Sneak Peek Bloodguilty

Chapter 1

Time never stops, but Elisa wishes it would.

It hasn't been a week since Herb contacted Elisa, and she's already in the handler's office—her office now. Elisa enjoys the last moments of silence before Anne comes bursting in the room. All has been so busy and noisy; Elisa wishes she could just lay down and sleep. But yes, even her sleep has been ruined by the Commission's existence.

The door gets thrown open, and Anne comes running in. A huge grin is spread across her face when she approaches Elisa who's back is leaning against the desk. Not even bothering to close the door, Anne says, "Miss Brookle, you've got to let me dress you for your first day!" Elisa doesn't have time to answer because Anne is already looking her up and down. "I'll make sure you'll look exquisite!"

"I don't need clothes to look exquisite," Elisa scoffs, causing Five to choke on his coffee, almost getting up out of the seat he's sitting in. Immediately, he starts to cough. This makes Elisa turn her head. "What?" she asks, sounding truthfully hurt. "You think I need clothes to look exquisite?"

"No!" Surprising both Anne and Elisa, Five's cheeks actually redden. It seems he's taken aback by it, too. "You look exquisite with clothes and . . . without. But please, love, do wear clothes while you work."

Now, it's time for Elisa to chuckle. "I will," she tells him afterwards. "I think I'll put on jeans and a simple T-shirt.

"You will most certainly not do so," Anne exclaims as she presses a hand against her mouth in pure shock. "That's not something a handler would do."

"I'm not a handler." Elisa shrugs. "That name died with the woman who raised me. I'm Elisa Brookle, and I will be called by that name."

"The old handler would have worn something spectacular." Anne pouts, looking down at her own very peculiar dress. It is a flashy yellow piece of clothing that reminds Elisa of the sun lighting up and caressing every blossom in spring. Anne could practically be a sun, though, with those sparkling eyes and her excited mood.

Smirking, Elisa glances at Five before her eyes fall on pouting Anne again. "Maybe I should go naked after all." Again, Five's eyes widen, but Anne, on the other hand, gives Elisa a face that tells that she's really challenging Elisa to do so.

"Just put Anne out of her misery and allow her to create you something," Five tells Elisa, still blushing a little.

"All right." Elisa rolls her eyes at him. Then she turns back to look at Anne, who's eyes are still sparkling, but even more now, after having heard Five's words. "Anne, can you please make me something to wear?"

Immediately, Anne screams in delight. She's now grinning immensely. "Of course!" She throws her hands in the air, and for a moment, Five and Elisa think she might just explode from happiness, too. "I still have your measurements. Would you like a showing dress? Oh, I think you'd look amazing in another gown!"

"Can't it be a simple dress?" Elisa pouts.

"Simple?" Anne echoes, laughing. "You've just asked me to make you something to wear, Miss Brookle. There's no way it's going to be simple." Elisa knows this, and while she wants to ask Anne to make it something simple, she can't get herself to. The woman sparkles with excitement, and Elisa can't take such pleasure away from her, even if that means walking around in one of those gowns that the handler used to wear every single day.

"Please don't make it too showing, though." Elisa shrugs. "That's not really . . . me."

"Yes, please." Five turns to Anne again, not wanting Elisa to walk around just like the old handler did, too.

This causes Anne to stick her tongue out at Five. A playful action, almost childish like, but Elisa can't help but giggle. Oh, how is she ever going to rule the Commission?

"I'll leave you now." Anne straightens herself, turning away from Five. "I heard that Herb was planning to come by."

"Yes." Elisa sighs deeply. "I know. He wants to help me to rule this place. I'm so glad I've got someone who wants to help." It is true. No one else bothered or wanted to help Elisa. Either they never want to hear from the Commission again or they just liked to see Elisa struggle. Thankfully, Herb, being himself, was neither. He immediately volunteered with a huge smile plastered on his lips.

Elisa eyes Five who's still crouched down with a heavy book in his hands. In response, he shrugs. "You know why I didn't want to help you."

To this, Elisa doesn't answer. She did expect him to help her. They've both worked at the Commission, and they both know how much it needs to change. Yet, Five hated the idea of actually working here again. Instead, he's going to find out which job is perfect for him—far, far away from this hellhole.

If even Vanya wants to return to this place to see Elisa more frequently again, then why doesn't Five want to help her out a little in the start? After tons of thinking and wondering about this, Elisa decided to just forget it. It is Five, and she knows that she'll never know everything about him. The two both have a horrific past, and the two will always have secrets that they don't want anyone to unravel . . . even each other.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be very prepared," Anne tells Elisa, warning her by doing so. "Do what you want to do before he comes in. Because when he does, he'll take all of your time."

"Thank you, Anne." Elisa smiles. It's a true smile. Having spent the last few days worrying about ruling this place after having tried to flee from her fate, Elisa does like to have a few people she can trust. Or at least know. That's better. Elisa still isn't out of who she can trust. And that already gives her enough to worry about at night.

"No worries." Anne her grin widens. "I'll try to stop by every week, so you don't have to wear old stuff. We don't want that." She shakes her head in disgust. "You need to sparkle!"

With that, Anne leaves the office, twirling.

"Such joy in that woman," Five murmurs, obviously being the exact opposite. He hasn't enjoyed a moment being here again. And it seems that won't change any time soon.

"Never told you that you had to come," Elisa tells him, sitting down in her own chair. But she does so behind her desk. "You could've stayed at the Umbrella Academy."

"If I stayed there, I would never see you." He looks up to look at Elisa. It doesn't take long until he notices her tired eyes, her tired expression. "And I don't want that."

"I live here now." Elisa sighs. "So if you want to see me, please act like you do. Every time you've come here the last few days, you've only acted depressed, and it's making me even more depressed and worried. It's already so hard, Five. Please, don't make it even harder."

For a moment, Five keeps himself from answering. But eventually, he says, "That's the thing, love. I thought we'd settle somewhere other than this place. I don't care if it was at the Umbrella Academy or somewhere new, but this place . . . I really loathe this place."

"Who wouldn't," Elisa whispers in agreement. Then she shakes her head, as if attempting to shake off the negative thoughts. "But that will change. I'll make it change. Now that I'm ruling the Commission, I can change everything, Five. Can't this be home, too, from now on ? At least for a while maybe? I'll try to look for someone who's willing to take my place that would never use their power to cause more death."

"It can't." Five answers quickly, leaning back in his seat slightly. "This place is hell, even if you try to change it. The amount of death-"

"Even that I can stop," Elisa whispers painfully.

"But you won't," Five adds. "You won't because death needs to happen sometimes, and I know that. But yet, I can't seem to shake off the thought, Elisa."

"I know," Elisa whispers, closing her eyes. Oh, how she wants to stop this whole act already. Everything will be just as exhausting as when she grew up here. It's all an act. Always has been and always will be. It isn't any different now. It's as if Elisa is living two lives and has two personalities. With her family, the Hargreeves siblings who she now counts as her new family, she's her true self; always happy to spend time with everyone, almost without any worries. And then here, here she's full of worries. First of all, because she has to pretend to be someone she is not. Everyone needs to fear her. If they wouldn't, she'd be weak, then they wouldn't listen. They'd simply play with her. And that'd be it. The Commission would collapse. That is what the handler told her after all.

"I hate it, too, you know." Elisa her eyes fall on Five again after having looked at her thumb from close by. "I don't like any of this."

A broken but soft smile comes on Five's lips as he watches Elisa her eyes on him. "I know, love," he replies. "It's a rotten situation."

"It really is." Again, Elisa her eyes flicker to her thumb, and she starts rubbing it with her index finger. This is a habit she has learnt the last few days. Anxiety caused it.

Five stands up, and the seat cracks a little, having never been really sat in. Everyone stood in the handler's office. They were true afraid that she'd attack them, having only a tiny space between them. See, that's how the handler ruled. Every assassin feared her, and still does. Many think she never died, that she'll find her way back. Who knows? Maybe a very pissed handler will avenge her death.

But Elisa knows what has happened to the handler, and she also knows that she'll never ever return. The handler is dead. Exploded in thousands of pieces. Flown away and never found again.

Quickly, with light steps, Five approaches Elisa, who's still properly behind her desk. Her eyes haven't fallen on him again, but she notices him moving. A smile even lights up her face when he goes to stand behind her. It doesn't take long until his arms have curled around her waist from behind. Bowing a little, he presses her back against the back of the chair, so that only the back of it is holding them back from touching.

His face comes closer to hers, and he only stops when his lips are brushing Elisa's ear. He breathes in and out, smelling the scent of Elisa her flower-like scent before he says, "We'll find a way to get through this shit."

Elisa would answer, but she stops breathing for a few seconds when Five's hand moves to her shoulder, squeezing it gently. It quickly moves itself again. This time, it goes to Elisa her neck, squeezing it softly, too. Still, Elisa feels as if she can't breathe. Eventually, she does, and she presses her back even harder against the back of the chair, needing to feel Five's chest against her, needing to feel him.

Then Five's fingers trail down to her collarbone, trailing along the bone. When he rubs tiny circles on it, Elisa swears she almost screams. The need to feel his wet lips against it, sucking on it, grows with every movement his hand is making. Next to that, she feels every warm breath of Five on her neck as his chin rests on her shoulder. His eyes travel down, and Elisa realizes why when his hand rests on the spot between her breasts, making her breathing hitch again.

"Five." Elisa her lips part when he stops moving for a few moments.

"And that while office hours, Elisa Brookle," he whispers, finally lifting his head again, so he can press a kiss to Elisa her neck. With a shaky breath, Elisa tilts her head to the other side, giving Five more space. This, of course, makes his already huge smirk grow even more.

"Fuck office hours," Elisa murmurs when Five starts to suck the skin right above her collarbone.

"I don't think I can fuck them, love." Five chuckles as his hand moves to its right, not so inconsiderately squeezing Elisa her breast. "But I'd like to fuck-"

"Yeah, yeah." Elisa her cheeks start to redden, and she tries to hide that fact for Five, but he notices.

"I wish I could continue," he starts, "But I can't."

"I want you to," Elisa grumbles, clearly not even liking the idea of Five stopping all of this.

"But if Anne is right." Five sighs. "Then Herb . . ."

This name mentioned, Elisa groans. "Can't we just ask him to wait outside of my office?"

"And then what? Let the poor man listen to . . ."

"You're right." Elisa shakes her head, chuckling. "We wouldn't wish that to poor Herb, would we, huh?"

"I'll leave you to it, then." Five presses a kiss to Elisa her cheek, his hand still squeezing her breast. "Are you ready?"

"Not even a little bit."

-

You can find the book on my account!

I hope you all liked the first book of the duology . . . and maybe the second too?