[1] Midnight Lips | Ghost

𝐂𝐇. 33

VAL
༻❁༺

     My sanity was at risk right now. I was on the verge of losing it all and I had found nothing so far. The same numbers ran through my mind, and every time I'd look down, I'd find them there, pierced on my skin in black ink like a tattoo.

I didn't know Alejandro granted Shadow Company this type of access, and it somehow made me angry at him for being such a great person and wanting his guests to have a good stay. I wanted to slap him on the back of his neck for being this oblivious and yell at him for not finding it suspicious that Graves would require this type of system.

7-4-2-3-6-9.
Translated: s-h-a-d-o-w.

The black ink on my skin brought me back to minutes ago when Simon and I had to part ways. When I didn't want to let go of his hand but had to. The way my stomach twisted strangely, like when you know you have to say goodbye to someone but you've been avoiding it, hoping you never get to do it and nobody ever gets to notice and life gets to go on.

I knew he had to leave for his own business, but the evening breeze caressing us and the moonlight embracing us, the distant sounds of the planes and helicopters getting ready to depart, everything reminded me of the danger of his mission, and right then I was willing to give anything so I could stop feeling those shivers that ran down my arms to the tips of my fingers and gave me the urge to pull him to me and never let go.

"Remember those digits," Simon told me, taking me out of my thoughts.

I cringed. There was no way I was remembering them. "Eh, do you have a pen?" The small chuckle that came from his mouth made me tingle in the right places but wrong at that time.

Simon shifted, letting the door go and using his body to stop it from closing on us. He messed with something in his holders—because yes, he had a lot stuck to his body, and God, who would've minded? His entire outfit made him look incredibly hot and it was making me crave him all the more. I couldn't stop thinking about him and the way he fucked me still dressed with it minutes ago.

Grabbing my elbow, Simon brought my arm closer to him and leaned down, a Sharpie between his fingers. That was the second time I saw those numbers, and they were about to be temporarily tattooed on my arm. It tickled me as he wrote them down, but soon my attention went back to him when he said, "One left, two rights. Do it twice and you'll get to Graves's office. Use this pin to enter."

I gaped. "How do you know this?"

He met my eyes. "Graves requested my presence a couple of days ago. Thought it would be a good idea to go over our plans and catch up." Simon straightened and put the pen back in his pocket. "I like to observe, darling. I'm quite good at it, actually. And I've got a great memory. I think those two skills work well together, don't they?"

Ah, this man. "You keep getting sexier."

His laugh was husky and alien to my ears. "No dirty talk when I'm five minutes away from having to leave."

"And after you already made me come three times?"

He groaned like he was in pain. "Oh, God." Wrapping one arm around my waist and his hand on the back of my neck, Simon pulled me flat against his body and I fit perfectly in his arms. He stroked my lips, his big hand cupping the side of my neck now. "That was inappropriate, Valentina."

"You like inappropriate."

"Yes, but not when I have to leave knowing I can't do anything about it. That's beyond cruel."

Right. I was starting to hate that word. Leaving. Fuck that. Why couldn't we just stop? Why couldn't time stop and let us live in the moment forever? I had to bite my bottom lip to stop my impulsiveness, but Simon's finger took it away from between my teeth. "I'll see you later?" I asked.

"I'll find you as soon as I get back. Be careful, yeah?"

I nodded my head. "I will, only if you promise me to be careful too and come back."

He chuckled, squeezing me against him. He was so tall, his body was curved over mine. "You don't understand," he said, "I've never had a reason to be careful before. Now here you are." His voice dropped to a whisper. A whisper that took my heart in a grasp and shook it. "I promise you I'll be careful."

I sucked in a breath. His face hovered close over mine, and if it wasn't covered, I could have kissed him right then and there. Perhaps he could have kissed me, too, because of the way he buried his fingers in my hair and pulled me to him, telling me he would have kissed me if only he could. His eyes said so. Everything said so and it all drove me crazy.

I wasn't thinking. Before I could stop myself, I was already on my tiptoes and my lips were already brushing his mask. A whisper of a kiss. A kiss that promised so much more. It knocked the breath out of him, I could tell by the way he stopped breathing and moving and thinking and maybe even his heart stopped beating because suddenly everything did stop.

I couldn't believe it.
I had kissed Simon over the mask.

*ೃ༄

Every detail was there, slowly unraveling every secret. I had to take a step back from the computer, had to take a step back from the desk, and even a step back from the room. I couldn't believe my eyes because everything was laying bare for me.

I tried calling Kate but she wouldn't answer and it made my heart race. She always picked up the phone no matter what time of the day it was. I didn't know what this meant, but I couldn't wait anymore or else it might be too late.

I rubbed a hand over my head, exhaling. I clicked call once again and after three rings, I knew Kate wouldn't answer again, so I let it go to voicemail.

"Good evening, Kate. This will be my last report regarding my goal here and I'm aware I should wait till you can pick up the phone but I cannot wait any longer." I put the phone on speaker and placed it down on the desk, while I reviewed the information. "We were wrong. There wasn't anyone trying to sabotage us, they were just trying to cover up an illegal transaction.

"The operation was conducted by General Shepherd and carried out by Shadow Company. They were transacting American-made Ballistic missiles to our allies fighting Russians in the Middle East, but the mission did not go as planned.

"The Russians executed the entire squad and got hold of Shadow's comms. Russia gave the missiles to Hassan. Perhaps Shepherd's intentions were good, but the shipments were illegal. He and Graves knew, so they buried it. We were getting too close and they weren't gonna let that happen, which is why Graves leaked information to keep us off their backs."

There. I spilled everything she needed to know. I had to get out of here because I was sure it had been an hour since everyone left and they might be already around the corner. I grabbed my phone, put it over my ear, and made my way to the exit. "Kate, you wanted names. Philip Graves and General Shepherd. Three missiles were stolen, not two, and—"

Shit.

Graves' stupid face appeared from around the corner, stopping me in place. My hand fell from my ear, and my heart felt like it was in my throat. His body blocked the entrance, and the smirk on his lips told me that was the goal. Not letting me escape from this.

Mierda.

He shook his head, sighing as he took a step closer to me. "Ah, Valentina, I knew you were going to be a pain in the ass, but I was hoping you would prove me wrong."

I wanted to say so many things to him. I wanted to yell and punch that idiotic smirk away from his face. But I couldn't, I had to find another way out. So I spun around and tried to run away, but all I got was a deep ache in my temple and my vision turning black in a snap.

*ೃ༄
TO BE CONTINUED...

CRINGE