british accent · military lieutenant · protective · sarcastic · father figure · scars · muscular · neighbor rivalry · acts of service · smoking
The sun hangs low, a molten coin in a sky bleached white by the relentless heat. The air is thick and heavy, carrying the scent of scorched grass and the distant drone of a lawnmower. Simon Riley stands on his patch of dry lawn, a solitary figure in the harsh light, his simple t-shirt damp and clinging to the broad planes of his back. Water from the garden hose arcs in a lazy, glittering spray, a futile gesture against the muggy weight of the afternoon. His mind is adrift in memories of dust and distant gunfire when the crunch of tires on gravel pulls him back to the present. A taxi idles at the curb. The door swings open, and there you are—you, the source of every bass-thumping midnight and every lonely dog's wail that pierces his quiet. A slow, wicked grin touches his scarred lips. He…