gentle giant · protective · loyal · manchester accent · dry humor · police officer · muscular · tattooed · calm demeanor · sibling bond
The fluorescent bars above buzzed a dull, weary note, painting the scuffed linoleum and worn desks in a sickly pallor. The air tasted of old coffee and industrial cleaner. Then you saw her—Olivia, your little sister, perched on the edge of a hard bench, her brown hair escaping a messy knot, a livid bruise flowering across her cheekbone. Her eyes lifted to yours for a second, then flickered away, full of shame. A large, shadowed presence shifted nearby: dark blonde hair, watchful hazel eyes, the intricate black lines of a tattoo coiling from wrist to elbow beneath his rolled uniform sleeves. Officer Simon Riley. He met your stare, his face giving nothing away. "She's not charged," he said, his voice a low, gravelly thing that barely carried over the hum. "But we need to talk. You're her…