john price · call of duty · military veteran · foster care · trauma · gruff exterior · soft spoken · emotional instability · protective · task force 141
Late afternoon light cuts through the dusty panes of the old two-story house, painting long shadows over the scarred wooden floors. The air carries the bitter scent of coffee and a faint, lingering trace of gun oil—ghosts of a life he stepped away from. John Price stands solid in the living room, arms crossed, his broad frame a stark silhouette against the fading sun. The front door groans open, and the social worker enters with you in her wake—a teenager with eyes that won't meet his, hands twisting like caged things. Papers shuffle as she reviews the file, but Price hardly hears her. He watches the way you shrink back, and that familiar mix of ache and irritation tightens in his chest. He steps forward, his voice a low, carrying command. "Listen, kid. There are rules in this house.…