by Anna Hackett
Quick as lightning, Santha and Claudia dropped their guns and drew their combat knives.
The velox kept coming. Its red eyes glowed—blazing with hunger and rage.
Cruz’s stomach went tight, but as the creature advanced, the women moved together in a lethal dance.
“Holy shit,” Shaw said from beside Cruz, his eyes wide. “Fucking poetry in motion.”
They were. The women worked together, using each other to distract and attack. One would draw the alien out, while the other would slide in to cut and stab at the creature’s softer underbelly.
Blood slicked down the sides of the velox and Santha and Claudia never stopped moving.
“We have to go.” Marcus said, bringing Cruz back to reality.
He wanted to curse, but he thought he’d get another reprimand from the girl. With one last glance at his woman, he followed the rest of his team.
Elle came on the line. “In another few hundred meters you’ll see a paved area with a fountain. The Hawk’s landing there now.”
They hustled toward the Hawk and every step of the way, Cruz thought of Santha. Was she okay? Had they killed it? Had it managed to hit her?
She’d survived a long time alone, doing very dangerous things. He knew she’d be fine and she’d kick his ass for worrying so much.
Didn’t make it any easier, though.
They rounded a corner and spotted the Hawk. As they neared, the side door slid open and Finn appeared, waving them in.
They loaded the patients in. Those well enough to sit were strapped into seats. Emerson moved between the stretchers, locking them into place and checking on the occupants. The girl was looking glassy-eyed and lethargic. Cruz was starting to worry something else might be wrong with her. He tried to set her down on one of the seats in the Hawk.
“No.” She clung to him, her face filled with terror.
“You’re safe now. Sit here and we’ll take off soon.”
She clamped her thin arms and legs around him and shook her head.
Cruz glanced up and saw Reed was having similar trouble with Dr. Vasin. The woman was clinging to him like her survival depended on it.
Shit. Cruz didn’t want the girl to panic or for him to hurt her, so he gave in with a sigh. He tucked her head against his shoulder. “All right. Just hold on, okay?”
Another nod. One that made something warm glow in his chest.
Across from him, Reed sat, cradling Dr. Vasin to him.
Cruz shifted a little so he could glance at his watch. Santha and Claudia still weren’t back.
Marcus was standing at the side of the Hawk, one arm gripping the doorframe above his head. He was scowling.
Cruz knew they couldn’t risk sitting here too long. The raptors would send reinforcements.
Where the hell were Santha and Claudia?
“We need to get going, Marcus,” Finn called out from the cockpit.
“One more minute,” Marcus barked back. “We don’t leave anyone behind.”
Cruz knew Marcus wouldn’t leave the women. Hell, Cruz had seen him disobey direct commands to make sure they never left a man behind, but, Cruz glanced at the girl, they couldn’t risk these innocent people’s lives.
“They’ll be here,” Shaw said from behind Cruz.
But the sniper had a worried look on his face.
Just then, Santha and Claudia sprinted out from around the building. Cruz’s heart knocked against his ribs. They were both splattered in blood, but they were alive.
Then he saw what was chasing them.
The rex was taller than the buildings around them. It stomped on out onto the street on its massive clawed feet. Then it arched its neck, gave an earsplitting roar and flashed sharp teeth as long as Cruz’s forearm.
“Finn, take off,” Marcus shouted.
What? Santha and Claudia were still meters away. “Marcus—”
He shot Cruz a hot look. “Stay two meters off the ground. Once Santha and Claudia are aboard, get us out of here. Fast.”
The Hawk lifted. Ahead, Claudia was running, arms pumping. Santha was two meters behind her. As Claudia neared, she leaped into the air. Shaw reached out, grabbed her arm, and hauled her in.
Santha did the same, taking a graceful leap. Marcus grabbed her, and a second later she was in the Hawk.
“Go!” Marcus roared.
The rex roared as well, picking up speed.
The Hawk shot upward fast, then spun, rising higher and higher. Air roared past the still-open door.
Below, the rex, robbed of its meal, turned in frustrated circles and stamped its feet.
Santha’s gaze hit Cruz’s. She was panting, her hair soaked with sweat and blood. Damn, he still thought she looked beautiful.
She moved over to him, ran a hand gently over the girl’s head, then reached up and yanked his face to hers.
Alive. As she kissed the hell out of him, that was all Cruz could think. She was beating with life and passion and courage, and he wanted more of it.
***
Santha paced the tunnel outside the infirmary.
Doc Emerson and her team had been in there for what felt like forever, working on the rescued prisoners.
The rest of Hell Squad waited with Santha, everyone still in their armor and wearing the bloody remnants of their battle. She walked past Cruz standing with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the wall. Then past Shaw and Claudia, who were bickering about something to do with thermo bullets and reload speeds. Santha had spent enough time with them now to know it was their way to deal with the tension. And on top of that, they seemed to enjoy it. Gabe was watching them and shaking his head.
Santha stopped, swiveled and glanced at the infirmary door. Come on, open. She paced back the way she’d come.
She reached Marcus, where he stood with his arms wrapped around Elle. He was talking quietly with Reed. Santha guessed from the fact that Reed wasn’t injured, and hadn’t run off screaming, that he’d made the cut as a member of Hell Squad.
Elle cleared her throat. “I just wanted you all to know I asked Noah to work on finding the location of the second lab. He’s scouring Santha’s data again and cross-referencing with drone feed. As soon as he has something, he’ll let us know.”
Santha traded a dark glance with Cruz. The longer it took, the more people who would suffer…die. Dammit to hell.
Suddenly, the door opened. Santha stopped in her tracks and felt the tension spike in the rest of the squad.
Emerson looked three steps beyond exhausted. The doctor’s blonde hair was damp at the temples and she had a smear of blood on one cheek. Dark circles underscored her eyes.
“We lost one,” she said quietly.
Santha’s heart spasmed. Oh, God. Please, not the little girl.
Emerson released a long breath. “He was too far gone. The damage those bastards had inflicted was too extensive.” She managed a wan smile. “The others are all stabilized.”
Marcus clapped a big hand on the doctor’s shoulder. “Good job, Doc.”
“Can we see them?” Reed asked.
“Yes. But keep the visits quick. Many of them are sedated.”
Santha stepped forward, felt Cruz’s arm brush hers as he joined her. “The girl?”
The doctor’s smile widened. “Her name’s Bryony. She’s eating ice cream.”
Santha laughed. “Really?”
“Yep. I’ve removed the wiring the raptors left in her, but I still need to do more scans to assess the damage.” Doc Emerson’s mouth tightened. “For now, she seems fine.” The doctor’s gaze moved to Cruz. “She’d like to see you both.”
Santha and Cruz shuffled into the infirmary. Most of the patients were tucked into the row of bunks, sedated and sleeping. Dr. Vasin sat on her bunk, her knees to her chest and her thin arms wrapped around them.
Bryony, dressed in a fresh infirmary gown, sat on a stool at a nearby table, spooning ice cream so fast into her mouth, Santha was worried she’d get brain free
ze. The girl looked up, spotted them, then gave them a shy smile.
“How are you feeling?” Santha asked, wanting to touch her but not wanting to scare her.
“The ice cream is yummy.” She set the spoon down and ran a self-conscious hand over her uneven hair.
Santha made a mental note to see about finding someone who could cut it for her. Emerson had covered the girl’s head wounds with small med-patches. Santha really hoped the nano-meds could repair the damage.
Cruz tweaked the girl’s nose. “Glad you’re doing better. I think you’ll like it here.”
Bryony nodded. “There are lots of flavors of ice cream. The doctor said I have to stay here for now. Until she fixes me all up.” The girl tilted her head. “Will you stay with me?” Her gaze was all for Cruz this time.
Santha smothered a smile. She could hardly blame the girl for falling into hero worship for the big, strong man who’d saved her.
“We have to go.” Cruz tipped the girl’s chin up. “I have more people to help.”
She considered for a second. “Okay.”
“But I have some friends, their names are Leo and Clare. I thought they could visit you.”
“Are they old?”
Cruz’s lips quirked. “Not like me. They’re just a bit older than you.” He tweaked her nose again. “Santha and I will come and see you as soon as we get back.”
Bryony’s green eyes clouded. “You’re going after them? The other people who are trapped?”
Santha nodded. “We will. But first we have to find them.”
“Good.” Bryony wrapped her arms around her middle. “It’s horrible with…them.” The last word came out as a tortured whisper.
Cruz touched her cheek. “We don’t know where the lab is, but we’ll work non-stop until we find it.” It was a promise Cruz vowed to keep.
“Remember, it’s under the broken bridge.” Bryony shuddered. “I hated that scary face.”
This time, Santha let herself touch the girl, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to worry about anything scary anymore. We’ll see you when we get back.”
Together, Santha and Cruz strode out of the infirmary. On the way out, Santha saw Reed sitting next to Dr. Vasin, murmuring quietly to her.
“Lots of broken bridges in a city built on a harbor,” Cruz said.
“Yes, but it gives us somewhere to start.”
“Let’s go grab a quick shower and then give Elle and Noah a prod.”
Santha nodded at Cruz’s suggestion. At least they’d be doing something.
Chapter Fourteen
Santha stalked down the tunnel towards Cruz’s quarters. She was frustrated, tired and edgy all at once.
She’d hung over Noah and Elle’s shoulders until Noah had threatened to physically toss her out of his computer lab if she didn’t leave. Santha sniffed. Damn, the man was grumpy. She’d only been trying to help find the location of the damn lab.
Cruz had disappeared an hour ago. Santha wondered if she could talk him into another sparring match.
She reached his door and pressed her palm to the lock. He’d told her he’d asked Noah to program her in. It beeped and the door opened.
The smell that hit her made her stomach clench and her mouth water. She smelled spices that made her think of family and better times. Turmeric, coriander and cumin.
She stepped inside. “What’s going on?”
Cruz looked up from where he stood at the tiny stove in the kitchenette. He held a large spoon in one hand. “I’ve made us dinner.”
An unidentifiable emotion rose up and clamped around her throat. This man, a battle-hardened soldier, had made her favorite meal. One she hadn’t tasted in over a year. She just stared at him.
He shifted self-consciously under her scrutiny and waved the spoon. “Come and try it. I had to beg the chef for the spices. I wasn’t sure of the exact amounts so I had to wing it a bit. And I managed to get some real chicken.” He grimaced. “I won’t tell you what I had to promise Old Man Hamish in return.”
“Old Man Hamish?”
“He runs the hydroponic garden and also keeps a few chickens. Guards them like they lay golden eggs. Anyway, I didn’t want to ruin this by using protein substitute.”
Santha swallowed the lump in her throat and moved up beside him. In the pan, succulent pieces of chicken simmered in the sauce with a variety of vegetables. “It smells perfect.”
“How are Noah and Elle doing?”
Santha screwed up her nose. “Nothing yet. They’re running searches and cross referencing information…but they said it’ll take time.” Time those poor people didn’t have.
Cruz grabbed her shoulder, squeezed. “We’ll find it.” He pulled away to stir the pan. “I checked on Bryony. She was sleeping.”
Probably the first real sleep she’d had in a long time. Santha tried to focus on the girl and the others they had managed to rescue.
The auto-oven beeped. Cruz grabbed a kitchen towel and opened it. He pulled out a small tray of chapattis.
Now she was truly speechless.
He pulled a face. “I can’t claim the credit for these. Chef made them after I pleaded pitifully…there might have even been a bit of begging.”
“Cruz—”
He smiled and nudged her toward the two-seater table. “Sit.”
She did, and watched him serve up the meal. She tried the curry with an undeniable mix of trepidation and excitement, and, while it mightn’t have tasted exactly like Kareena’s, it was good. The best curry she’d had in a long time.
Santha reached out and grabbed his hand. “Thank you.”
Cruz looked up from his meal. “You’re welcome.” He broke off a piece of chapatti. “You know, I fully expect you to make me tamales sometime.”
She shook her head as she took another mouthful of curry. “I’d probably kill you. Cooking is not my best skill.”
His eyes warmed. “Well, luckily, you have plenty of other skills to make up for it.”
They finished their meal and Santha couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed.
Then she remembered the lab and tension crept back in like a thief in the night.
Cruz must have noticed, because he stood and nodded his head toward the small seating area. “Come curl up on the couch.”
Santha watched him walk over to the living space. His worn jeans hugged his damn fine ass, and his T-shirt stretched hard over his muscles. She felt a lick of heat inside. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of watching him.
When he picked up the guitar from the corner, she smiled. “You going to serenade me?”
He settled on the coffee table in front of her and positioned the beaten-up instrument on his lap. “Something like that.” His gaze traced over her face. “My muse seems to be back with a vengeance.”
Santha’s pulse jumped.
His hot gaze speared into her. “I feel the music again.” He started strumming.
Santha felt the music wash over her. She watched, entranced, as he leaned over the instrument and made music that caused goose bumps to flicker over her skin. His Latin heritage was obvious in the sound, conjuring up images of twirling women in colorful skirts, or sexy lovers moving against each other.
As he played, all the thoughts and worries and concerns drained from her head. Santha knew it was nothing more than a temporary reprieve, but she’d take it.
He moved onto a different song. She thought about closing her eyes, but she really liked watching him. The way his big hands moved so competently over the strings. The way he moved his head to the music, lost in the magic.
The next song was so sexy, it sent a languid warmth through her body. And made her want to dance.
With him, she felt comfortable enough to shake off some inhibitions. She stood. She hadn’t danced in what felt like forever. Since the last time Kareena had dragged her out to a club for a girls’ night out. The thought of Kareena laughing and dancing to a frantic beat ma
de Santha smile.
Santha tugged the tie out of her hair. The dark locks fell over her shoulders. Then she swayed to the rhythm, finding the beat. She raised her hands and closed her eyes. Feeling what he poured into the music deep down to her bones.
Santha did a slow turn and opened her eyes.
He was watching her with an intensity that stole her breath. There was sex and desire and other unnamable emotions in the deep brown of his eyes. Heat flashed through her.
“Take off your clothes,” he murmured.
Another wave of heat, this one strong enough to make her legs feel weak. She lifted a hand to the buttons on her shirt and flicked the first one open.
As she worked her way down the row of buttons, his gaze remained glued to her hand. He didn’t falter on the music and she smiled. Oh, but she wanted his full attention.
She shrugged her shoulders and the shirt fell to the floor. She unsnapped her trousers and kicked them off. As she stood there in simple, black cotton underwear, she wished she owned something lacy, something sexier.
“Mi reina.” But his voice and those eyes made her realize he didn’t really care what she wore.
Still swaying to the music, she unclipped her bra and dropped it to the floor. She cupped her breasts and watched his eyes flare.
God, she felt…powerful. Powerful and desired.
She slipped her thumbs in the sides of her panties, then leaned over and tugged them down her legs. Then, completely naked, she resumed her dancing. Dancing for him.
Cruz’s face looked stark, the desire in his eyes like a firestorm. “You are so fucking sexy.”
He kept playing and she kept dancing, the tension stretching tight between them.
“Touch yourself.” His voice was a low growl.
Biting her lip, Santha let a hand drift down her belly. She slipped her fingers between her legs and found her clit. “Oh.”
This time, his fingers messed up, striking a bad note on the guitar.
He muttered a curse and set the instrument aside. “I’m going to eat you now. And I’m not going to stop until you come on my tongue.”