on your hips, gripping softly but with undeniable possession. "Hey, baby," he murmurs, his voice a low rasp as he presses a kiss to your temple.…