Page 18 of Code Name: Admiral

He shook his head, and I returned it to him. I expected him to wipe the dust and debris from his own face, but he didn’t. Instead, he turned to me and raised the cloth.

“Close your eyes.”

When I did, he gently brushed away what he could. I willed threatening tears to stay at bay, knowing cleaning away the dirt would be that much harder if I cried. I couldn’t stop them, though, remembering how desperately I needed to feel the touch of another person. When a sob stuck in my throat, Agent Kane pulled me into his arms.

“I’ve got you, Alice. You’re safe with me. I promise.”

God, how I wanted to believe him.

“The building is secure, boss,” said the driver. I raised my head and saw we’d arrived at the front door of the place where I’d experienced more horror than I imagined possible. Every muscle in my body tensed.

“If you don’t want to go in, you don’t have to,” he said, stroking my cheek with his fingers.

“I must,” were the only words I could eke out.

When he opened the vehicle’s door, I saw several other men standing in close proximity. He gave me his hand to help me out, and we walked en masse into the building, then directly to the elevator that another man held open.

“Thanks,” Kane said when the three of us got inside. I shuddered when he pressed the button for the eleventh floor without asking.

The lift’s familiar hum did nothing to calm my nerves. My hands were shaking so badly I had to clench them into fists, my nails digging into my palms. The pain helped ground me and kept me from completely losing it. Agent Kane must have noticed, because he shifted closer so his shoulder brushed against mine.

The other man with us kept his eyes fixed on the doors, his posture rigid. I couldn’t help but notice how his hand never strayed far from his weapon. Hadn’t the driver said the building was secure? Were they really expecting trouble? Or was it just ingrained training?

“There are pictures,” I said suddenly, breaking the tense silence. “On her desk. Of our parents.” My voice cracked on the last word. “Before the accident.”

Agent Kane’s expression softened almost imperceptibly. “We’ll get them.”

“And her laptop. She always—” I stopped, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. “She kept it in the bottom drawer of her filing cabinet.”

The numbers on the display ticked upward with agonizing slowness. Eight. Nine. Ten. With each floor, memories of Sarah threatened to overwhelm me. Her laugh echoing down the hallway when I’d visit. The way she’d always have tea waiting,even though she preferred coffee. The dozens of little ways she’d tried to take care of me after our parents died, despite my attempts to push her away.

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open, revealing the hallway I’d walked countless times before. But now, it felt wrong—hostile and foreign. Like the building itself knew Sarah was gone and was rejecting my presence. Agent Kane’s hand found the small of my back, steadying me as we stepped out.

“Which way?” he asked, though I suspected he already knew the answer.

“End of the hall. 1147.” My feet felt like lead as we approached her door. I could see the sticky residue in the shape of an X left by the yellow crime-scene tape that had been pulled away. Standing here now, only a few steps away from where I’d found her, all I could think about was Sarah’s body being carried out on a stretcher, covered in a sheet.

The memory hit me so hard that I stumbled. Agent Kane’s arm shot out to steady me. The other man had already moved ahead, checking angles and sight lines with practiced efficiency. I watched as he tested the door handle, noting the almost imperceptible nod in our direction.

“Ready?” Kane asked softly.

No. I wasn’t ready. I’d never be ready to walk back into the place where I last saw my sister. But I nodded anyway.

The lock clicked, and Sarah’s door swung open.

8

ADMIRAL

Iwatched Alice in the same way I would have if I’d known her for years rather than minutes. I could see the tension in her shoulders and the way her fingers twisted together nervously. Entering her sister’s apartment would be harder than she thought. The last time she was here, she’d been in shock after finding her sibling’s body.

Blackjack, who’d ridden in the elevator with us, along with two other guys who were waiting for us in the hallway, went inside first. They moved with practiced efficiency, weapons ready. While Tank had assured me the building was secure, I’d take no chances that one of Castellano’s men—maybe even my cousin Bobby—lay in wait. Bobby, who’d once been like a brother to me, now represented the vilest of every criminal I’d ever hunted and brought to justice.

Alice and I stood just over the threshold, listening as the men called out “clear” from each room. The familiar routine felt foreign with her beside me, her presence making everything more charged, more vital.

“You’re safe to enter,” Blackjack said, returning to where we waited.

Alice’s eyes met mine. “I don’t want anyone else in here.” There was steel in her voice despite its softness.

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