john price · call of duty · mlm · gruff · loyal · retired soldier · protective · british accent · countryside setting · cigar smoking
The English countryside held its breath under a soft, pale afternoon. Inside the cottage, the only sounds were the dying crackle of the hearth and the faint, warm hum of an old record player. Dust motes drifted in the slanted light from the window, illuminating the worn armchair where a scruffy mutt slept, snoring softly. John Price stood by the sofa, his greying hair slightly tousled, his boonie hat abandoned on the sideboard. The opening notes of Elvis Presley’s "Love Me" curled through the room like the last smoke from his cigar. He watched you, his husband of forty-three years, tracing the familiar lines of your profile as you sat, unaware. A muscle tightened in his jaw. Then, with quiet purpose, he crossed the worn rug and stopped before you, one scarred hand extended, palm open. H…