Page 18 of Mariposa (Queens Command #1)

VIOLET

T hree loud knocks disrupt my phone call with my grandpa. He just got done informing me that Grandma is doing better, and the doctors hope she’ll fully recover soon.

“I love you! Please remember to take care of yourself, okay? I’ve gotta go.”

“Work?” he grumbles.

“Yes, today is graduation day!” I exclaim while looking at my dress uniform, pressed and steamed and ready to be worn. It hangs perfectly in the center of my closet.

“I know that. I wish we could be there.”

Two hard knocks follow again.

“Coming!” I bellow over my shoulder. “Okay, I gotta go now. Talk to you soon?”

“Of course, mija . We love you.”

Click .

I stride to the door, still in my pajamas, holding my grandma’s blue bear.

Opening it, my breath hitches as I drink in Kade. He’s dressed in his Army greens, his hair gelled to the side, his beard trimmed, and his cedar scent mixed with whatever addicting cologne hits me all at once.

The way he’s looking at me, though… It’s frightening. There’s a bit of an edge to his green, scarred eye. His jaw tightens, and he looks at the cell phone in my hands as if it’s a threat.

“Who were you talking to?” his deep voice is strangely calm.

Was he listening to my conversation through the door? How much did he hear?

“What? You heard that?”

Bowing his head, he thinks momentarily, like he’s trying to dial back his actions.

“Never mind, it doesn’t matter. I know how this goes. You guys break up to say I love you hours later,” he scoffs, reaching for his pocket. He pulls out a pack of Marlboros.

“Kade, that wasn’t?—”

“Booker wants you in his office at 1400 hours,” he changes the subject nonchalantly. He’s distant again. His gaze cuts through me, back to playing teacher and student one last time. I can’t stop thinking about what happened just hours ago.

Is he thinking about it as much as I am?

“Okay.”

He nods once before turning to walk away.

Wait? That’s it?

“Kade.” I reach for his hand, but I pull back before our flesh can connect.

His jaw clenches.

“It’s Master Sergeant,” he corrects.

“So we’re not going to talk about what happened last night?”

He sucks in a long breath as he continues to keep his locked gaze down the hall toward the exit.

“You don’t have to worry about Willis or those guys who hurt you. They’ve been taken care of.”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about,” I whisper. Turning to my left and right, poking my head into the hallway, ensuring we’re alone, so that we can speak freely.

He pauses, which makes my heart thunder rapidly against my rib cage as I wait for his response. I like him, and I’m desperate to know his thoughts. He’s so unreadable, almost a robot, but I know there’s more to him. I saw it last night.

“If there’s nothing you have to say to me regarding this school or work, then we’re done here.” He quirks a brow while he plays with the watch on his wrist. He doesn’t bother to look at me, and I wish I could say my ego is tough enough to handle his distant behavior, but it’s not.

I’m so stupid. What do I expect? For him to admit there’s an attraction between us?

I click my tongue, then run it over my teeth, pushing his rejection down my throat.

At the end of the day, Kade O’Connell is ‘Special Operator Beast’, known as the soldier who has a heart of steel. Tangible but non-feeling.

Clenching the doorknob and squeezing the bear in the crook of my arm, I mimic his stoic expression. “We’re done.”

“Kade motherfucking O’Connell.”

Kade’s and my eyes dart to the deep voice coming down the hall.

“The legendary beast. Where have you been, man?” Another soldier with a green beret on his head chimes in. Kade walks away from me like I’m nothing to him, shielding my view with his broad back.

“Max, how are you, brother? How’s your leg?” They share warm handshakes and exchange hugs with pats on the back. The way they talk to each other makes it clear there’s history.

Max lifts his pants to reveal a prosthetic.

“I may have lost my leg, but you saved my life, man. I’m forever in your debt.” Pure gratitude is detailed in every syllable.

Max’s chocolate eyes gleam brighter as more soldiers come up from behind him and join the conversation.

They all look at Kade with respect and admiration.

He’s well-known in the military community, and the way everyone speaks about him, they only ever have good things to say, besides the way he can be an asshole sometimes.

Still, no single person can say he’s a bad man.

I close the door, giving them privacy. I have a meeting with Booker to get to anyway, and it’s pretty obvious Kade wants to pretend like last night didn’t happen.

Either way, I worked hard to get to this day, and I refuse to let anything stop me from enjoying the start of my career as a special forces soldier.

Booker’s office looks just like how I imagined it.

Shelves with awards to prove a successful military career and photos of what I can only assume are his parents and siblings.

He doesn’t wear a ring, and he’s never mentioned if he has any children.

He sits behind his desk, with mountains of paperwork on either side.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Booker makes it easy to open up and speak freely. He’s sunshine, while Kade is an unforgiving storm of grey shades.

“I requested to be stationed on the West Coast. I?—”

“You’re staying here. This group.”

My brow raises. “I’m staying here…” My tone drops. “In North Carolina?”

“Yup,” he replies, emotionless.

No. I need to be away from O’Connell. I can’t think straight when I’m around him.

He’s a distraction. Being around him on the same base is enough for shivers to run up my spine.

We shared a secret moment hours ago, certifying my reason to go to another group where a pair of intense heterochromia eyes with a scar that runs through one side of his face can’t make me fall apart at the seams.

“But I…”

“Watch yourself, Isla. You’ll take the group you were assigned. You got that?” Booker shifts his tone to a more authoritative one. Booker is always so friendly, which reminds me that I’m pushing my comfort zone to talk to him so freely. At the end of the day, he’s one of my superiors.

I clear my throat and straighten. “Roger that. I’m sorry, sir. I never complain, although everyone else got their dream station,” I point out.

“Isla. Beast had it arranged this way.”

My heart sinks.

He did? He pulled strings to have me stay here? I want to question Booker, but I bite my tongue. My stubbornness is already getting me into trouble, and I don’t want to have that kind of reputation when I go to my first team.

“Specialist Isla will report after Christmas leave,” he hands me a group of papers neatly tucked into a manila folder.

Opening it, I skim until I find my name and duty station.

My mouth dries when I see it in the detailed font.

“It’s already inked on orders. There’s no changing it now,” he finishes.

“What team am I going to?” I close the folder.

“You’ll find out when you report. Prepare yourself, though. The team you’re going to is the best of the best, and many things are happening behind the scenes.”

“I’m ready.”

His lips flatten.

“You are one of the best soldiers I’ve seen in a long time come through the course.

You have intelligence, resilience, and strength.

” My chest warms. It feels good to have my hard work recognized.

A part of me wishes it came from Master Sergeant.

Tears rim my lashes, so I suck in a breath before my bottled emotions can get me in trouble.

“Now, I’d like to talk about something else.”

He stands and he’s clear as day, over six feet in height. He takes off his beret as he rounds the corner. He runs a hand through his blond hair and sits before me on his desk. His leg swings over the other as he studies me—a flicker of inquisition in his hazel eyes.

Uh…where’s this going ?

“And what is that?” My breath hitches.

“I’m not your instructor anymore.” The tips of his fingers drum against the edge of his wooden desk.

“Correct.” The word rolls off my tongue and sounds more like a question.

“Meet me at The Drunken Shell tonight.”

My brows knit together before his meaning hits me.

Booker talks with confidence and treats me with respect, but I hesitate briefly.

There’s a man who gets under my skin, and a maelstrom of feelings occurs when I’m in his presence.

But when he stopped by my room earlier, he made where we stand perfectly clear. This is not and can’t go anywhere.

Booker seems to know what he wants, and his smile always feels good to look at. He’s handsome, funny, and he doesn’t infuriate me.

Maybe I should do this.

No.

I know I want to do this .

I offer him a small smile. It actually sounds like a good time.

“The bar and grill in front of the beach?”

He nods. “Everyone is going there to celebrate a job well done. I’d like you to come too.

You should be proud of yourself. You graduated at the top of the class.

We’re all very proud of you . Beast won’t say it, but I can speak for him.

I’m the only motherfucker that’s probably allowed to.

” He laughs with a tilt of his head. “We know your father would be, too.” He pauses. “The Lion’s Daughter.”

“Thank you.” I tear my eyes away as my face dips. The beat of my heart grows heavy as the memories of him in his casket, wearing his uniform, come back to haunt me.

It’s all for you, Dad .

Booker snaps me out of my thoughts. “I like you, Isla.”

I meet his gaze, and when I do, his face reddens.

Is he blushing ?

“Oh, is tonight like a…date?”

He smiles.

“I mean…no?” he says, fixing his hair, and places his beret back on his head. His dress shoes clack as he walks past me, opens the door, and says, “I’m going to dismiss myself.”

I peer over my shoulder as he freezes, tapping his fingers on the wall. Why does it sound like he’s asking me out? I part my lips to remind him of the rules when it comes to dating in the workplace with our different ranks, but he stops me.

“I’ll see you tonight, Isla.”

He closes the door.