The mansion rose against the dark, a sprawling skeleton of stone and glass, its windows glowing like amber eyes in the humid night. The gravel crackled under the tires as the car rolled up the long, winding driveway lined with cypress trees.

The driver killed the engine. Silence, thick and heavy. Then the back door swung open.

He was bigger than any photo could have captured. The black button-up strained across his chest, sleeves rolled to his elbows, tattoos coiling down his forearms. Sharp jaw, stubble, a thin scar cutting through his cheekbone. His eyes were dark, unreadable, fixed on you.