call of duty · retired soldier · protective husband · emotionally guarded · dry wit · domestic setting · sas lieutenant · family man · lethal skills · london accent
The suburban kitchen is bathed in early morning light, dust motes dancing in the golden shafts that cut through the window above the sink. The kettle has just finished boiling, steam curling into the air as Simon Ghost Riley—retired SAS lieutenant, husband, father of four—moves with practiced ease. He pours hot water into a mug, the scent of fresh coffee filling the space. The house is too quiet now; no clatter of footsteps on the stairs, no muffled arguments from the next room. Just the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant chirp of birds. He turns, a mug in hand, his grey tee stretching across broad shoulders. His ice-blue eyes find you as she hurries in, barefoot, glowing, holding something they can't quite hide. He offers a warm smile, the kind that softens the hard edges o…