Chapter 8
EIGHT
SNIPER
I can’t fucking want her. She’s too young, and she pushes every button I have just by looking at me.
I toss another empty box out of the storeroom and mutter another curse under my breath. Why the hell is this place so fucking full of empty boxes. Does no one throw anything out around here? I’ll be having a chat with Sandy next time I see her. I’ve spent the entire time I’ve been here cleaning this fucking place out so that when Shadow gets here, we can get right to work.
“Ah, Sniper,” Milk says cautiously from the other side of the room as he carefully puts the liquor that is still boxed up in their proper places on the shelves. “Pretty sure I heard someone pull up so I’m just going to go check on who it is.” Then he’s gone.
I want to sneer after him for being a pussy and so nervous around me, but at the same time, a part of me knows I’m being an asshole and probably scaring the shit out of the kid. But if that bothers him, too fucking bad. And I can place all the blame on the shoulders of a smartass, irritating blonde who has no business getting under my skin the way she has.
I hurl another box out into the hall and mutter another curse under my breath. I need to get a grip. But, unbidden, my thoughts take a turn toward the first day I met her and I thought the same thing then.
The heat of the sun beat down on all of us, and sweat dripped down the back of my army green T-shirt. I didn’t pay any attention to it, instead standing and watching the new recruits running through their run. I picked out the ones who would flunk out within minutes of seeing them, and the ones that would go far. There were a few in the middle that I hadn’t made my mind up about yet, but by the end of the day, I would know.
The sun was hot, so hot that most of them were dragging, not accustomed to dealing with this kind of physical exertion on a scorching day. I hear a few people gasping out they were done; they had to stop or they would collapse. Then a few encouraging them on, telling them they won’t quit, that they can do it. Those are the ones that will go far, the marks of leaders. Then there are the few who encourage them to quit, letting them know they would only hold the rest of them back; they didn’t want a weak team member. I can appreciate it, but at the same time, I can also see that they will be the ones that will take down their team by their own egos instead of using it to build the others up.
Then there’s her .
At first, I didn’t even notice she was there, though that wasn’t hard considering the rest of her group was all male. She was surrounded by a group of tall men, and the only reason that I noticed her was because one of the asshats that was running their mouths shoved into her and told her to get out of his way. And I watched with an amusement that I couldn’t let show as she very expertly, and carefully, managed to keep pace with him, and trip his ass straight to the ground.
The asshole fell to the ground with a thud, which set a domino effect of others around them doing the same and falling into a dogpile of sorts. There are groans, curses, pants of exhaustion, and then there are the voices of the wannabe leaders slowing and telling them to get up and keep going. I turned my head to see the woman still running, not even looking back, as if oblivious to the wreckage that she willfully caused.
Even then I knew she was something else, and that she was far more dangerous than bad guys out there because of my body’s reaction to her. Her hair was pulled back into the regulation bun, not one strand out of place, even with the sun and sweat dripping off her. And my cock hardened in my pants at the sight of the way her fatigues cupped that perfect ass and lean hips. But then I saw her face and it was like a punch to the gut. Fuck, she was gorgeous, even then, I could tell how young she was. But my body didn’t get the memo because it didn’t care. I quickly looked away from her, standing at attention when the commanding officers called a halt to the run and ordered everyone to line up.
I stood across from the line, arms behind my back and secretly hoping that the whole thing was over so I could get out of the heat for a bit. That extra mile run that I did that morning was catching up with me. Unfortunately for me, that also means that I’m directly across from the woman who is dwarfed by the two men she was running with. Her eyes look directly into mine for the briefest moment, and I force myself to keep my blank, disinterested expression before our gazes move away and front face as the Sergeant moves along the line.
“You call that a run?” he screams, and from the bulging veins in his neck, he’s displeased. “Can’t even keep your own feet underneath you.” He sneers as he looks at the guy who fell to the ground. He’s covered in dirt, his face scraped and a pissed off look that doesn’t bode well. I can already predict what’s about to come. I almost wonder how she’s going handle it, but I suppose this will be a true test. Few women can handle Sergeant Myers’s blunt nature, especially when he really gets on a roll. “What do you have to say for yourself, you useless worm?” Myers demands from the pissed off man. “Maybe you shouldn’t fucking be here if you can’t even fucking walk. Or are you that stupid that you don’t know how to move your two feet one in front of each other? Or were you too busy running your mouth?” With each insult and question, he steps closer to the solider, until their bodies are brushing.
“No, sir!” the man screams loudly, his voice shaking with anger. No one likes to be dressed down by their superiors, but this guy certainly doesn’t appreciate it. I see his fingers flex by his side as he fights the urge to curl his hands in to fists. And knowing Myers, he’s already clocked it and is ready to stop it and handle this guy at the least provocation. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him really get creative, and I’m almost hoping that the stupid son of a bitch will give Myers a reason to give us all a show.
“Then what is your excuse?” Myers barks.
And this stupid asshole, instead of just taking the dressing down and the insults, does the one thing that will have them putting a target on his back for the rest of his time with this group. Not only with his fellow soldiers, but by Myers. He turns his head and glares down the line at the woman across from me. “She fucking tripped me!” he spits, jabbing his finger her way. “So it wasn’t my fault. She shouldn’t fucking be here anyway. She’s nothing but tits and ass and can’t handle being here with us. You want this group to get better, get rid of her. She’s the one consistently holding us back.”
The tension in the group is thick, and I allow my gaze to move to the woman across from the men around her. The two men on either side of her are what I would call leaders, and both of them stiffen just enough, and their eyes go hard and angry. The woman, though, her face is almost serene, even as Myers turns and looks at her, and then stalks his way down the line.
“Is this true, soldier?” Myers barks down at her, hands on his hips. “Did you trip your own team member?”
“Yes, sir,” she replies loudly, clearly, her gaze firm and direct, even as I sense the unease that she’s trying to hide in those blue eyes. It’s then I realize that she’s putting on a brave face, but she’s worried. No doubt this is the first time she’s really been put on the spot.
“Explain!” he screams at her, his anger making the sound loud and fierce.
And this woman? There’s a small light of defiance that replaces the unease as she yells back, “Because he made me lose my shade, Sir.”
Myers doesn’t respond right away, and I’m just as confused as the rest. What the hell does she mean shade? There’s not a tree in sight and the scorching sun is only getting hotter by the second. “Are you trying to be smart with me, soldier?” Myers screams at her.
“No, Sir!” she screams back.
“Then you better fucking explain yourself before I have you scrubbing the toilets with your own toothbrush,” Myers orders. And considering that’s a punishment I’ve seen him use before, I know he means it.
And what does this crazy woman say? Because that’s what she has to be to let the words come out of her mouth. She yells, “He bumped into me and my running partner, Sir, and because I’m so much smaller, it meant I was exposed to the sun. I was trying to stay between the tall guys so I had some shade and stayed cool, Sir. And since he got in my way, I tripped him and called timber behind me as he went down. Sir!”
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Myers speechless. When her words really hit me, it takes all my control not to laugh. And considering the smirks of the men around her, and the man to my right, they’re right there with me. And later, when we’re alone, Myers lets me know that he found it that way too, but was too pissed to really get it in the moment. It earned her some respect, but at the same time, he made her run in the hot sun, by herself, for another five miles.
Still, that was the moment I changed my mind. She came back an hour later sunburnt, exhausted, and close to passing out, but she did it and never made one noise of complaint. And I knew then she was going to go farther than a lot of her fellow soldiers. As long as her smartass mouth didn’t get in the way.
I huff out a breath as I pull myself from my thoughts. And I was right, she did indeed go far, though there were a lot of bumps along the way that I remember before I finally lost track of her. But I dreamed of her. I wondered about her. Until finally, I discharged and I doubted that I would ever see her again.
But karma is a bitch and clearly has other plans, because here she is again, and I don’t have a choice but to figure out what to do with her. Or about her.
What you want to do to her is the exact reason you need to avoid her.
I push that thought right out of my head. That’s a guaranteed way to sour my mood even more. I hate myself for wanting someone that I have no business wanting. She’s too young for me, and she doesn’t need a man that’s as hard and battle-scarred as me. And from the state of her apartment, and the fact she lives with her brother, there is no man in her life. Though I doubt it will stay that way for long.
I almost hope she finds someone else so I can finally force myself to forget about her. Other than seeing her with her brother, which should be rare, I’ll have no reason to be around her or to hear her voice. And I have far more important things that I need to focus on other than a woman. Namely finding this fucking journal and that son of a bitch Vlad. That has to be first and foremost, so I need to put Thea Sutton firmly out of my mind.
“Looks who’s here,” Milk calls excitedly as he comes back into the room. I turn my head to see Shadow walk in, but then my gaze cuts to the very same woman I just told myself to stop thinking about following him in. Fuck .
Any attempt at being in a better mood plummets. I glare at Shadow, who just smirks at me and says, “We’re heading to an estimate, then I’ll come back and help you out with moving things around. I gave Cryos the specs he needs for whatever he’s doing with the cameras and shit out there so that will be up and running by the end of day according to him.”
“About time,” I grunt as I turn back to the boxes and pick up what has to be the millionth empty box. “Why the fuck don’t people throw this shit out?” I demand, tossing the box out into the hallway and listening to it bounce hard off the wall. Thea sidesteps, narrowing her eyes at me. I didn’t throw it at her, but if she wants to think that, why not? Maybe it’ll piss her off enough to walk out.
Why the fuck did I tell her to take the job? I should have kept my mouth shut and this wouldn’t even be an issue.
“Clearly it’s to piss you off,” I hear her say simply. “Especially when it’s so easy.”
I turn toward her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Milk gaping at her and Shadow looking like he’s not sure if he wants to laugh or grab her and rush her out. “Shouldn’t you be doing your job, Sutton?” I ask tersely. “Instead of pissing off your boss the first day?”
“Am I pissing you off, Boss?” she asks Shadow pointedly.
“Don’t draw me into whatever weird shit you two have going on,” Shadow admonishes.
“You did that by bringing her here in the first place,” I tell him shortly.
“Awww, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you didn’t like me,” Thea mocks.
“Does she not realize who he is?” Milk blurts out. “Lady, you might want to be careful.”
“I know exactly who he is, and exactly why I’m not scared of him. He’s been out of the game for a while, so I think I have a leg up. Literally, since I’m sure his hip can’t lift his leg that high,” she adds with a taunting smirk.
With each press of my buttons, the shorter my patience gets. And her jabs at my age make me want to grab her and show her how wrong she is. Something I should not do.
“Lady, you’re nuts,” Milk moans. “Seriously, Shadow, why are you just standing there?”
“Shut up, Milk,” Shadow sighs.
Thea and I don’t look away from each other, the tension between us rises. I want to wipe that smirk off her face so badly, and I want to do it by shoving her back against that wall and teaching her how wrong about me she is. And from the look in her eyes, she knows it. The dare in them is enough to have me seriously considering breaking my own rules.
And I know she’ll be wilder than any dreams my brain can cook up. My cock jerks at the thought, and I resent it instantly. Why, after all this time, does this woman have to show up and throw my life upside down?
“Everyone out,” I bark, determined to deal with this now. “Except you,” I say before Thea can move. She narrows her eyes but stays put.
“Sniper,” Shadow cautions, even as Milk hurries out, not needing to be told twice.
“Out,” I snap at him.
“If you make her quit, I’m beating your ass, VP or not,” Shadow warns darkly. I don’t react to that, I just stare at Thea, who has folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the wall, a defiant look on her face. “And don’t be forever with this shit. We have a client to get to.” Then he walks out the door and shuts it behind him.
Neither of us move or say a word, staring at each other and waiting for the other to make the first move. Unlucky for her, I’m not afraid of making it and I step forward until I’m inches away from her. She doesn’t move, but her eyes sharpen as she tilts her head back to stare up at me. “Twenty-four hours, and you’re already pushing every button I have, Athena,” I tell her in a low voice.
My use of her full name has her narrowing her eyes at me and her shoulders stiffening. “Twenty-four hours and you’re already pushing mine , Grayson ,” she retorts, pointedly saying my legal name.
“Just keep pushing, Thea, and I’m going to make you regret it,” I threaten.
She straightens, lowering her crossed arms and putting her hands on her hips as she glares up at me. “I’d like to see you try,” she hisses.
The challenge is there and I want so badly to reach out and take it, but by some sheer will power, I manage to keep myself from doing something stupid. Something that I’m going to regret. Instead, I force myself to step back and snap, “Well, I don’t have time for whatever games you’re trying to play. I have shit to do, and dealing with you isn’t at the top of my list.”
Her eyes flash as she steps forward, her face flushing. God, she’s sexy as hell when she’s angry. I want to strip her down and see if she’s red anywhere else. Fuck, I need to get a grip.
“Games?” she repeats incredulously. “You think I’m playing games? You arrogant prick! You are the one who decided to be an asshole and show up at my apartment last night and order me to be here. You’re the one who put me in your path. You’re the one who has to deal with that as a consequence. So don’t you fucking dare act like I’m the problem. Like I’m the one who is messing up your day.” Her expression darkens. “Everyone acts like they’re afraid of you and like I should be too. But guess what, Sniper, I’m not. Because you’re the exact same as you were back when you called me a wimp and that I would never amount to anything in the army. Well, I proved you fucking wrong, and I’m going to continue to. You wanted me around, and now you have to deal with it. And I hope I spend the rest of my time with this company pissing you off and knowing you made a terrible mistake. Just like you did ten years ago doubting me and treating me like I was nothing more than shit under your boot. So fuck you, Sniper .” Then with that, she throws open the door and stalks out.
I clench my hands into fists to keep from charging after her, though I’m not sure what I would do if I caught up to her. Part of me wants to apologize, because I know she’s right. But the other part of me wants to remind her that she’s going up against someone who can make her life a living hell if I want. And I’m not someone she wants to make an enemy of.
“Fuck,” I curse as I turn back to the now accessible shelves.
I hear someone walk inside and I turn my head and see Bullet standing there. When the fuck did he get here?
He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms over his broad chest. “You know, I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you so wound up over a woman,” he says conversationally.
“I’m not wound up over her,” I snap at him as I start to pull everything off the shelf and put it on the cart I pulled in here.
“So you’re not acting like a bear because she’s pushed your buttons? Or the fact that she just left here, pissed as hell and already barking orders at Shadow to leave? I’m glad I dropped Rose off at the clubhouse before I came here because if she saw that, your ass would be locked in here while it was her turn to badger you with questions.”
Yeah, I definitely don’t need that right now. Rose is like a dog with a bone when it comes to any of us being interested in a woman. “I’m acting like a bear because she’s pissing me off. Instead of thanking me for helping her find a job, she’s acting like an ungrateful brat. And as for how she’s talking to Shadow, he can handle that shit. She’s his problem now.”
Bullet doesn’t answer for a moment. “What’s your problem with her?”
I don’t answer for a moment. The question is simple, and I know he’s asking as my friend, not my President. I also know he’s just like his wife and won’t let it the fuck go if I don’t answer. He’s just a bit more direct about it. “I don’t know,” I reply. He just arches a brow, clearly not buying my bullshit. I huff out an annoyed sigh. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. You want to know why I’m pissed at her? Because I finally managed to forget about her, and here she is, right back in my life, running her smartass mouth, and making me want her. I can’t fucking want her. She’s too young, and she pushes every button I have just by looking at me. I’m forty-fucking-two, I don’t have time for that shit.”
Bullet is quiet for a moment, then chuckles. “Hell, I never thought I would see the day a woman actually caught your attention. And how much younger is she than you? You make it sound like she’s nineteen and she definitely isn’t that.”
“She’s ten years younger than me. First time I met her, she was twenty-two, and she was a smartass then,” I add. “Apparently, she’s just been sharpening her skills since.”
“Yeah, I heard from Milk she said something about you being old and your hips going.” He grins. “And ten years is nothing really, but you’re right that we have a lot of shit on our plates. So I suggest you stay the hell away from her. Leave her to Shadow and Viper, and focus on this shit. If you can’t do that, then you know you need to do something about it.”
“Yeah, I know.” I glare at the wall in front of me. “What I need to do is pretend she doesn’t exist. And since you’re here, you can help me move these shelves to check and see if anything is behind these.”
Bullet steps further into the room. “Good thing for you I’m avoiding my wife at the moment or I’d have Milk come help you and shit his pants doing it.”
I roll my eyes. “Kid needs to grow some balls. I wasn’t even really directing anything at him.”
Bullet shrugs. “Kid is young and sensitive. Good brother, but he’s got some growing up to do. Now, move the fuck over there so we can get this thing moved. Then you can go back to moping over the fact that you want a woman who’s younger than you and tying your dick in knots.”
I scowl. “Fuck off.”
The worst part is, once we’re done and find nothing, my thoughts immediately go back to Thea. Fuck! I’m in trouble.