5. alessia

5

ALESSIA

After sending Henry a few texts letting him know I was stuck in the elevator, he rounded up a team to get the elevator working again.

It would just take an hour or two.

This is excruciating.

I didn't know what to say or do to the stranger next to me, so I started reading an E-Book to pass the time. As I finished another chapter, it dawned on me.

I'm reminded I'm trapped in a small space.

I am trapped in an elevator with vaguely mysterious eyes that look like I was transported into a frozen winter wonderland.

He hasn't said a word to me since calling me Valentine. We both chose opposite corners and settled into our own bubbles of seclusion while we waited for our rescuers.

My mind drifted to Iraq and how I would be getting space from Jack and his drunken nights.

Thank God.

I love him—I do—but I know something is wrong. Maybe we can salvage it. Perhaps he'll change. I've been with him since I was eighteen, and I'm afraid of losing him entirely. A part of me wants to give it more time, and maybe our relationship will grow stronger with space.

I realize I'm no longer concentrating on my phone or the story about a small-town romance. So, I dare to take a peek at the SEAL in the corner.

The first thing I see is his combat boots trailing up to his pants and his thick, muscled thighs.

Then I see his hands. They're big hands, with veins that make their presence well known all over. He fiddles with a bullet. Tracing it in between his fingers, still standing in the corner.

That's weird.

Then I tip my head slightly up, and immediate heat flashes across my cheeks like I was just caught with my hands in a cookie jar on a Christmas night.

He's staring straight at me. I can't see his face, but his eyes tell me everything. He's watching me like I'm something to study.

I blink fast, pretending I wasn't staring back at him, and I purse my lips, returning to the E-book on my phone.

"Why so red, Valentine?"

Shit.

I swallow as if that will hinder me from what I truly feel inside.

"It's hot in here," I lie. My response came out faster than I intended it to. "And it's Valentín." I correct him once again.

I readjust my position, sitting crisscross.

But am I really lying? There's no AC in here, and something about the stranger next to me has me wanting to fan myself.

Then my eyes circle when I see his name tag.

Hannibal

Hannibal is also the name of the operator who escaped when he was a prisoner of war. The one that hasn't taken off his mask since his capture.

Operator Creature.

The sniper with the longest distance shot ever recorded. The operator that never misses when he shoots. He hasn't missed one shot since joining the Navy...maybe ever.

"Are you Daegan Hannibal? Like THE Hannibal. Operator Creature?"

"I don't know Valentine. Am I? Do I look like a creature to you?"

He says it wickedly, and I can't tell if he's testing me or if I genuinely mistook him for another Navy SEAL. "Technically, we are all creatures by definition," he finishes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought…" I shrug, looking away from those silver eyes, and I go back to my phone, typing my passcode in promptly.

A few minutes pass by with silence as our only companion. Before I know it, he sits next to me, intruding into my space.

I look at him incredulously, taken aback by his boldness. He's invading my haven of a boundary, and I don't know what to say or do.

A small voice in my head tells me I like it. Another voice tells me to throat-punch him.

"Umm?" Is the one word I can muster out of my nervous lips.

Then he pulls out a knife, and my breath hitches in my chest. He holds it in his big hand, and I see the shiny blade glimmer across the poor elevator lighting. My chest heaves up and down, my pulse thundering in my neck at the thought of this man stabbing me.

Is he going to kill me? What the fuck?

"What the hell are you doing?" I ask him, frightened, but for some reason, I can't move. Because even though I don't know him, the goodness in my heart believes he wouldn't do something so stupid, like murder the Admiral's stepdaughter on a Naval base. In a fucking elevator.

Then again, it's perfect for him because I have nowhere to go in between these four walls.

But then he moves his knife closer to my neck, and I regret not releasing the scream in my throat that bangs against my vocal cords. Then he leans in closer so we're now face to face. I can feel his cold, icy breath on my lips, his cologne so sharp it makes the pulsation in between my thighs come alive.

The way he's moving...it's dangerous. But not fatal.

He smells of cigarettes, cologne, leather, and more, but maybe it's just him. I'm flustered, scolding myself to stay still…but the sudden proximity draws me in more, making it hard not to shutter.

He stares at me the entire time, shades of grey-blue dilating as he moves the blade slowly through my hair strands like he's savoring every single second of being close to me. And it's so quiet I can hear my heavy breathing and the blade slithering through my hair. I didn't know a blade could be so loud.

Then, with a flick of his blade and his hands on a patch on my shoulder, he whispers darkly, "Irish Pennant."

He slices off the leftover linen on my uniform, and crimson flaming red erupts in my cheeks like a volcano at the sound of his deep voice.

His voice...it's enticing.

Damn him.

"Oh, uh, thanks." Finally gaining a blip of courage, I scoot away from him, looking down at my shoulder just as the elevator pings and starts to move to the same floor he chose.

Our destination.

I guess personnel managed to fix the elevator and get it moving. Perfect timing.

We both stand up, and I clear my throat, readjusting my hair back into a tight bun. After fixing my hair, I walk in front of him so I can look more presentable for the Admiral. Meanwhile, the masked man puts his knife back into his uniform and puts his hands behind his back.

Not creepy at all.

The elevator doors open a few seconds later, and I expect to walk alone to Ravenmore's office, but no...the creepy stranger in the elevator follows me.

He keeps a distance behind me, and I peek at him. He's watching me so intensely that I feel I'll disappear.

"Are you following me?" I ask him, not bothering to keep my gaze on him as I get closer to Ravenmore's office.

"Maybe you're following me."

I flinch at his response. Pursing my lips, my eyebrows pinched together, I shake my head dubiously.

"Why don't you answer questions with yes or no's?! Like a normal person?!"

There's a pause of silence, and I think I won at getting him to open up to me with an average answer, but then he says.

"Maybe I'm not normal."

Finally, I'm outside Ravenmore's office and take a deep breath before entering. I hate being around him. Just the thought of being around Henry Ravenmore makes my skin crawl.

I'm about to reach for the silver doorknob when the masked man twists it open, pushing the door and motioning for me to enter.

I look at him and give him a polite nod. "Thank you."

I walk into Henry's office and see his nose deep in paperwork. I know better than to call him by his first name when we're in uniform. We're both good at turning our personal relationships on and off when it comes to work and family.

One wall has bookshelves, and it smells like old wood and must. Photos and awards are framed all over, and one picture of my mother is on the wall. This man is completely dedicated to his military career. The last time I checked, he's been well in over twenty years. I don't know why he hasn't retired already.

"Valentín, how's my stepdaughter? Hopefully, you didn't go too crazy in that box." He takes off his reading glasses and slumps in the chair.

"I'm good, sir...just—" I turn my head, catching Hannibal in the corner of the room, looking at the admiral, with his hands behind his back, still. Looking professional, like he's listening in on a meeting or ready to take orders.

"What's going on? Why did you call me here? Why is...he here?" I arch a brow in Hannibal's direction.

"Yeah, about that...That's Daegan Hannibal. I'm sure you met him when you were stuck in the elevator." Ravenmore looks at Daegan in the corner. "Operator Creature. The newest asset to the Executioners."

So I was right!

Jerk didn't want to confess.

"Okay?" I murmur out slowly. "That still doesn't explain anything."

He shifts in his seat, both elbows now on the arms of the chair. He is looking like he's trying hard to bite his tongue and force out words.

"Your name popped up on a list." He says simply.

"What list?"

"Military intelligence. They found a list with names of people that Omar's army wanted to find...to kill. There was a mission not too long ago. Where we found HVTs in Georgia; while conducting this mission, we also stumbled across human traffickers. We've pissed a lot of people off lately. And to my surprise, there's an investigation surrounding the base. There might be service members that are involving themselves in human trafficking."

"And I'm on that list of people they want to traffic or kill?" I gasp.

He nods.

"What? How? Why?"

"I don't know, to be honest. My guess is that my name is on that list, and you are my stepdaughter. My step-daughter who wears a uniform. So, by association, they want you dead or taken as well. For some odd reason, you hold a high bounty. We're still trying to figure out why."

"What the hell?" My eyes circle when I realize I cursed in front of the Admiral. "Sorry, sir, won't happen again. But is this because of the stateside mission that the Executioners did?"

"Maybe. We don't know why evil people do evil things. At the end of the day, all we can do is try and save lives. Your life."

"But I have to be on a plane on the way to Iraq soon!"

"I know that. And you're going but...with Creature. He has been tasked with keeping you safe in terms of a personal security detail. Your mother wouldn't have it any other way."

"What?! Why? I'm not a politician. I'm not a general…or a high-ranking officer?" I stutter over my words, waving my hand in the air defensively, trying to point out all the reasons why this is a bad idea and he needs to rethink this.

"No, but you're a target, dammit!" Ravenmore loses his cool and slams his fist on the desk, and my mouth shuts closed. He's always had a bad temper.

"Someone has to watch over you while you do your job over there. And it's going to be him."

"But!" I continue to protest, shifting uncomfortably.

"It's done." He snarls. "Operator Creature will be watching over you until your deployment is over. It's not just the list, Alessia." He slips up when he addresses me by my name. "It wasn't just a coincidence that Operator Grim Reaper was ambushed and Operator Slayer's little sister was kidnapped."

"What are you talking about?" I cross my arms.

"Someone on our side betrayed us for that bounty's reward of money. I don't know who. It could be someone from Delta. Someone from the SEAL teams or someone who works in intelligence. It's under investigation. And if this person was able to turn in Ari and get Grim almost killed, they know what they're doing and how to do it. They're good. So," he knocks on the wood two times, "Operator Creature and Operator Bane have been placed on PSD for you, with Creature taking the lead."

PSD. Personal Security Detail.

This is all so much information, and I'm trying to wrap my head around it.

You mean the man who held a knife to my neck just a few minutes ago? Great.

"Is all of this really necessary? Is all this because of what happened to my window last night?" My voice rises.

He flinches, and his head tilts to the side, confused.

"What happened to your window?"

Does he know? Should I tell him what happened? If I do, my mother will only worry about me more, and I don't want that.

I change the subject. I look down at my boots and fiddle with my fingers, swallowing nervously.

"Nothing…" I mumbled under my seething breath. "It's a six-month deployment," I counter, reminding him of my orders. "Surely, Daegan's qualifications are needed elsewhere."

Ravenmore opens his mouth, but the deep, crisp, masked stranger replaces his voice.

"I'm aware," Daegan mumbles behind me, bored. I'm glad our family quarrel is keeping him very entertained.

"It'll be fine. You won't even know he's there. He has a reputation for acting like a shadow and his stealth of silence." He gives me a sarcastic smile, his green eyes flashing anything but comfort. "I would have had Grim babysit you but—sorry, not babysit, bodyguard you. But Grim is on leave for God knows how long, and I only want the best for you…someone I can trust. And I don't trust that vexatious cowboy. He has a reputation with...never mind, it's not important. So I'm assigning Creature."

I raise my hand, my index finger pointing up like I'm about to list about a hundred reasons why I don't need a babysitter, before Ravenmore quirks a brow, daring me to resist and disobey.

I snap my jaw closed.

"When does this start?"

Ravenmore studies me, then glances at the corner of the room, throws his glasses on the bridge of his nose again, and gives Hannibal a nod. "I'll send you a text with Creature's contact information since the deployment is coming up."

I pout, turning my lips into one flex to the left side.

"Am I dismissed?"

He nods, not looking at me, and I pivot my foot and head for the door. But then he stops me again.

"Oh yeah, cancel your initial travel plans. You're going on a plane to Iraq with the Executioners instead."

He says it so casually like it's not a big deal. It's like he's making this already so weird. But I guess I have to trust him. Maybe he feels like it's safer to be with them on the ride there.

Still, I don't like the idea of someone intruding on my privacy and whereabouts for six months.

"Now you're dismissed." Admiral barks out his order through a clenched jaw.

I bite my lip and walk toward the exit.

Creature salutes the admiral and holds open the door for me right after in one swift movement.

I glare at the ice-cold eyes before I stomp into the hallway, making my defiance known.

I decide to take the stairs this time, wanting to avoid being trapped in a small enclosed space again, not bothering to see if my ‘bodyguard' is close.

As I descend the stairs, heat runs into my cheeks at the thought of people wanting me dead. On top of that, I'm being babysat like a child.

Are those the people that shot at my fucking window last night? Missing me completely? Was it an assassination attempt to send a message? Well, they have shit aim. They completely missed Jack and I.

What is my life right now?

"You couldn't even last ten minutes in an elevator with me without getting antsy. I want to see how scared you'll be on a plane ride that travels across the world," Hannibal coos behind me mockingly.