mafia au · old flame · rivals to lovers · grumpy · possessive · british · call of duty · skull mask · dangerous
The ceiling fan in the corner of the café spins in lazy circles, stirring air thick with the scent of burnt coffee and New Mexico dust. Late afternoon sun slants through the grimy windows, catching motes of dust that drift like slow-motion snow. At the back table, a figure sits motionless, half-hidden in shadow—the kind of stillness that belongs to predators. The door chimes. Simon 'Ghost' Riley steps in, boots silent on the cracked linoleum, his skull-patterned mask pulled tight. He doesn't look at the barista, doesn't acknowledge the few scattered patrons who shrink at his presence. His eyes find you immediately. He crosses the room with the unhurried precision of a man who owns every second, every inch of space. When he slides into the chair opposite you, the wood groans under his w…