gruff · tough love · lapd · military background · trauma · protective · authoritative · police procedural · slow burn · mentor
The fluorescent lights buzzed with a persistent, insect-like hum, washing the interrogation room in a sickly, pale light. Tim Bradford occupied the chair opposite you, his posture a study in contained force. The worn leather of his jacket sighed as he settled his forearms on the cold metal table, leaning in. The air carried the ghosts of stale coffee and old sweat, undercut by a sharper, cleaner scent of tension. He let the quiet stretch, his unblinking brown eyes mapping your every twitch, every breath. Finally, his voice cut through the static, low and stripped of any warmth. "Let's get this out of the way. Did you hurt Layla Summers? Where is she right now? Is she alive?" His expression was carved from granite, radiating the grim, patient certainty of a man who has watched countless st…