Path Of Hate || Phillip Graves x Reader ||

Chapter 3

After working with Farah all day, I barely had a second to catch my breath, let alone think about anything—or anyone—else. That is, until Phillip came in.

"How are things coming along?" he asked.

"Could be better," Farah replied. Phillip turned to me, waiting.

"Actually, things were going pretty great until you showed up," I shot him a glare.

"Oh, please, I know you're glad I'm here," he smirked, that infuriating confidence bleeding through every word.

"What help? Your cowardly tactics are never needed, Phillip. Get a grip," I retorted. Farah chuckled, and then Alex strolled in, eyebrows raised.

"An argument without me? Come on, that's no fun," he laughed.

"This isn't an argument, Alex. This is just our favorite Commander Graves being a pain in the ass again with that over-the-top ego," I said, not bothering to hide the venom in my voice.

"Y/N, I think you should shut the fuck up," Phillip snapped, his voice dropping.

"Oh yeah? Or what?" I faced him head-on. "You gonna threaten me again? Seriously, if you think I'm scared of you, think again." My words were cutting, each one like a match to gasoline.

Phillip let out a harsh laugh, clearly not amused. "Look at you, playing tough, huh? Fix that attitude. This is teamwork," he commanded, but the fire in my eyes didn't waver.

I burst into laughter, mockingly. "No, no, Phillip. You don't get to talk about teamwork. We've been through this already."

He took a step forward, jaw tight. "Okay, you know wha—"

"Enough," Farah interrupted, throwing her hands up. "What the hell is this supposed to be? Whatever this is, fix it. We have to tolerate each other, or nothing is getting done. This is disgraceful," she said, voice firm.

Farah's disappointment stung. The room went quiet, and I stormed out, needing to cool down. A moment later, I heard footsteps following me. Of course, it was Phillip. He caught up and grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer than I would've liked, his touch firm but not forceful.

"I thought we fucking talked about this," he said, his voice a low, frustrated growl.

I yanked my wrist free, glaring up at him. "Don't touch me."

Phillip took a step back, but his gaze held steady. "Doll, we can't keep doing this," he said quietly, his eyes softening for just a second.

"First of all, don't call me that," I snapped. "Second, you actually expect me to forget what you did?"

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. "That wasn't up to me. I got my orders; you got yours. End of story." His voice grew louder, matching my own, his eyes fierce and unwavering. We held the silence between us, each waiting for the other to blink first. He didn't. Instead, he leaned in, his hand moving to tilt my chin so I was forced to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry, alright? For everything that happened in Mexico," he said, the words quiet, but unmistakable.

I hesitated, my hand moving instinctively to his chest. "Phillip," I murmured. "I can't forgive you." I felt his breath on my face, the moment charged with a tension I couldn't explain. Before I lost control, I pushed him away and turned on my heel, walking out.

Phillip's POV

God, I wanted to kiss her. I'd felt her touch for only a second, and yet, it nearly drove me insane. Why did she have to make everything so difficult? There are moments I wish I'd made different choices, that I hadn't done what I did back then. I know I'm supposed to focus on the job, but all I can think about is her.

The Next Day

I dressed quickly, ready for the task preview. After the meeting, I was heading back when I ran into Farah in the hallway.

"Hey, can you pass these documents over to Graves' office?" she asked, handing me a thick stack. "It's the intel on location."

With a sigh, I took the papers, nodding. "Sure."

My heels clicked against the tile floor as I approached his door, taking a deep breath before knocking.

"Come in," his voice came from inside.

I pushed the door open, almost hoping he wasn't there—but, of course, he was. He looked up from his desk as soon as he saw me, getting to his feet, a faint smirk on his lips.

"Surprised to see you," he said, tone casual.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't planning on coming here either," I shot back. "Farah wanted you to have the intel. Everyone else already got it in the meeting, which you didn't bother showing up to," I said, dropping the stack onto his desk.

"I'm a busy man, Y/N," he replied, walking toward me.

I crossed my arms, leaning back against the desk, eyeing him. "Busy doing what, exactly?"

He stepped closer, caging me in with his arms on either side of the desk. Perfect, this was my chance.

"Many things," he leaned in, his gaze intense.

I hummed, reaching up to adjust his collar. "So why are you always such a jerk?"

"Oh, I'm not always," he smirked. "Only around you."

"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual." I rolled my eyes. He smirked again.

"Attitude adjustment, hmm?" he murmured, his voice dark. I felt my own pulse quicken as an idea flashed in my mind. I leaned in, close to his ear.

"Then why don't you fuck it out of me?" I whispered, letting the words linger.

I watched his eyes widen, a flash of surprise and something else. His jaw tightened, and before I knew it, he had his hand around my neck, pulling me into a rough, heated kiss.