Page 13 of Zero
I spoke with her for a while longer until she finished making her second cup of tea. After telling her I loved her, I let her go to relax. My next call was to Beast. He and his fiancée were busy babysitting Barbie and Crashes two girls. I spoke with the little ones, who told me they missed me and after the conversation, I couldn’t help wondering if I was cut out for fatherhood.
Wandering to the kitchen, I removed my food from the oven, dished it up and grabbed a beer. I brought it all out to the back, sat on the step leading down to a beautiful garden and exhaled.
Being the second youngest on the CIRO team, I’ve seen a lot of things. Though my team protected me, they knew I had to experience certain things, or I’d never grow from where I’d began. Taking work home was something I couldn’t do if I had kids—and it was already hard for me to turn that brain off when I left the HQ.
I finished dinner but didn’t move from where I’d been sitting. The view pulled me in and didn’t seem to want to let go. I didn’t mind. The breeze coming up to me was cool from the ocean, and I leaned back on my palms, lifted my chin and closed my eyes.
My peace, however, was not to last. Someone knocking on the front door had the sound echoing through the house all the way to me. Muttering a profanity under my breath, I pushed to my feet, gathered my plate and beer, and entered through the back door. I stopped long enough to set the plate on the counter in the kitchen and was on my way to the door when the knock came again.
I opened the door to find Bailey standing there. She looked good enough to eat. I could barely focus but somehow, I kept my eyes on hers while fighting the urge to lick my lips.
“Guten abend, Fräulein.” I greeted her.
She bit her bottom lip then lifted her chin. “Hi—I thought I’d stop by and check on you on my way home. See if you needed anything.”
“Um—”
Yes, I needed something. I needed to see her bare and writhing on the floor while candlelight flickered across her body. I wanted to see if she tasted as good as she looked, if she smelled good enough to drive me wild and if she would scream my name if I gave it to her just right.
“Come on in,” I said instead. “I just finished eating but Justice stopped for me to grab some ice-cream on our way up.”
“Well, it all depends on what kind of ice-cream it is.” Bailey grinned as she stepped by me smelling like hot vanilla and sugar.
“Grapenut?”
She giggled. “My favorite.”
“Really?” I closed the door and followed her. “You’re not just saying that, are you? I’ve never had the stuff but Justice said it’s good.”
“Not just saying that.” Bailey replied. “When I was a kid, my dad got me addicted to the stuff.”
I set about grabbing two bowls, spoons and the scoop. Once we were seated out back, enjoying the breeze and snacking, I shifted to look at her. “Thanks for the company.”
“Were you lonely?”
“A little.” I admitted freely. “I’m used to having my guys around. We not only work together—the other teams think we spend entirely too much time together.”
“What do you think?”
I shrugged. “I don’t see the problem. I have my alone time when I need it. But I’m never lonely there.”
“I see.” Bailey nodded.
“You remind me in some ways of Barbie.”
“I remind you of a doll that is not possible in a real woman?”
I chuckled. “Not the doll. Barbie—she’s a member of my team.”
“Oh! You have a woman on your team?” Bailey asked. “I thought it was special forces?”
“It is.” I replied, sliding some of the cold dessert onto my tongue. I pulled my cell out to show her a picture of Barbie in her gear except her helmet. “This is her.”
“She’s beautiful.” Bailey gasped. “Why call her Barbie?”
“Because like the doll, she’s not what she seems.” I explained. “Our Barbie—people who don’t know her, look at her and see a pretty face. They don’t know she can take down a man three times her size without breaking a sweat. She can save a hostage by taking out the perp from a football field away in impossible weather.”
“Sniper?”
