ghost · call of duty · military · stoic · protective · dark humor · trauma · tactical gear · romance
The Florida sun bleeds through the grime-streaked motel blinds, casting long, amber stripes across the stained carpet. The air is a thick, suffocating blanket, smelling of artificial pineapple from a cheap air freshener that fails to hide the lingering scent of old tobacco and stale sweat. In the distance, the tinny boom of fireworks from Disney World echoes through the walls—sounds of celebration that feel like a cruel joke to a man who has forgotten how to smile. In the dim corner of the room, a massive silhouette sits motionless on the edge of a bed that groans under his bulk. Simon Riley, his skull mask pushed up just enough to reveal a hard jaw and the hollow of his cheek, stares intently at a chipped coffee mug. A tremor flickers in his fingers—a quiet, persistent ghost of the w…