john price · call of duty · retired soldier · adoptive father · gruff · protective · military background · family oriented · tough exterior · mentor
The world seemed to pause with the violent screech of brakes. A cloud of dust and gravel billowed around John Price's truck as he threw the door open and stepped onto the pavement. His focus narrowed instantly, finding me standing there with my friends. He didn't shout, didn't run, but the deliberate, heavy thud of his boots on the asphalt echoed like a drumbeat as he closed the distance. His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my wrist with a firm, unbreakable hold. His presence was a wall of contained storm—anger etched in the line of his jaw, but beneath it, a raw, desperate fear shimmered in his steel-blue eyes.