by Anna Hackett
“Thanks,” Roth said with a nod. He caught a glimpse of a large bathtub. Jesus, a tub. He’d never been a bath man, but when you no longer had a choice—because baths at Blue Mountain Base were a rarity—you suddenly missed what you didn’t have.
“Ah, and the captain’s ordered someone to be on duty out in the hall. To ensure your security.”
Avery made a small sound and Roth squeezed her arm. Yeah, they both knew the guard wasn’t for their security. “Thank you.”
As soon as the soldier was gone, Roth moved to the door and opened the electronic door lock panel. “Avery, can you reprogram the door lock to only work for us?”
A muscle ticked in her jaw, but she nodded and set to work. Roth pulled his mini-tablet from his boot and pulled up the data from the mini-drone. He looked at Avery and paused. She had her tongue between her teeth as she worked. It was kind of cute.
He looked back at his screen and tapped in some commands. “Okay, I have the drone coming back to our area. If anyone other than a single guard enters the corridor out there, an alarm will sound.”
Avery set the panel back on the lock controls. “Done. No one can open this door but us.”
“Good work.”
“Roth, we have to get out of here.”
“I know.”
“I don’t trust Howell.”
Nor did Roth. He touched her hair, tucking a strand back behind her ear. “We’ll get out.”
“You have a plan?”
He sank onto the bed. “Not yet. I really, really wish I could contact my squad.”
She started pacing. “We could sneak out, knock our guard out, and search for a comms room.”
“The place is huge, Avery. Unless the drone’s picked something up, we could spend the next week looking around, searching for comms devices.”
“Then we focus on getting out. Howell can’t risk keeping us alive and jeopardizing his cushy existence.”
Roth wanted to hold her close and take away her pain. “I know.” His hands curled into fists. “I can kill him for you, before we leave.”
“Roth.” She closed the distance and stepped in front of him. “Howell has stolen enough from me.” She cupped Roth’s cheek. “No more.”
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her in between his legs. He pressed his face to her belly. “No more.”
The door chimed and they pulled apart. What now? With a scowl, Roth strode over and touched the panel. “What?”
“You have a visitor,” the guard said.
With a glance at Avery, Roth opened the door.
And saw Bastian standing there.
***
“Bastian?” Avery said.
He shot them a lopsided grin. “Hi.”
“Five minutes, B,” the guard said. “Then you need to be gone.”
The boy nodded. As the door closed, Bastian studied Avery. “You look mad.”
She huffed out a breath. “Yeah, I am.”
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Mr. Howell…he really did what you said? Gave you to the aliens?”
“Yes. He did.”
That same, sad look from earlier crossed Bastian’s face. “My parents. They lived here, too. They spoke out against Mr. Howell. They said we should be fighting the aliens, not hiding.”
Oh, no. “What happened to your parents, Bastian?”
“Mr. Howell banished them.” A ragged whisper. “That’s why I go out. I hope I might find them.”
Avery closed her eyes. How many others had been banished? She’d thought Scott and Ivanov seemed genuine, but maybe they were just Howell’s lackeys. When she opened her eyes, she stared at the young boy.
He was so young. He should have been safe with his family, going to school, playing. Damn the Gizzida and Howell. “That isn’t safe, Bastian.”
The boy’s jaw firmed. “I’m good at it.”
She sighed. Yeah, she guessed he was. The aliens had stolen so much, and that clearly included the innocence of children like Bastian.
“I brought something for you.” Bastian managed a shy smile. He held out a small, clear packet filled with pale-pink grains. “Bath salts. You were injured, and these are supposed to help. Some of the people here make them.”
Avery took the package. “Thank you, Bastian. This is just about the best gift I could have received today.” She smiled. “There are no bathtubs at our base, so I’ll enjoy using these.”
A flush again. “You’re welcome.”
Roth crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned against the wall. “Bastian, you know we aren’t staying, right?”
Bastian’s smile evaporated and his feet shifted restlessly. “Yeah. Maybe…maybe I could come with you?”
Avery straightened, and saw Roth do the same.
“You have friends here. It’s the safest place you could be,” Roth said.
“What if my parents are at your base?”
Avery’s heart broke. God. There was so much longing and hope in those words.
Roth took a deep breath. “I can check for you. But you can’t get your hopes up, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Damn.” Roth raked a hand through his hair. “I wish I could get in contact with my team.”
“I…uh—”
Avery and Roth both pinned the boy with their gazes. “What is it, Bastian?” she asked.
“I have a radio. I made it.”
Roth went still, just staring at the boy.
“You made a radio,” Avery said.
He nodded. “I’ve never used it to contact anyone, but sometimes I pick up voices.”
“Can we see it, Bastian?” Roth asked.
Another nod. “But—” the boy’s voice trailed off.
Feeling protective, Avery stepped closer. “It’s okay, Bastian.”
“I made the radio myself. Most of it’s from junk…but I had to, uh…borrow a few parts from storage. Mr. Howell doesn’t know.” Bastian fidgeted. “He’d be mad.”
“We won’t be sharing with him, kid,” Roth said. “Anything at all.”
“Okay.” Bastian reached for the bag slung over his shoulder. He paused again. “You’ll really check?”
“Yes.” Roth touched Bastian’s shoulder. “I promise.”
Watching Roth with Bastian made some of Avery’s earlier anger flare. Howell was selfish scum, nothing at all compared to a true hero like Roth.
“If you want to come to the base, we’ll take you,” Avery said.
Roth frowned. “Avery—”
“We’ll take care of him, Roth. Here, they sent his parents away and left him an orphan. He deserves better.”
“I know that. But our base isn’t safe anymore.”
Bastian considered. “There’s good food there?”
“Yes. I work with the chef, so I can guarantee that.” Avery wanted to hug him, but she’d been a child alone. She knew he wouldn’t accept it. “And there’s a school, as well. And an awesome tech team who make all kinds of gadgets like your radio and that little insect bomb you designed.”
“A tech team,” he breathed.
A heavy sensation formed in Avery’s belly. She reminded herself that the base wasn’t safe. Was it the right thing to do, to take Bastian from this place, where he was at least alive, to somewhere that could get him killed?
Bastian reached into his bag and rummaged around. He pulled out a small, but bulky, radio made of a mishmash of parts.
Roth took the device. “Holy hell, kid. Noah—the grumpy guy who runs our tech team—would recruit you in a second.”
Avery watched Bastian help Roth adjust it and explained the tiny flat screen panel and the controls.
“Blue Mountain Base, are you there?” Frowning, Roth adjusted it again. “Blue Mountain Base. Arden? You on the comm?”
Avery held her breath and stared at the small radio. All they heard was a mocking silence.
“This is Masters. Anyone there?”
He kept trying, but when
he cursed under his breath, Avery’s shoulders slumped. She touched Bastian’s shoulder. “It was worth a try. Thank you.”
“Roth!”
The scratchy voice exploded through the radio, and all three of them started.
“Roth, oh my God. Are you okay?”
Roth lifted the radio. “Mac?”
“I’m here. Jesus, we found the wreckage of the Darkswift. We thought you were dead.”
“Sorry, Carides. I’m still breathing.” Roth released a breath. “It is good to hear your voice. You and the squad made it back to base okay?”
“We did. We searched for you guys as long as we could. Avery okay?”
“Yeah. She’s here with me.”
“Where are you?” Mac demanded.
“Avery and I made it to a nearby town. Then we ran into soldiers from Howell’s bunker. He calls it the Enclave.”
“Jesus,” Mac said.
“Mac, it’s in the Saddleback mine. I confirm, it’s in the mine.”
“Roger that.” There was an expulsion of breath. “Damn, I’m glad you didn’t end up raptor bait.”
“Me too,” Roth said. “Although the Enclave soldiers are of the shoot first, ask questions later variety.”
Mac cursed. “Well, you’re alive. I wouldn’t have wanted to break in a new squad leader.”
Avery watched Roth smile. “Yeah, yeah, Carides.”
“I’ll come out and get you—”
“Night’s too risky. We’re safe for now.”
“Tomorrow morning, then. I’ll probably have to stop Camryn from hijacking a Hawk.”
“You tell Cam I’ll ground her for the next three missions if she disobeys orders,” Roth said, his voice firm. “Mac, there are these damn giant alien bugs. That’s what brought our Darkswift down.”
“We saw the bodies.” Mac’s distaste came through loud and clear.
“When you come in tomorrow, you keep an eye out for them. And Mac…bring an extra squad. We don’t trust Howell at all.”
“Got it,” the female soldier said, voice grim. “Sit tight, Roth. I’ll be there in a Hawk tomorrow.”
“Out.” Roth ended the connection. He handed the radio back to Bastian. “You’re a superstar. You keep this.” Roth crouched so he was eye-level with the boy. “Avery and I will leave tomorrow. If you want to come, we’ll take you.”
Bastian gave an eager nod.
Avery couldn’t resist any longer, and ruffled Bastian’s dark hair. “Thanks for your help.”
The flush in Bastian’s cheeks darkened. He backed toward the door. “I’ll be going now. Sleep well.” The door clicked shut behind him.
Roth wandered over and locked the door. Avery’s bad mood crashed back in on her. She wanted to be pummeling Howell with her fists. Emotions clogged her throat. She needed some privacy, to get herself under control again.
Without looking at Roth, she headed for the bathroom. “I’m taking a bath.”
She slammed the door behind her.
Chapter Fifteen
Avery flicked on the taps and watched as steaming water started to fill the tub. God, so many emotions were storming through her, choking her. She wrapped her arms around her middle. She felt like she was a little girl again, struggling inside, and trying to make sure no one saw it.
Behind her, the door swung open and Roth stalked into the bathroom. She stiffened. He walked past her, close enough that he brushed against her arm. He sat on the closed toilet seat and stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.
“You really think I’m going to leave you alone in here?”
“I’m pissed, Roth.” She dumped Bastian’s salts in the swirling water. “I’m so angry at Howell and this place, I can barely breathe. I’m really not very good company.”
She watched as he started pulling off his boots.
“I think you’re hiding from me,” he said. “I can see you’re upset, and that’s okay, Avery.”
But he’d told her he liked her strength, her fierceness. She didn’t feel strong or fierce right now.
Then he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, leaving him in a T-shirt that stretched over his broad chest.
When Avery realized she was drinking him in like a thirsty woman in a desert, she sucked in a breath and spun. She started stripping off her clothes. She pretended she was back in the unisex locker room at the Agency. She’d stripped down to her underwear in front of people a hundred times. This was no different.
As she bent and let her trousers slide down her legs, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him watching her. His entire focus was on her, like he couldn’t look away.
Okay, maybe it was different. This man had fucked her every way possible, but more than that, he seemed to see straight through to the parts of her she wanted to keep hidden.
She straightened and deliberately slowed down. She undid her buttons. One, two, three. Now she turned and saw his glittering gaze, the stark lines of his face, that intense concentration zoomed in on her. She finished slipping the buttons out of their holes, and her shirt hung loose. She knew he could see her black bra and panties.
He drew in a sharp breath, his gaze traveling downward. When he looked up again, his gaze colliding with her eyes, she froze. Molten. Something hot and hungry was alive in his blue eyes.
Avery felt everything in her contract, and a hot pulse throbbed between her legs. She shrugged her shirt off her shoulders and it slithered to the floor.
His gaze moved down her body again. “Is this my punishment?”
She reached behind her back and opened her bra. “For what?” she asked silkily.
His eyes flickered. “For stopping you from beating Howell to a pulp.”
She let the bra drop, enjoyed his hiss of breath. She hooked her fingers on either side of her panties and skimmed them down her legs. “Oh, you mean for your macho alpha shit?”
He was staring at her now. She walked the few steps to the tub, putting as much swing into her hips as she could. It was easy. Knowing Roth was watching her with that intense gaze made her feel sexy.
“I was protecting you.”
She stepped into the tub. She knew he was right, but her emotions weren’t rational. She’d had Howell right there, under her fists and she’d wanted to hurt him. She sank into the water and didn’t quite manage to swallow her moan. The water was fantastic. It lapped around her aching body, and she decided it was a hundred times better than the quick showers she was still getting used to.
Avery finger-combed her tangled hair and let it fall around her. Then she looked up…and gasped.
Roth closed the distance and knelt beside the tub. He leaned in, his face close to hers. “The security team would have hurt you, locked you up, or worse, killed you. I was protecting you, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“I can protect myself,” she bit out.
“I know that. But we’re on these guys’ home turf, and there are more of them than us. Does my protection change the fact that you’re capable as hell?”
Avery stilled, just her hand moving through the water. No, it didn’t. She’d been so incensed by the very sight of Howell that she wasn’t thinking straight. Some of her tension eased. “Roth.”
He reached out, fingering the ends of her hair where it fell into the water. His rough calluses brushed over her collarbone, and she shivered.
“If anyone lays a finger on you, I’ll end them.”
The dark promise in his voice made her belly tighten. It was a fierce declaration…and a promise.
Her gaze wandered over his face, and what she saw scared her a little. He was telling the truth. He would go out there and kill to protect her, even at the expense of his own life. That was what scared her.
She leaned forward and kissed him.
He cupped her cheeks and his tongue pressed against her lips, demanding entrance. She let him in, her tongue sliding along his. He groaned, the kiss turning wild. She clasped his large biceps,
feeling the incredible strength of him in those hard muscles.
Suddenly he stood and then climbed into the tub, clothes and all. Water sloshed on the floor and she gasped through a smile. “Roth.”
He yanked her forward so she fell against his chest. His big body surrounded her.
“Told you that when we got somewhere safe, I was going to fuck you.”
The slow simmer of desire turned hot in a flash. She licked her lips. “This is safe?”
“Door’s locked. The mini-drone is in position. Wish I had my carbine, but I’ve got my secondary combat knife that I had hidden.” He nodded toward the sink and she saw the knife he must have set there before.
He straightened his legs as much as he could and pulled her forward until she straddled him. God, there was something sexy about being naked in the arms of a man who was fully clothed.
As she adjusted her legs either side of his hips, she felt the hard press of a bulge between her legs. They both groaned.
Who was she kidding? She needed him right now. She needed someone to hold on to, and the only one she wanted to hold was Roth. She slammed her mouth to his and kissed him.
***
“Clothes,” Avery gasped.
Roth reluctantly pulled away from Avery and stood. He ripped his shirt off.
“Roth, hurry up.”
He finished shucking his clothes, and they hit the floor with a wet plop. But his gaze was on Avery.
His pulse was hammering in his head. She was leaning over the edge of the tub, baring her back to him and looking back over her shoulder. Her wet hair was slicked back against her skull and there was heat in her eyes.
He’d never seen a sight more tempting or welcoming.
Free of his clothes, his rock-hard erection bobbed in front of him. The vision of thrusting into her, seeing the smooth curves of her ass shove back to meet him, made the muscles in his body stretch tight.
He knelt, shaping his hands over her ass, then he gripped her hips. “You want my cock, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” she hissed.
His thighs bumped against the back of hers and he slid one hand up her spine to cup her shoulder. “You want me to pound into you until you forget, until the anger is gone and all you feel is me?”
She shoved back against him, and his cock rubbed into the crack between her cheeks. Hell, he’d never been this hard, the veins thick, and everything throbbing for release.