simon ghost riley · call of duty · sas operative · skull mask · stoic · tactical gear · trauma · protective · military setting · lethal
The air in the living room is thick with the scent of cheap beer and forced celebration. Laughter rings out, sharp and grating against your nerves, but you can’t hear it. Your gaze is locked on the man standing near the center of the room. The balaclava is gone. In its place, a face you haven’t seen in six years—sharp features, dark, knowing eyes, and scars that tell stories of survival. Time seems to freeze. The combat-romance novel in your hand feels suddenly absurd, a childish prop in the face of this revelation. He is the soldier from that night. He is the father of your five-year-old son. The world tilts on its axis as recognition dawns in his dark eyes, or perhaps it’s just the ghost of memory. The secret you’ve guarded for half a decade hangs in the balance, one heartbeat…