Covertly Strong (The Strong Series Book 1)

by N. A. Alcorn

  “It’s about fucking time one of these guys brought around a girl who’s not only beautiful, charming, and intelligent, but can hold her own. You and me, Felicia? We’re going to be fast friends,” Mary expresses with delight. “So what’s your overall opinion of the frog hogs?”

  Sloan laughs loudly. “Oh I think my opinion is far too colorful for even the crassest ears.” She glances back at Nix just to bring her point home.

  He simply grins in her direction. Even when he’s deep in conversation with a few of his brothers, his eyes are always on her, it’s like he’s always innately aware of what she’s doing whenever she’s near.

  Mary’s giant smile expresses her delight. “A word of advice from a woman who’s been a part of the Teams for what seems like forever: keep ignoring those skinny bitches that pride themselves on their plastic looks and make it their lives’ goal to snag a man sporting the trident. Most of the women you’ll come in contact with who are actually a part of the SEAL family are pretty fantastic. The other women similar to the women you met tonight? Yeah, not so much. Honestly, the word cunt comes to mind.

  “When Rob first joined the SEALs, I was overwhelmed and felt pretty outclassed. I mean, I was three months postpartum after having our largest baby, Liam, and I had to come in contact with women whose favorite pastime was to throw themselves at my husband and defined their fashion sense as Saran-wrapping their bodies in dresses a ten-year-old girl would have a hard time wearing….” she trails off, her eyes appearing slightly distant.

  Mary’s focus finds its way back to Sloan. “I’m pretty sure I went anorexic after meeting them. Yeah, it only lasted about four hours…until I realized I needed a fucking cookie.”

  Sloan bursts into laughter after hearing some of the best words of wisdom she’s ever received. Mary is the kind of woman she would become close friends with if her life didn’t revolve around covert missions and façades.

  She wistfully thinks about the kind of future that is in store for her and Nix if she continues a career with the CIA. The future she wants with him lies smack-dab in the middle of the gray area of life, and the CIA only sees things in black and white—the place where there is no in-between, no other option. Sloan knows this. She recognizes that, in order to savor a future in the gray area of life—the shaded area that has no definite roads—she can’t continue her career as Agent L-55.

  And what if that realization isn’t such a hard pill to swallow these days?

  THREE DAYS TURNED INTO TWO, and two days turned into one, until it was a mere ten hours before Sloan would have to board her private flight to Guadalajara.

  Destination: Mexico.

  Time of return: unknown.

  As she tosses a few more belongings that are scattered across the bed into the black, leather suitcase, her eyes make their way to Nix. He sits with his back against her headboard, his gaze never leaving hers.

  They stare at each other.

  Silence consumes the room as brown irises communicate to blue. No words are spoken. No sentiments expressed. Both of them are consumed with the same overwhelming melancholy that eats away at their souls.

  Involuntarily, her body moves towards his. Her beating heart controls her movements, guides her actions, and speaks her words. Her knees find their way to the bed as she straddles his sitting form, their faces almost touching.

  Nix’s sharp intake of breath spurs her further.

  She kisses him deeply, lovingly, and desperately.

  Their lips speak everything that needs to be said as they slowly begin to undress each other, their hands and bodies doing all of the talking. Whispered I love yous are exchanged as Nix intimately connects them—sliding inside her, making them one. Their eyes never leave each other’s longing gaze as they both experience a profound level of intimacy that speeds their aching hearts and steals the breath from their pleading lungs.

  In this moment, two souls unite, entwine, and ingrain themselves together in an intangible way—their bodies making the promises of forever for them. Together. Always. The importance of this poignant moment is not lost as grasping touches, soft breaths, and deep kisses are exchanged.

  With lungs gasping together in unison, two hearts promise forever.

  NIX LIES BESIDE HER, HIS fingers tracing her soft skin. The distant clock in the kitchen ticks faster than it should. The unknown hovers over them in a blanket of uncertainty and blurred futures. Neither has spoken a word since they made love, both understanding the need to just be together—to hold each other, touch other, and savor their last moments before Sloan has to ship out.

  “I will wait for you,” she whispers quietly into the stillness of her bedroom.

  “I know,” he expresses with absolute certainty. “We’re not letting anything get in our way this time. We’ll stay in contact, and eventually—whether it’s weeks or months or even a goddamn year—we’ll be right back here in this very place with your glorious ass bared for my greedy eyes.”

  Although his words are playful, his tone is anything but. The pain in his face is brought to life with each downward swipe of his thick lashes over his beautiful eyes.

  “There are so many things I want to tell you, Nix.” She runs a frustrated hand through her long locks. “God, I want to tell you everything. I hate this. I hate the fact that I can’t let you all the way into my world, but I want you to understand something, I’ve let you into the most important part of me.” She sits up on her knees as she gazes down at his prone form. She places his hand on her bare chest. “You’re in here, baby. You are in my heart and in my soul, and my love for you is running through my veins—feeding life into every single part of me.”

  Her eyelashes flutter, releasing three single tears from her eyes. Each tear makes a slow descent down her cheeks, marring her face with the sadness that aches incessantly inside her chest.

  His thumbs reach out and softly brush the liquid emotion from her cheeks. “Meli, I love you, and I promise that nothing will stand in our way of being together. This is it—you and me. We have our second chance, and I won’t let that slip through our fingers this time.”

  “You promise?”

  “I more than promise, sweetheart. I am giving you my word—my absolute guarantee—that we will have a future together,” he pronounces with strong conviction.

  “Okay.” She swallows the sadness that fills her throat. “I have a feeling that, once I get back from Guadalajara, I’ll be making some big decisions—life changes.”

  “I’ll support you, no matter what you decide to do. I’m here, and I’ll have you in any way I can get you,” he affirms to ensure that she doesn’t feel pressured to alter her current life—her current career choice—just because she’s afraid she’ll lose him. Although she’s never told him the true nature of her job, he already has a pretty good idea of what she’s wrapped up in.

  “Thank you.” Her fingers find his and they entwine themselves together.

  His hand grasps hers, holding it tight to his chest. “No thanks necessary. We’re in this together, remember? You and me.”

  “Now that we have all of that settled…” she trails off.

  His eyes perk up with intrigue, ready to hear more.

  “I have some plans to keep us in constant contact while I’m away. Phone calls will be hard, but I’ll try to find a way to hear your voice without a way for anyone to trace the call back to us. Now, emails…” A meaningful expression encompasses her face as she observes his reaction to that one word.

  Nix chuckles despite the painful memories that the sheer idea of emails awakens. “Fucking emails. The one thing we should have done from the start, right?”

  “Exactly,” she laughs. “With the help of someone I trust with my own life, I’ve started each of us an account that I can ensure has zero affiliation with our real-life selves. They can’t be traced to anyone because they can only be accessed from a secure site. We’ll just have to be careful what we put in those particular emails just in case—”

>   “You know, speaking in code with you is one of my favorite things,” he interrupts.

  “Perfect.” Her lips quirk up into a faint smile. “Now, this is probably more important for me rather than you, but it might be in our best interests if we ensure that the devices we access our email accounts from never leave an easily accessed trail. It helps that the emails can only be sent and received from a secure site. The person who created the site—specifically for us—is pretty special to me, and well, his computer-hacking skills are downright unbelievable. He’s worked with some—”

  An index finger over her lips stops her from saying anything else.

  Nix chooses to stop her little speech before she inadvertently reveals something she shouldn’t. “Meli, I trust you. You don’t have to tell me anything else. Just know that I trust you and we’ll get through this.”

  Sloan nods her head in understanding.

  “All I want to do right now is hold you in my arms and enjoy the last few hours we have. Okay, babe?”

  “Okay,” her lips gently whisper as she lies beside him.

  His strong arms pull her close. His warm breath brushes her skin as his lips place a soft kiss to her forehead. “You and me, Meli. You and me,” he professes as a yawn escapes his mouth.

  “Always,” she confirms as her eyes lose the battle, fatigue sliding her lids closed.

  Nix watches her nearly sleeping form for a few quiet moments, his eyes memorizing every inch of her. He hates that she will be leaving in a few hours. God, I’m going to miss her so fucking much.

  “Stop staring at me.” Her quiet voice surprises him. “It’s creepy.”

  “I’m only creepy for you, baby,” he teases.

  “Well thank fucking god for that,” she retorts in a tired voice, her eyes remaining closed.

  “Throwing out F bombs and busting my balls,” he responds with feigned annoyance. “What in the hell am I going to do with your sassy ass?”

  Sloan’s only response is a soft laugh as she burrows her little body closer to his. Her chest moves up and down in easy motions as her breathing begins to slow.

  After another yawn leaves his lips, Nix finally lets his eyes fall shut.

  Sleep serving as life’s metaphor for time, it begins to take hold, pulling them down slowly and then so quickly that neither has time to fight against it.

  AGENT MATTHEWS STEPS OUT OF the black town car and efficiently begins to load Sloan’s luggage into the trunk. His smooth strides and calm demeanor are the polar opposite of how she feels. Nix stands beside her, his hand firmly grasping hers as they slowly make their way towards the door of the vehicle.

  Their hands mirror their hearts’ sentiments—refusing to disconnect from one another.

  She turns towards Nix, her eyes taking in every inch of him. His messy, brown hair and cerulean eyes. The strong jaw with several days’ worth of scruff. And his mouth—his oh-so-perfect mouth, which is highlighted by a small, bittersweet smile that encompasses his otherwise masculine face.

  “So I guess this is goodbye, huh?” she asks quietly while the familiar sounds of the morning rush hour buzz around them.

  “Nah, baby. This isn’t goodbye. This is just see you soon,” he declares as his strong arms pull her into his warm embrace.

  Their bodies line up seamlessly, like two puzzle pieces. They are each other’s perfect match. Their hearts and souls are intangibly connected, their minds subconsciously in tune and their spirits inherently aware of one another.

  “This is just temporary, Meli. We will keep in touch and you have my word that we’ll find our way right back here.”

  Despite her melancholy mood, she laughs against his chest. Each breath she takes inhales his all-too-familiar smell—aftershave and clean laundry and just pure Nix.

  “What?” he asks with curious amusement.

  “I never thought I’d see the day where Nixon West would be willing to embrace technology. Adult hood looks good on you,” she jokes as her russet eyes peer into his.

  “I’m gonna miss that mouth full of sass, baby. I’m going to miss it so fucking much.” His fingertips brush her cheek softly.

  Her eyebrow rises in delight as a smile crests her lips. “Oh don’t worry. I can dish the sass in email too.”

  Nix exhales a frustrated groan. “Oh god, I can only imagine. You and all that sass with the opportunity to say anything you want without having to worry about me throwing you over my shoulder and spanking your glorious ass? I have a feeling you’ll find creative ways to continue busting my balls despite you being thousands of miles away from me.”

  She grins.

  He smiles down at her before pulling her heart-shaped face to his, and his strong lips meld gently with hers.

  Agent Matthews clears his throat in their direction, breaking the moment quicker than it started. “Felicia, we need to head out,” he announces.

  Sloan leans back and looks into Nix’s deep, blue eyes. “I love you. Always.”

  “I love you too, Meli. Always.”

  With always being their promise of forever, Sloan slides into the back seat.

  Nix closes the door. His gaze never leaves hers as Agent Matthews starts the engine and begins to pull out onto the main road.

  “I’m sorry, Felicia,” Agent Matthews voices from the driver’s seat. “I wish I could have given you more time,” he pauses as a meaningful look fills his eyes. “I’ve never seen you so happy. It looks good on you,” he adds with a bittersweet smile.

  Sloan’s only response is to smile back at Agent Matthews before turning around, her body kneeling in the back seat. Her hand rests against the cool glass of the rear windshield as she watches the reason for her happiness slowly disappear in the distance.

  She looks at him once more, her heart aching with infinite longing and her lungs struggling against infinite sadness. Her heart cries, Just him. Her soul whispers, Always. And her mind opens itself up to the possibilities of a future—in the gray area of life—with Nix by her side.

  Guadalajara, Mexico—a place where black and white collides with gray—where everything isn’t always as it seems…

  SLOAN WALKS THE STREETS OF historic downtown Guadalajara, taking in the various squares and beautiful parks. Her eyes observe the stunning Gothic architecture of the Metropolitan Cathedral. The sounds of cars and crowds bustling through the streets fill her ears. Her flip-flop-clad feet stride comfortably—even leisurely for her normal pace—towards the small café in the heart of Plaza de los Mariachis.

  The vibrant sounds of mariachis playing urge a small, wistful smile to her face. She internally wishes that Nix were with her, that she were visiting Guadalajara for pleasure rather than business. There are so many things she would love to explore and experience with him by her side.

  She reaches her destination—El Gato Café. Her hand pushes open the small, wooden door and her eyes scan the quaint establishment that’s surrounded by large, open windows and smells of rich coffee. She finds Agent Sims sitting at a red bistro table that’s tucked in the corner of the room, away from prying eyes or nosy ears.

  “Did you already order?” Sloan asks once she reaches the table. She sets her brown, leather briefcase down and makes herself comfortable in the metal chair. Her mind is still subconsciously skimming the room, taking a mental picture of each person milling about the café.

  “No, I was waiting on you,” he responds in an easy tone as he brushes a strand of his thick, black hair away from his dark-as-night eyes.

  “Sorry. I was running late. I had a surgery that lasted a little longer than expected,” she explains as she opens up the plastic menu written entirely in Spanish.

  A young waitress takes their orders—coffee and a bagel for Sloan, espresso and a muffin for Sims.

  The two agents maintain an easy conversation while waiting on their food. He discusses the few touristy things he’s enjoyed while Sloan updates him on her current surgery schedule. To an outsider, the conversation isn’t anything out of
the norm, but Sloan and Agent Sims discreetly exchange information regarding their current locations in a roundabout way.

  After their food arrives, he glances around the nearly empty room. He leans forward on his elbows, focusing his gaze on her. “I think we have a little more on our hands than we originally expected,” he begins. “But I’m confident that I’ve found the connection that will help us.”

  Sloan’s eyebrows rise in intrigue. The biggest challenge of this mission will be finding the easiest way to get inside the Arturo compound without raising red flags of suspicion.

  “I’m all ears,” she encourages.

  He pulls out a few black-and-white pictures taken from a distance, the name Alejandra Arturo written on the bottom. The woman in the picture is downright stunning and looks to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven. Long hair that’s highlighted with rich chocolate and mocha tones, slim build, and large eyes that accentuate her feminine face.

  “Sister?” Sloan asks before flipping the photo over to avoid anyone else in the café from seeing it.

  Sims nods in response.

  “What’s my angle?” she questions.

  “She is the schoolteacher of the compound and has been seen taking any sick children to and from a physician’s office that’s about fifteen miles from your hospital,” he informs as he slides another photo across the table. Dr. Juan Mendez is written across the bottom. “I know it goes without saying, but there are interesting things coming and going from that office.”

  Translation: Dr. Mendez is working with La Familia Arturo.

  Sloan nods in understanding as she commits the photo to memory. “As long as we’re careful and handle our connection delicately, I think we have the right angle for our approach,” she declares. “I’ll talk with my colleagues at the hospital and delve deeper for more information regarding the overall response I would receive if”—she points to the photo of Dr. Mendez—“I paid him a visit.”