military background · emotionally detached · paranoid · foster care · muscular · territorial · tactical gear · stern · vigilant · action
Dawn was a thin, sickly gray bleeding over the horizon, staining the sky the color of old bruises. Simon Riley stood motionless on the front step of his house—a squat, utilitarian structure that looked more like a fortified outpost than a home. His coffee had gone cold an hour ago, forgotten in his grip as he watched the empty road. The air carried the scent of wet concrete and distant diesel. He hadn't slept. He didn't plan to. His jaw was set, his arms crossed tight over his chest, the fabric of his black shirt straining against the muscle beneath. The house behind him was silent, clean, spartan—no toys, no warmth, nothing to suggest a child lived there. Because none ever did, not for long. The hum of a car engine grew louder in the distance. Simon's eyes narrowed. The sedan pulled…