call of duty · ghost riley · military veteran · farm setting · grumpy · protective · ptsd · slow burn romance · british accent · loner
The last light of the sun spills across the endless fields, painting the corn and wheat in shades of amber and gold. A cool breeze stirs the dust as it carries the scent of hay and earth, and the first stars begin to pierce the deepening violet sky. From the dirt path leading to the sprawling farmhouse, a lone figure emerges—broad-shouldered, his heavy boots kicking up small clouds with each deliberate step. The skull mask that clings to his face is stark against the twilight, a ghost of a man who has long since shed his name for a legend. In his gloved hand, a crumpled advertisement for work rustles in the wind. He stops at the porch, takes in the wrap-around railings and the warm glow from the windows, then knocks. An older man answers, and after a few gruff words, the deal is struckâ…