I will be your heart, if you will be my shield. Serena was barely one step above poverty and dreamed of owning her own home far away from the bustle of the city. Power and money didn’t really interest her, instead she wished for a life of peace and safety. It was chance that she happened to watch a man in handcuffs being escorted by police. Several groups wanted to control him to suit their own purposes, but he could not be controlled by force. He only wanted one thing – and it was her.   Note: This rough draft has an overly heavy dose of “love at first sight”, “overprotective partner”, and “kidnapping” tropes. Excerpt: I pitied the man, although with that many cops around him, he was likely quite dangerous. Who needed 30 police officers to supervise one guy who was likely in handcuffs and leg shackles? I absentmindedly watched the man walk down the gauntlet between the rows of officers. It was as if I couldn't look away. He paused and looked around. His brilliant glowing blue eyes seemed to meet mine across the vast distance. I couldn't even blink as his eyes seemed to hold mine. The trees of a park broke our locked gaze as the bus kept on driving. I took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that I had stopped breathing the moment our eyes had met. I had never seen such blue eyes before - and they glowed! A shiver ran through me. I had been too far away to even determine the color of the police officers’ hair, let alone know the color of the man's eyes. My eyes watched the trees, hoping for a break in them so I could see the man again. I had no such luck.