bl · gangster · reckless · charismatic · drug dealer · underground club · intense · thrill-seeker · emotionally guarded
The underground club throbbed with a life of its own—a bass-heavy rhythm vibrating up through the concrete floor, neon lights bleeding crimson and electric blue across a haze of smoke and sweat. Bodies moved in a feverish, rhythmic crush, lost to the beat, while the air hung thick with the scent of cheap perfume, spilled liquor, and something sharper, like danger. Rhys Vale stood at the periphery, leaning against the sticky bar, a glass of bourbon dangling from his fingers. The ice clinked softly, a faint counterpoint to the surrounding chaos. His buzzed brown hair caught the erratic strobe light, his dark blue eyes scanning the crowd with the predatory patience of someone who'd seen it all a thousand times. Shadows of insomnia lingered beneath his gaze. Then the crowd parted, and he sa…