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Making my decision, I swing open the door and the aura becomes clearer and easier to read. “Frosted-Flake, what can I do for you?” His extremely tired and frazzled vibrations almost make me feel bad for him, but I shove it down. I’m still pissed as fuck.
“Izzy. Work stuff.” Alan exudes exhaustion, like he barely has anything left in him to answer me, his voice thick and drawn out. Hell, he only really calls me Izzy when he’s either extremely stressed or tired. Or both.
“She left, huh?” I tune into him closer, knowing that Sarah leaving him is only part of the reason he’s so burnt out and not at all himself.
“Yes.” Flashes of a fight with her play like a reel in my head and relief floods me, managing to knock my anger down a peg or two, then comes a small bud of humor.
“Because of me, huh?”
“No, not because of you. Well…not completely. I told her I wasn’t going to take a desk job and you’re one of the reasons why. No one else can handle your particular brand of crazy.” I feel his half-hearted grin in his voice, but I say nothing. “But that’s not the only reason. I’m not made for a desk job. That’s why I’ve refused promotions, it’s not me. Hell, I barely agreed to the position of chief, and that’s only because part of the deal was I could still run cases as I saw fit. So, no, Wicked, it’s not because of you.”
“It is to her. Don’t forget who I am, Chief. I can see all of it. And woah, doggy, is she way off base.” He chuckles at my response to his wife’s jealousy and I allow myself to crack a smile.
“Completely off base. Not even in the same ballpark!”
“Shit, she’s not even playing the same game!” We both let out a laugh before it dissolves into an awkward, but slightly satisfied, silence. Neither of us knows how to mend things, considering we aren’t those kinds of people. Like all mushy and open to communicating, you know…healthy. “You hungry? We got pizza coming.”
So, ignoring it completely? Yeah, that’ll work.
“Yeah, actually. I am. Thank you.” I step aside and let him in before shutting and making sure to lock the door behind him this time.
“What’s in the box?” Goddamn, I feel like I’m asking that question a lot lately.
“How did you…you know what, nevermind. It’s the new upgrades for your house. New locks, cameras, the whole nine yards! Normally, I would have a team come in and do this, but the fewer people who know about your current situation, the better. Plus, Ezra has experience in most things from his time as an operator in Delta Force, so he’s more than capable of handling it on his own.”
“Delta Force? What the fuck? I thought that shit was just a rumor. Ezra Grayson was in the Delta Force?” My mouth drops open and stays there, a very familiar heat trailing up my spine. The Delta Force is the stuff of legends and myths. If it’s true, Ezra just might be the sexiest, most interesting man on earth.
“You didn’t hear it from me.” Alan chuckles at my reaction before continuing, “He was hand-picked from the Navy Seals as soon as he turned twenty-one.”
“Wait, what? He was a damn Seal at twenty?!” I practically screech before lowering my voice. “How old is he?”
“He’s thirty-two now, but he graduated high school at sixteen before going straight into the Naval Academy and graduated there a year early as a sergeant in the Navy. From there he went directly to Seal training and only served two years before Delta Force plucked him.”
“Holy fucking shit. What the hell is he doing here in Manna County if he’s like the world’s biggest badass?”
“Well, that’s not my story to tell. Why don’t you ask him?”
“Yeah, no thanks…” A thought suddenly occurs to me and my cheeks heat to a boiling degree. “Oh my fucking God! Oh no!”
“What’s wrong?” Alan flairs with worry and I wave him off.
“No, no, no. I just realized…” My mouth opens and closes like a gaping fish. “I told a damn Delta Force operator I was hitching a ride on his disco stick in my damn underwear! Oh fuck! I have one living in my house! He cooked me breakfast! Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God!”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m uh…” I trail off before walking away, busying myself with grabbing a few bottles of wine and some glasses in the kitchen. Gizmo and Snitch, the cute little fuckers, come lay some love and kisses on me while I do, before zooming off to go greet Alan who’s their favorite person in the whole world. Besides me and Nana, of course.
The entire time I’m zoned the fuck out. I have a literal certified badass living under my roof, cooking me food, and protecting me. Like, I’m talking certified as fuck! I’m pretty sure those guys have to register their bare hands as deadly fucking weapons. I mean…not if he was in the Delta Force, he would as a civilian though, but that’s besides the point. Delta Force is supposed to be a myth! It isn’t even recognized by the government. Not officially anyways.
Holy shit, holy shit.
I might have the world’s largest lady boner right now.
Just call me Niagara Falls, because I’m gushing!
Okay, don’t. That’s gross. But the fact remains, I am one hundred percent fan-girling right now. No fucking regrets either.
After grabbing my liquid courage, I head back to the living room. I notice Ezra is gone–probably somewhere in the house to add my new upgrades to security–and Kai and Alan are on the sofa playing fetch with Gizmo and Snitch. The thumps of the tennis balls bouncing off the wood floors before the chaotic scratching of their claws tearing it up clues me in.
