Chapter One
Makenna
Nineteen years under my parents’ roof, four mediocre years studying history in college, months at boot camp, and then A school had me craving freedom and fun.
“Are you settled in?” my dad asked as I walked out of my building.
“Totally settled.” I glanced around, watching as hordes of people headed toward the mess hall.
“Allison there?”
“She’s somewhere, but I was just heading to dinner,” I lied, knowing I was going the opposite direction.
“When in doubt, always go for the salad. It’s the least likely thing to kill you.”
“Got it.” I tucked my hand into the pocket of my coat, fishing out my car keys. “Trust me, Dad. I’ve memorized everything you told me.”
He sighed on the other end of the phone. “I should’ve pulled some strings and had you stationed closer.”
“I have to do this on my own,” I told him, stalking toward the crowded parking lot. “I want to do this on my own. Promise me you won’t get involved, Twilight?” I used his call sign, something I’d heard him called a million times by his friends.
“I won’t, sunshine. I swear.”
“I’m in no way a ray of sunshine, Daddy. Maybe to you, but no one else.”
“Got a nickname yet? Chaos would be a great one for you.”
I chuckled, knowing he was right. I was like a ball of chaos, too wild to be caged, too unwieldy to be anything else. “Nope,” I lied again. “Just Dixon or Mak. You know how it is when you’re new.”
“You’ll find your place, sweetheart. When’s duty start?”
“I have a few days to settle in.”
“Everything is hurry up and wait. I’d like to say it gets better, but it doesn’t.”
My dad loved talking about the navy. He wasn’t just a regular sailor. Nope. My dad was the elite. The crème de la crème. A navy SEAL through and through.
I had no plans to break the proverbial glass ceiling, trying to be one of the first female SEALs ever. I was happy to find my place as a quartermaster without the pressure of saving lives and risking my own on a daily basis.
“Mak.” Blondie, my best friend from boot camp, waved across the parking lot, leaning against my car. “Get your ass moving. We’re losin’ daylight.”
“I got to go, Dad. I’m here. I’m safe. I’m ready.”
“Okay. Okay. I’m so proud of you. You know that, right?”
“I do.” I waved back at Blondie when he didn’t stop glaring at me because I wasn’t moving fast enough. “I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too. Give ’em hell.”
“That’s the plan. I’ll call soon.”
“Tomorrow?” he asked.
“I’ll text you tomorrow.”
“Fuck,” he huffed. “A text is fine.”
“Go spend time with Mom or Cullen, Dad. I’m heading to the world-famous salad bar you’ve been raving about for years,” I said sarcastically.
