by Anna Hackett
They all headed down a wide hallway. It was lined with large, glass windows that offered glimpses into different rooms—a large rec room with a kitchen, offices.
They moved through a set of doors and into a lab.
Oh. January looked around with interest. Mostly, she preferred being in the field, but this laboratory was clearly top-of-the-line.
“Put it on the bench,” a gruff voice said.
January turned and spied a large, African-American man in a lab coat. He had a powerful body, intense brown eyes, and a well-groomed goatee. This was Dr. Ty Sampson, medical doctor and all-round genius.
“Hey, Ty.” Blair pulled herself onto an empty bench. “The jungle was hot and humid, and full of mosquitoes. Oh, and assholes shooting at us. But we’re fine, thanks for asking.”
Ty ignored her. “Over here.” He pointed to an empty bench.
Lachlan set the containment box down and opened the case.
Ty moved closer, but January saw him pause near Blair and raise a hand. He shone a penlight in her eye. “You look healthy to me.”
Blair batted his hand away, but they were both smiling.
Ty’s gaze switched to January. “Glad to see that you’re all in one piece, and not dead.”
“Aw, I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy, Ty.” January actually had a soft spot for the grumpy genius.
“Now, can we please take a look at this damn artifact?”
“Wow, Ty said please,” Axel said, with a look of mock shock on his face.
The big doctor scowled and nudged the covering off the sphere.
“Did we miss anything?” Two people pushed through the doors, and into the lab.
Because January was standing between Seth and Smith, she noted Smith stiffen minutely. Hmm. She would have guessed that nothing ever put the big, tough Smith on edge.
“Happy to see you guys not filled with bullet holes.” Brooks Jameson grinned at them all.
The comms guru had thick, brown hair that looked like it needed a cut, dark-framed glasses on a handsome face, and a gray T-shirt stretched over his muscled chest. The sleeves of the shirt bit into his biceps and showed off the ink on his arms. He shifted, and she saw the shirt had a picture of Darth Vader on the front with “Who’s your daddy?” written beneath it. She swallowed a smile.
The woman beside him was… January blinked. She was gorgeous. She had sunny blonde hair, a beautiful pixie face, and a blinding smile. She wore a plain, white T-shirt pulled over gorgeous breasts, and tight jeans that showed off a killer figure and long legs.
“Kinsey,” Smith growled. “What are you doing here?”
Kinsey winked at Smith. “They do let me out of the Bunker once in a while, big guy.”
As the woman took in Smith’s unsmiling face, her smile faltered, but then resumed full wattage. She came forward to shake January’s hand.
“I’m Kinsey Beck. I run things in Las Vegas and keep these badasses organized when they’re in town.”
“January James.”
“Oh, I know.” Another blinding smile and January had to shake her head to clear it. The woman should be on stage, or a movie star.
Ty made a sound, and January turned. With gloved hands, he was lifting the jade sphere out of the box.
“Where’s Nat?” Axel asked.
January knew Natalie Blackwell, too. She was the Team 52 archeologist.
“At a conference,” Ty said. “She’s on her way in.”
Ty set the sphere onto a small stand on the bench. A hush fell over the room.
“Pretty thing,” Kinsey murmured.
Seth leaned forward. “From what I saw, it caused plant growth to accelerate. Vines grew up in hours.”
Ty grunted and tapped on a large screen. “I’ll run several tests, and we’ll work it out.”
Brooks leaned against the bench, tablet in hand. “I’ve been running searches on the warriors of Gaia. I found something.”
January straightened, and watched the entire team go on alert.
“In Greek mythology, Gaia was the goddess of the Earth,” Brooks said. “The mother of all life.”
“Okay,” Lachlan said. “And?”
“There are also businesses, charities, and organizations with the word Gaia in their name. I found one charitable organization called the Guardians of Gaia. Their mission is to protect the environment. They do good work.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Blair said.
“They run fundraisers, save endangered animals, help clean up toxic spills. All above-board.” Brooks paused. “But then I dug deeper, and deeper.”
“They were hiding something,” Lachlan said.
Brooks nodded. “Deep. I found references to the Knights of Gaia. They are definitely connected to the Guardians of Gaia.”
January really wasn’t liking the sound of this.
“The Knights appear to be the militant arm of Guardians of Gaia. The Knights are dedicated to protecting the environment…and they don’t care how they go about doing that.”
January frowned. She really couldn’t see dedicated environmentalists out murdering people and shooting down planes.
Brooks looked around. “The Guardians of Gaia are a legitimate charity, but the Knights of Gaia are ecoterrorists.”
“Shit,” Axel muttered.
“I’ve heard of them,” Smith said. “A group attacked a mining operation in Colorado, up in the mountains. There were whispers about who was responsible.”
Brooks nodded. “That was the Knights, although they never publicly claimed responsibility. They are secretive, real secretive.”
“What did they do?” January asked.
“They blew the mine sky-high,” Brooks said. “Killed twenty workers in the process.”
January pulled in a sharp breath and heard hisses around her.
“They operate in small cells,” Brooks continued. “They keep contact between cells limited, so that if one is caught, they can’t link to others.”
“Clever,” Seth said.
Brooks tapped on his tablet, and then turned it to show them some images. The images included the shell of a bombed building near a beach, a large, fire-ravaged house hugging the side of a forested mountain, and what she guessed was the destroyed mine nestled in a valley.
“The Knights of Gaia have also been stepping up their recruiting activities over the last year,” Brooks said.
January wrapped her arms around her middle. The Knights of Gaia had shot down her plane, killed three of her people, and tried to kill her. She glanced up and saw Seth frowning.
“Get to the point, Brooks,” Seth said.
“I had to dig deep, but I found some info on the dark web. Including their manifesto.”
“And?” Seth prompted.
“Within a decade, the Knights of Gaia have vowed that there will be no cars, no industry, and no cities. That nothing but a clear, green Earth will exist.”
January sucked in a breath. “They want to destroy all the cities?”
“They’re fanatics,” Brooks said. “And very dedicated to their cause.”
“Shit,” Seth muttered.
“All right, everyone out of my lab,” Ty said. “I have work to do.”
They filed out.
“I’ll keep running the Knights.” Brooks tucked his tablet under his arm.
“We need the main cell locations, Brooks,” Lachlan said. “We need to find that sphere.”
Brooks shoved his glasses farther up on his nose. “On it.”
“Everyone, get some rest,” Lachlan said. “If Brooks gets a location on the Knights, we need everyone ready to move quickly.”
“I’ll show January to some quarters,” Seth said.
“Room T15 is free,” Brooks said.
As everyone split off, heading in different directions, Seth led January down another corridor. Despite her nap on the plane, her energy was dragging.
Seth opened a door. “It’s nothing fancy.”
She too
k it all in. There was a bed, a desk, and a small door leading to what she guessed was a bathroom. As with everything at the base, it was decorated in black.
“You know I’m used to tents and jungle.” She smiled at him. “And, as you like to remind me, I spend a lot of time in mud.”
“Then enjoy living it up, James.”
She stepped inside. A proper hot shower was going to feel like heaven.
“There’ll be a change of clothes in the closet,” Seth said. “Fatigues.”
“Ooh, the high life.”
He shook his head. “I’m across the hall, if you need anything.”
He turned to leave, but she reached out and grabbed his wrist.
Their gazes met, and they stared at each other for a beat. “Thanks again for saving me.”
“You already thanked me.”
“Well, I’m really happy to be alive.” He’d stepped in front of bullets for her and kept her from losing it. “So, thanks again.”
“Just doing my job.”
The strangest pain burned through her chest. His job. Right. That’s all it was.
She dropped his wrist. “Of course.” She gave him another nod, and then closed the door.
Chapter Eight
Feeling unsettled, Seth crossed the hall to his quarters.
But all he kept seeing was how January’s eyes had gone blank. She’d thanked him, and he’d made it sound like she’d just been something to check off on a list.
He stepped inside. He kept his room neat. The only additions that made it look different from January’s quarters were a few books on the desk, and a framed, black-and-white print of the famous Las Vegas sign on the wall. He’d taken the picture himself.
It had been too damn long since he’d picked up his Canon. Photography relaxed him. Finding the right shot, getting the light right. It took patience and skill, and while he focused on getting the perfect shot, it cleared his mind.
His mind sure as hell wasn’t clear right now. Seth started pacing in the small space. He felt on edge. Usually after a mission ended, he relaxed. When the adrenaline high was gone, he crashed, slept, and got ready for the next emergency.
But he kept seeing January’s face. She’d been rock solid on their dash through the jungle. No matter what they’d faced, she’d hit it head-on.
Shaking his head, he headed for the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. He’d done his job and rescued her. That’s all there was between him and January James, except for a few heated words when they clashed over something.
Flicking the shower on, he climbed in, bending his head and letting the water hit him. He tried to relax his tense muscles. He knew it was necessary in this kind of work to learn to switch off during down times, otherwise you risked burning out.
He’d just rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, when he heard a knock at the door in the other room.
Dammit. He shut the water off, grabbed a towel, and quickly swiped it across his chest before he tugged it around his hips. It was probably Brooks with information on the Knights of Gaia.
Seth yanked open his door.
January stood there, wearing a borrowed black shirt that swamped her frame. Her damp hair looked shades darker, and fell loose over her shoulders.
His gaze dropped, and he realized that the shirt was the only thing she was wearing. His cock took notice, and his gaze traveled down her bare legs.
Shit. He jerked his gaze up. “You okay?” Don’t get hard, Lynch. The damn towel wouldn’t hide his hard-on.
She looked frozen. She was staring at his bare chest.
He stiffened as well. It was his damn scars. They weren’t as bad as his face, but they weren’t pretty. The bastards who’d tortured him hadn’t mucked around.
Then he realized she wasn’t looking at his scars. She was watching a drop of water as it snaked down his chest.
“January?”
She blinked and moved forward. She quickly shoved her way inside and closed the door.
He frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I didn’t want to be alone, and nothing’s wrong now. Not anymore.”
She looked up at him and there was heat in her eyes. She pressed her hands to his bare chest, went up on her toes, and crushed her mouth to his.
Fuck. Fuck.
Seth wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss. He backed her up against the door, his tongue delving inside her mouth. Damn, she could kiss, and she tasted so damn good.
She moaned, a sound that vibrated through him. He boosted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“What are we doing?” he said.
“If you don’t know, then you aren’t as sharp as I thought.” She nipped his stubbled jaw.
He took her mouth again. The kiss was hot and hard, with lots of tongue. She’d brushed her teeth and tasted like mint. Then, she undulated against him.
Another husky moan. “God, you’re so hard. All of you.”
He was hard in lots of places, and she was soft in all the right places. He kissed her again, trying to get his brain to function. “January—”
“Don’t talk, Lynch.” Her hands sank into his hair, pulling hard. She bit his lip. “When you do, you often annoy me.”
Damn. Always the ballbuster. Still, his cock was so hard it hurt. “We should talk—”
“No.” Another nip. “There are better things we can do.”
Seth reminded himself that twenty-four hours ago, he’d thought this vibrant woman was dead. And it had gutted him.
Now, here she was in his arms, and she was alive. Very alive. He slid his hands up under the shirt. So definitely alive.
She kissed him again and pleasure flooded him. Maybe talking wasn’t the way to go right now. His fingers brushed the curls at the juncture of her thighs. She wasn’t wearing any panties. All he felt was January.
He groaned.
“Right there, Seth. I need you inside me.” She rocked against him. “Fuck me, please.”
He took her mouth again and, as they kissed, her hands fumbled at his waist, pushing his towel away.
“God, your body.” She ran her hands over his abs, then up his chest. He stiffened for a second. Women either pretended his scars didn’t exist and gave him wide berth, or they got a slightly sick look on their faces.
January didn’t even seem to notice. She ran her hands over his skin—scars and all.
“I love your tattoo as well.” Then her fingers traveled back down. She reached between them and found his cock.
Shit. He bucked against her and she pumped him.
“Wow,” she breathed against his lips. “There’s a lot of you.” She stroked him.
Holding on to the last, desperate strand of his control, he grabbed her wrist. “Wait.”
“Why?” Hazel eyes met his.
In that moment, he felt the irresistible pull of her. The connection between them. He’d bedded some stunning women, but none had made him feel quite like this. None had left him unable to string words together.
“You should know that I’m on birth control. I had a physical before the dig, and I’m clean.”
Seth groaned again.
“And I suspect they give you regular checks around here. Are you healthy?”
Seth’s brain finally ticked over. “Yeah.”
January stroked his cock again, increasing her pace. “I need you inside me.”
“God, you turn me inside out.”
She smiled. “Good.” Then she nipped his jaw. “And if you tell anyone about this…”
He moved his mouth to her ear and bit her back. “Just you and me, hellcat.”
He pinned her to the wall, spreading her legs and grinding his cock against her. She was warm and wet, and they both groaned. Then he tore her shirt open, sending buttons pinging onto the floor. He pushed her up and took one nipple in his mouth.
“Yes.” Her hands were in his hair again.
&
nbsp; She had gorgeous, full breasts, and pretty, pink nipples. He lavished them with attention. God, he could spend all day right here.
But something niggled at him. He lifted his head. “Wait.”
She huffed out a breath. “I never expected you to talk this much. You strike me as an action man.”
“I need to—”
“No,” she urged. “No talking.”
“You’ve had a traumatic experience, January.” Shit. He could be an asshole sometimes, but even for him, taking advantage of a vulnerable woman didn’t sit well.
She growled. “My mind is functioning just fine, Lynch. Now slide that thick cock inside me.”
He groaned. He couldn’t fight the pull of her anymore. He moved his hips and his cock slid along her wet folds. They both groaned. God, she felt so good.
He cupped her ass in both hands and rubbed against her again. Sensation rolled through him.
“Seth.” It was half plea, half complaint.
He met her hazel eyes, and they were filled with fierce desire. Her face was flushed with need.
He couldn’t stop. He thrust his cock inside her.
Her head fell back on a cry, and Seth groaned deep. She was tight as hell.
“Fuck, January.”
“Usually when you say those two words, you’re pissed at me.” Her voice was breathy, with the slightest hint of amusement.
He sure as hell wasn’t pissed at her now. He was too busy enjoying the sensations of her heat clamped on his cock. He pulled out and slid back in.
They both moaned.
“Never gone without a condom,” he said.
She stilled. “Never?”
“Never.” He’d never been with a woman long enough to head in that direction. Hell, he’d never trusted a woman not to lie to him.
“Live it up, 007.” She moved, biting his ear. “If it feels half as good as how it feels to have you filling me up—”
Seth lost his control. He thrust into her, hard and firm. He lost any hope of conscious thought. He was just lost in January, absorbing her warmth, and savoring the feel of her. Her sharp breaths puffed on his cheek with every thrust.
Alive. She was alive.
“Harder,” she cried.