Miss Romanoff-Barton

Secrets

Alexa's POV

I step over to my bookshelf and pull gently on a royal blue book with a gold embossed spine, it catching on a wire when pulled halfway out.

I take half a step backwards as the section of shelves sinks backwards and slides to the right, disappearing behind the wall and leaving an entrance exposed.

A smirk flickers onto my face as I walk into my weapons safe.

I flick one of the two switches on the wall and the room is lit in a soft glow.

The left wall is criss-crossed with gun racks, mostly holding SFP9s and Glock 26s. The right wall is bare.

The back wall boasts two magnetic strips, holding a variety of knives, two katanas and a machete. Underneath the blades sits a cream white dresser, stretching across the entire length of the wall and blending in almost seamlessly.

I walk down the length of the room, working quickly. The guns are clicked into place and I stop in front of the dresser.

Each draw has a lip across the top, acting as a handle, with a small hidden scanner preventing unwanted access.

I curl my fingers under the handle and pull once my access is granted.

The bullet case in my hand is put away and the draw shut with a quiet click.

All done.

As I step through the entryway, I hit the final switch on the wall and hear the door slide shut behind me. I spin around to watch the book be pulled backwards with another click.

Hidden again.

An unpleasant twist in my gut makes itself known. I don't like hiding things from people I care about. But that's not something I'm ready for Liam to know about just yet, especially with the conversation that follows.

I let myself sink into the silence for a moment until my stomach growls again.

God dammit, I forgot about breakfast.

A quick trip down to the main floor finds me in the kitchen again and the smell of cooking bacon only makes me hungrier.

"Who decided to make breakfast?" I ask, settling down on a barstool.

Steve raises his unoccupied hand, turning over the food on the stove.

"Hungry?"

"Starving"

He laughs. Breakfast is not a laughing matter.

"It should be done in a few minutes, can you set the table?"

"Sure"

I hop down from my perch and grab the correct silverware and crockery. Opting for placemats rather than a tablecloth.

The bacon is finished and placed on the table, soon joined by pancakes, eggs and juice. Attracting the rest of my family over to the table.

A chorus of thank yous directed at Steve are the usual, before everyone digs into the meal. Comfortable silence enveloping the room.

However, it was only a short span of time before I knew we were going to be questioned.

"Are you guys ready for your mission?"

I look up at the question, dad eyeing the two of us.

A glance at Liam gives me my answer.

"Yeah, we'll be fine, get in and get out"

There is a beat of anticipating silence.

"Are you guys allowed to know about it?" Liam broaches.

I scan around the table and Tony's smirk does not go unnoticed.

"What have you done?"

He goes to respond in protest, Bruce cuts him off.

"Tony is already hacking your file. You may as well tell us, we'll find out soon enough."

I sigh.

It's not a stretch for Tony to have hacked our file. In fact I'm surprised it's taken this long for him to do so.

"It's in Russia"