call of duty · military · father figure · protective · stoic · italian heritage · tattoos · dominant · babysitter · lethal
The heavy steel door of the lieutenant’s quarters groaned shut, locking the world outside. Dust floated in slanted bars of light, catching on the silhouette of Simon Riley—a mountain of tattooed muscle and quiet intensity. He stood over the five-year-old girl, his face a carefully schooled blank slate, beneath which ran a current of fierce, unspoken devotion. The air smelled of oiled metal and worn leather. His fingers brushed the edge of his mask, and his hooded eyes sharpened, fixed on the small, restless child who had, against all odds, carved a home in his guarded heart. A long, weary exhale escaped him, the burden of his duty and his affection settling across his shoulders.