Chapter 3 3

The private VIP lounge at Joint Base Andrews was a space of solemn, quiet power. The air was cool and smelled of polished leather and the faint, clean scent of ozone from the nearby tarmac.

Frankie sat in a rigid leather chair, the two custom-made ebony urn boxes resting on the table beside her.

The heavy door swung open.

General Thaddeus Finch, a man whose name commanded fear and respect throughout the Pentagon, strode into the room. He waved a hand, dismissing his entire entourage of aides and guards.

The door clicked shut, leaving them alone.

The old general stopped in front of Frankie. He didn't offer his hand for a shake. Instead, he brought his hand up in a slow, deeply respectful salute.

Frankie stood up instantly. Her muscle memory took over, and she returned the salute with a crispness that proved the Delta Force had never truly left her blood.

General Finch lowered his hand and reached into his briefcase. He pulled out a heavy, leather-bound folder bearing the presidential seal.

"From the Commander in Chief," Finch said, his voice thick with emotion as he handed it to her. "A classified commendation for your parents' ultimate sacrifice. And for yours."

Frankie took the folder. The weight of it felt heavy in her hands. "Thank you, sir."

Finch looked at her, his sharp blue eyes studying her face. "The Drone Warfare Strategy Bureau at the Pentagon has an empty chair, Navarro. We need your mind back. Are you ready to come home?"

Frankie looked down at the ebony boxes. Her jaw tightened.

"Not yet, General," she said quietly. "I have a debt to collect in the civilian world first. A very personal one."

Finch nodded slowly. He didn't push. "Understood. Just remember, the United States military is your wall. Lean on it whenever you need to."

Two hours later, Frankie was back in New York.

The private elevator doors slid open, depositing her directly into the foyer of the Manhattan penthouse.

She carried the large, heavy ebony box containing both urns in her arms. The wood was smooth, unadorned, hiding the monumental weight of the heroes inside.

As she stepped into the massive living room, the sound of clinking porcelain and high-pitched laughter hit her ears.

Domenic's mother, Eleanor, was sitting in the center of the velvet sofa, hosting a high tea for her wealthy socialite friends. Kenzie, Domenic's cousin, sat beside her, balancing a delicate teacup.

The laughter died the second Frankie walked in.

Eleanor's eyes locked onto the black box in Frankie's arms. She visibly recoiled, her manicured fingers flying up to pinch her nose as if Frankie had dragged a rotting corpse into the room.

"Good god, Frankie," Kenzie sneered, her voice loud and grating. "Did you have to bring that in here? The whole apartment suddenly smells like a cheap, depressing graveyard."

Frankie ignored them. Her face was a mask of stone. She adjusted her grip on the heavy box and kept walking, heading straight for the hallway that led to her private study.

Eleanor slammed her teacup down onto the saucer. The china rattled violently.

She stood up, her silk dress rustling, and marched over to block Frankie's path.

"Excuse me," Eleanor snapped, her face flushed with indignation. "You will not bring that bad luck into my son's home. It ruins the feng shui. It's disgusting."

Frankie stopped. Her eyes lifted, locking onto Eleanor's face.

Eleanor didn't notice the danger. She turned to the two uniformed maids standing near the kitchen.

"You two," Eleanor ordered, pointing a sharp finger at the box. "Take that piece of junk from her and throw it down in the basement storage. Right now."

The two maids hesitated, looking nervously between the imposing matriarch and the silent wife. Slowly, they took a step toward Frankie, reaching their hands out.

Frankie didn't move her body, but the air around her seemed to physically drop in temperature.

Her eyes went dead. A pure, unadulterated killing intent-the kind forged in the blood and dirt of active warzones-exploded from her. It was a suffocating, biological pressure.

"Scram," Frankie said.

It was just one word, spoken softly, but it carried the weight of a loaded gun pressed between their eyes.

The two maids gasped. Their knees physically buckled under the sheer terror radiating from Frankie's gaze. They stumbled backward, one of them tripping over the edge of the Persian rug and falling hard onto the floor.

Eleanor froze, her mouth falling open in shock.