8. alessia

8

ALESSIA

I clutch my phone as my blood drains from my shocked face. But then it falls to the ground in a second as my vision blurs and spins. Bile rises in my throat, causing a soft burning sensation. I swallow it down as my body slowly grows cold.

This person is texting me again.

Does this person mean what I think they mean?

I reach for my phone with trembling hands, staring at it like it's going to come alive and bite me. I look around the bar…searching for a shadow.

This terrible feeling gnaws at me like someone is in here.

Like someone is watching me.

My vision swings to the left and the right, but all I see is a very confused and concerned Winters and strangers drinking and dancing the night away—nothing and no one out of the ordinary.

Country music continues to blaze loudly and vibrate through the walls in a muffled manner. I gather my strength and move my fingers.

Me: You must have the wrong number. Please stop texting me, or I'll report this to the police.

It has to be a wrong number. I hold it tight, awaiting their response in suspense. I chew on the insides of my cheek before I flutter my lashes rapidly. My jaw tightens as the seconds go by, and sure enough, a response pops up.

Unknown: Report what? A concerned citizen? I'll do something worse than a little flesh wound if he forces himself on you again, Alessia.

They know my name.

They know my freaking name.

This person shot at us?

I'm taking this to the police. I have to. I can't take this anymore. I don't know why I keep giving in to this sick game this person is playing.

Me: It was you? You're stalking me? Watching me? Why are you doing this?

As I type vigorously, every press on my phone makes a small thud of aggression.

Unknown: But why? It's so much fun to see the raw moments of a person when they don't know they're being watched. The secrets they keep are interesting. You really get to know who someone is when they don't know they're being watched.

I grit my teeth, my blood boiling with more wrath than fear. The two emotions mixing with each other finally come to a head, and I decide to dare the bastard.

Me: Reveal yourself, you coward.

Unknown: You should be thanking me. I'll see you soon…don't worry.

I roll my eyes, exhaling an exhausted breath. My mind begins to race with every scenario, debating with myself.

Who is this person?

Do I know them?

Is this some kind of sick prank?

Should I tell Winters or Jack what's going on?

Should I call the police?

The thought of having policemen swarm El Devine to take my report weighs heavily like dread.

Policemen who know my "step-father" very well.

You know what…no. I won't do this right now. I refuse to deal with this bullshit.

I'll call the cops tomorrow and make a report before I have to deploy. He won't be able to stalk me on a military base in Iraq, that's for sure.

I turn off my phone, and all the chills that dance upon my skin fade to nothing as I get back into party mode.

Bailey comes back with nachos and drops it in front of us. The smell of cheese makes its way into my senses, and my mouth waters.

I grab a chip full of cheese and pop into my mouth.

"Thank you, Bailey."

"Of course, anything for the birthday girl." She winks at me and wipes her hands with a towel. "I'm off early tonight, ladies, but good luck with the deployment, Alessia. I'll miss you too much!" Her red lips pout. "Please remember to text and call me." She pleads, batting her long lashes.

"Of course, I will, bestie. See you in six months."

She gives me a small smile before offering her arms in front of me for a hug. I lean over the counter, and we embrace. Winters hugs her after me. It's a short and sweet, see you later, farewell.

A large group of female college students stand vacating the bar with drunken giggles and stumbles. That's when I spot SEAL Team Executioners talking to Gabe to my right. There is no longer a border between me and the special operators.

I can't help it, but something like quicksand is pulling my attention in that direction. And it rhymes with cannibal.

Danny Rider sits in his chair with a black glistening ring on his wedding finger. I haven't seen him in a long time, but he used to come here frequently. He would always order his favorite whiskey to drink alone or with a random girl on his arm or his team. I can't deny noticing Rider every time he walks into a room. He has that magnetic pull on everyone, not just me.

Enzo Rooker sits beside him. His peppered hair is clean-shaven at the sides, and his eyes are fixated on Danny's phone like he's showing him something important.

Kane Slaughter sits at the end next to Lopez, fully clothed again. And at the end…Mr. Daegan Hannibal, Operator Creature. Or, Operator pain in my butt for the next six months.

This time, he wears a white shirt that hugs his mass of muscles. The shirt is still unable to hide his well-structured and curved back.

My heart jumps in a split second like a shock to the system when he notices Winters and me gawking.

Shit.

Thankfully, it only lasted half a second, even though it felt like hours. Lopez pulls Daegan's attention away, giving me a chance to breathe the air he stole from me. I put a chip into my mouth, my lame attempt at playing it cool, and crunch on it inconspicuously.

They engage in a conversation with Slaughter, quickly replacing the indecipherable moment.

A moment of peaceful bliss settles in like home, and my world is okay for a couple of seconds the entire time Daegan has his cold eyes on mine.

It's a weird feeling. I'm almost excited he's here.

They're all frequent visitors here…except Daegan. This is the first time he's made an appearance. I'm assuming it's because he's new to the SEAL teams.

Gabe places the basket of food in front of the Executioners, and they attack it like prey.

"Girl. Why did Jack leave? It's your birthday?" She grabs a chip.

A frown quickly replaces my flat lips.

"I don't know," I shrug, focusing on the basket in front of me. "Said he was tired."

She studies me, picking up on my energy.

I don't want to talk about how my boyfriend literally forgot his girlfriend's birthday, even though we've been together since college.

He's just tired. I lie to myself.

He's just tired.

"Don't you think it's weird?"

"What's weird?" I ask, tapping my fingers on the wood.

"The rumors about Hannibal."

I roll my eyes at her. "Oh gosh, there's rumors? There's actual drama surrounding him?"

"It's not necessarily drama, but people talk. You know how there was a leak from the inside?" she whispers, closing the distance between us.

I nod.

"Well, there's a few of us that think it's a little weird that once Creature showed up, things started to go wrong. It makes perfect sense. He was captured, remember? Maybe he befr-"

"Girl, please don't. What you're saying is so wrong." I interject, backing away from her.

I want to steal a glance at Daegan, but I refrain. I'm thinking hard about the rumor, refusing to let rumors taint how I view him. I mean, I don't like him already, solely because of our situation. I don't know the man personally, but I'm the type of person to get to know someone before I make my own judgment. I don't let others tell me why I shouldn't like them or not.

"Ravenmore wouldn't have assigned him as my personal security if he had doubts."

I can't believe I'm defending him, but this is a silly rumor. I can't imagine being tortured and having numerous people question it.

"Sorry, let's change the subject, shall we? I'm going to introduce myself to that cowboy next to me. Be my wingwoman, please." She hooks her arms into mine like a fish hook, yanking me towards the surface of the Navy SEALS.

"Well, hello there, senorita." Lopez tilts his cowboy hat at Winters before he pops a fry in his mouth just as she slides in next to him. She's on a mission tonight, and it looks like her eyes are set on Vicente Lopez, Operator Texas. He grabs a toothpick and chews on it. His eyes flicker as he flirts with my friend.

Daegan doesn't eat. Instead, he stands, walks behind me, and plops on the bar stool beside me…closing the gap.

What does he want?

It takes everything in me not to let myself go rigid like stone. I don't know how or why, but he has this foreign power over me…and I don't like it.

"How's your boyfriend doing?" His deep voice asks a familiar question, sending cautious alarm bells to chime. He raises the glass back to his lips. Heat pours like lava into my senses, and my eyes widen. My breathing hitches ruggedly, and Daegan's tone is so serious, so tense, forcing a cold shiver to run up my spine.

The text message from the unknown number asked me that same question.

"What…what do you mean?" I turn to him with my brows pinched together.

Did the police tell Ravenmore about the shooting?

Suspiciousness and suspense claw at me. How does he know I have a boyfriend? We just met earlier today. The way his tone shifts into something dark sends shivers down my spine, but the way his sarcastic smile reflects across his beautiful, sinful face relaxes me.

It's a weird combination of emotions.

Daegan smirks, and a devilish grin forms on his cheeks. He crosses his arms, his biceps tensing, grinning devilishly like he's enjoying how I'm tensing up fearfully.

"How is he doing with the news of his girlfriend deploying? Your father told me you have a boyfriend when he assigned you to me," he tells me nonchalantly.

Oh. Right.

Of course. Gosh, my paranoia is getting the best of me.

"He's handling it well, I guess. It's the best anyone can handle when their spouse is deploying."

He holds the glass, his eyes never wavering from mine. A low, deep hum subtly joins the bar's music.

God…even the sounds he makes are entrancing.

"Of course," he finishes his drink, placing it down softly on the counter. "Didn't know the Admiral's daughter likes to frequent El Devine."

I scoff.

"Step-daughter," I snap at him quickly, like I'll bite his head off if he ever refers to me as his daughter again. "He's just Admiral Ravenmore to me, Hannibal. And yes, I like to come here. Tonight is my last night out."

"Yeah, I'm going to miss this gremlin. She's the sweetest customer." Gabe ruffles my curls in a playful manner, and I politely shoo him away, biting my lip. Gabe knows me well after countless girl's nights.

"Where's Graves at? I haven't seen him here in a while. I haven't seen you both…since Dario—" Gabe lowers his voice as if he regrets his question. Daegan's hauntingly dashing smirk fades, and he stiffens.

His eyes widen, but then they slowly turn into a soft glare. "He's busy. Always busy…as am I."

So he has been here before. I've just never seen him.

Daegan lifts a glass full of amber liquid, taking a long swig, but something flashes behind those eyes when Gabe mentions Dario's name, almost as if it's painful for him to talk about.

I watch his Adam's Apple bob up and down as he swallows, and I'm not sure why, but he even makes drinking so captivatingly hot.

I assume he's drinking whiskey. That's all that they tend to order when they come in.

"Who is Dario?" I lift an eyebrow.

"Uh—" Gabe starts but gets cut off.

"Alessia, cutie pie. Why did Jack leave so suddenly? Why would he leave his girl in a bar full of men?" A drunken, slurred, high-pitched voice interrupts our conversation, sending a ripple of discomfort and the hair on the back of my neck to stand.

Frankie.

I grit my teeth, and my body tenses when he says my name. I grip the counter tight with my fingers until my knuckles turn white. I can't believe Jack is friends with this guy.

But Frankie isn't alone. Zeke stands behind him, grabs a chair from a nearby table, and sits on it.

"He's tired," My voice pitches with a forced friendly tone as I turn to Frankie, and he palms his heart like he's hurt.

Daegan turns to his right, just enough so that he studies him for a second with a tightened jaw. He flexes it twice before his eyes are on me again. Frankie is so drunk that he doesn't notice Daegan glaring daggers at him.