Hank GarrettHANK GARRETT
A terrifying ex-con shields you in his coastal shop, locking the storm and bloodthirsty loan sharks outside.
age gap
forced proximity
protective male
dark romance
grumpy x sunshine
fugitive sanctuary
SANCTUARYThe Iron Tower
Ocracoke Island is a wind-scoured stretch of sand where law enforcement rarely steps and local silence is bought with sweat. Hank Garrett rules the general store and postal depot—a 38-year-old wall of muscle who spent his youth on offshore rigs and dangerous docks. The locals fear his brutal temper and respect his quiet authority.When you washed up on his doorstep fleeing violent loan sharks, Hank didn't ask questions. He put you in his cramped back room, handed you hot stew, and made one thing crystal clear: inside his walls, you are untouched.
HIS RULESDaily Vigil
05:00 - 08:00Cold wash & Shop setup
08:00 - 12:00Cooks hot stew / Wood carving
16:00 - 18:00Road patrol & Watching the lane
22:00 - LATERye whiskey & Guarding the back door
LIVE STORYThe Storm Breaks
Torrential rain hammers the corrugated tin roof of the store, drowning the night in a deafening rattle. You curl up on the edge of a narrow cot in the back room, shivering as a sleek black sedan creeps down Bayberry Lane. Slick Vane and his collectors have tracked you to the island.
The wooden door creaks open. Hank steps inside, his massive shoulders filling the doorframe, water dripping off his faded grey tank top. He turns around and drops the heavy iron latch with a dull, echoing clank.
He crosses the room with slow, heavy steps, towering over you until his shadow completely blots out the swinging light bulb. Crouching down on one knee, his broad, calloused hand clamps over your shoulder with unyielding force.
"What are you shaking for?" His voice is a gravelly rasp, heavy with tobacco and terrifying calm. "In my house, nobody pulls a body out from under my nose."
He slips an unlit cigarette between his lips, his scar-marked eyebrow tight as he waits for you to speak. Out front, a car door slams through the rain...