She smiled. She’d slept like a rock in Axel’s strong arms. There had been no more nightmares. He’d been gone when she’d woken this morning, but the pillow still had a dent from his head and her sheets held his masculine scent. She hugged the warmth in her chest to herself.
Walking to the doors leading onto her balcony, she pushed the lightweight curtains aside. The curve of a pretty beach greeted her. She breathed deep, feeling the sunshine on her face. The town of Matala followed the sweep of the beach, and she saw several people already dotted around on the sand.
Ugly memories of the labyrinth threatened, but she ruthlessly shoved them aside. She was not going back to that dark, lonely place.
Well, she could now safely say that Axel Diaz could kiss. He’d stopped before things had gone too far, but she knew he was too much of a good guy to take things too far when she’d been scared.
But he’d let her in, just a little.
It part thrilled her and part terrified her. Nat smiled and toyed with the end of her ponytail. She could work with that.
Heading out, she took the stairs two at a time. Ty had organized a conference room for them to work in downstairs. She was pretty excited to take a closer look at the artifacts. Her smile was still in place when she reached the white, airy lobby.
Then she saw Axel and her steps faltered.
A curvy woman in a villa staff uniform was pressed against him, her dark curls spilling around her beautiful face.
They were both smiling, and the woman’s hands were resting on his chest.
Nat pulled in a sharp breath, her chest going tight. He was too far away to hear it, but his head snapped up, and their gazes met.
The woman said something, head tilted to the side. She held a small slip of paper out to Axel, her other hand stroking his chest.
Axel didn’t move for a beat, then he looked away from Nat. He shot the woman his megawatt smile, and tucked one of her curls behind her ear. He took the paper, then slipped it into the pocket of his cargo pants with a sexy wink.
Oh. God. Nat’s heart felt like it had contracted to the size of a pea. Damn, it hurt. She’d been spinning stupid daydreams while Axel was off being Axel.
Lifting her chin, she strode across the lobby without looking at the couple and headed straight for the conference room.
“Good morning.”
Ty looked up. “Hey.” He frowned. “You look pretty good, considering.”
“Wow, thanks for that bolstering encouragement.”
Ty grunted.
It was so Ty, and so familiar, that Nat smiled. She shoved Axel Diaz far out of her head, or tried to. Her traitorous eyes burned. “Right, time to get to work.”
Ty studied her. “Nat, you okay?”
She was not crying because of that man. “Don’t be nice to me right now. Can we just work?’’
Ty touched her arm. “You’re safe now. Every person on this team is looking out for you.”
For her body, maybe, but not her heart.
Dammit, she was in charge of her heart. Axel hadn’t pledged undying love for her. He’d kissed her and held her while she slept. She was the one who’d read more into it.
You know better than that, Nat. No one stuck around forever.
“I know. Now—” she sat in front of the laptop set up on the long table “—we have work to do.”
“Grab something to eat.” Ty nodded at the tray on the table. It was loaded with baked goods, cold cuts, and boiled eggs.
Her stomach was still tied in knots, but she picked at a pastry and pulled up some data.
“I have all the images I took in the labyrinth uploaded.” Ty leaned over her shoulder.
“Great.” Nat studied the text. “I want to compare them to the glyphs on the Phaistos Disc. I feel like it’s important.”
“There’s Linear A and Linear B in the labyrinth too.”
“I know.” She grinned, her love of her work taking over. All this undeciphered text, so much mystery, so much potential. “Dr. Natalie Blackwell, the next Rosetta Stone discoverer, who decoded the mysterious Minoan languages that have long eluded archeologists.”
Ty snorted. “Except that this will be classified.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t ruin my daydream. An archeologist can dream.” She set to work. Grabbing an empty notebook and pen, she dragged them closer and started taking some notes. “What are you doing?”
“Running tests on all the artifacts.” He lifted a syringe and tube filled with fluid. “Several were broken, so it’s adding to the workload.”
They worked in companionable silence. The next thing she knew, the team—except for Callie and Seth—started filing in with lunch. Nat’s stomach grumbled.
Axel came in last, and she felt like a rock hit her belly. Damn. Anger sparked and she looked away.
“Hey, how are you doing?” Blair hooked an arm around Nat’s neck.
“I’m good. Work helps. Any news about Martha and the others?”
“They all made it safely home.”
Nat blew out a breath. “Good.” She was so glad they’d made it. A flash of sorrow filled her for the women who’d died in those underground tunnels.
“Seth and Callie have been watching the ruins all night,” Lachlan said. “No sign Kitchener’s come out.”
Nat tapped a finger against her lips. “I’ve been thinking about that. It’s almost like something drew him there. He transported all seven of us to Crete, keeping us blindfolded and tied up. He had to have a good reason for coming here.”
“You need to eat.” Axel shoved a sandwich at her.
“Or have a salad,” Blair added. “These Greek salads are delicious.”
Nat shot a thin smile at Axel. “I’ll take the salad.”
Something shifted in his brown eyes, but she made herself look away.
One of Ty’s machines beeped. The scientist leaned over and grabbed his tablet, then he stiffened.
“Got something?” Nat lifted a forkful of her salad.
“Yeah.” He scanned the results. “Detected something off the broken shards of the vessel.”
“What?” Lachlan demanded.
Ty looked up. “A virus.”
“Virus?” Axel tensed. “Is it contagious?”
“No. It doesn’t appear to be airborne, and there are only low levels present. My guess is that at the time the vessel broke, there were higher levels.”
Nat sucked in a breath. “Enough to infect Kitchener.”
“Yes. I also picked up some blood on one of the pottery shards.”
“Kitchener accidentally broke the pot and cut himself,” Lachlan said.
Ty nodded. “That’s my guess.”
“And this virus changed Kitchener,” Lachlan continued. “But where did Minoans get their hands on a virus like that?”
Ty shrugged one broad shoulder.
Nat tapped on her laptop. “I’ll see if I can find any references to it.” As a thought hit her, she swallowed. “Could it pass between people?” Oh, God, was she infected and about to grow horns?
Ty’s mouth hardened. “I’ll draw some of your blood.”
“We have lots of questions,” Lachlan said with a scowl. “Let’s find some answers.”
* * *
Axel felt like shit. Nat was ignoring him.
He shoved his hands in his pockets. This was for the best. Last night, Nat had gotten too close, and made him feel too damn good.
Leaning against the conference room wall, he watched the intense focus on her face as she studied the Phaistos Disc. She was completely absorbed with it.
She’d looked at him like that last night. Fuck.
He had to remind himself that she was better off without him. Nat deserved a guy with his shit together. One who’d give her a nice house, cute kids, an easy, happy life. Not more nightmares.
Fuck, he hated the guy already.
The pretty Greek woman from the villa reception had come on to him this morning, hot and strong.
He’d been politely turning her down when Nat had stepped into the lobby.
Axel rubbed the back of his neck. He’d used the opportunity to push Nat away, but now he felt like dirt.
This wasn’t high school. He just needed to talk with her. But he was afraid that if he tried to explain things to Nat, she wouldn’t agree. Wouldn’t let him walk away.
“Oh, my God,” Nat suddenly exclaimed.
“What’ve you got?” Blair, sitting cross-legged on the conference room table, leaned forward.
“I think I’ve decoded part of the Phaistos Disc.” Nat jumped up and did a little victory dance.
Axel watched her denim-clad hips wiggle and his mouth went dry.
“Well?” Ty demanded.
“It mentions a plague.”
“The virus?”
“I think so,” Nat said. “They called it a gift from the goddess. It came from the ancestors. My guess is that King Minos asked Daedalus to help him use it.”
“Daedalus?” Axel said. “The architect?”
She flicked him a quick glance and nodded. “He was a genius craftsman and architect. He was known for his wisdom, knowledge, and power. It isn’t inconceivable that he had a wide range of skills.”
“He designed the labyrinth to contain the Minotaur,” Ty added.
“He must have been a scientist as well.” Nat studied her notes. “Minos had a feud with Athens because they’d killed his son.”
“And he forced Athens to give him young men and women to dump in the labyrinth,” Lachlan said.
Nat smiled. “History award goes to Lachlan.”
Lachlan gave her one of his rare smiles. “Ty already mentioned some of the legends when we were on our way to rescue you.”
Nat chewed on her bottom lip. “The legends say that Athens would send seven youths and seven maidens to appease the Minotaur.”
Lachlan arched a brow. “But Athens wouldn’t have just happily handed them over. Minos must have been holding something over them.”
Nat shook her head. “Like a plague that could turn Athens’ citizens into crazed Minotaurs?”
“Shit,” Axel muttered.
“I’m still studying the virus.” Ty swiveled his chair. “I’ve sent everything I’ve got to Brooks. He’s going to get some experts at the CDC to look at it. From what I can tell, it doesn’t appear to pass from person to person.” He looked at Nat. “You’re fine.”
She blew out a breath. “Good.”
Axel felt his own sense of relief.
“My guess, without studying Kitchener closely, is that this virus stimulates hormone production in the body, and also shuts down higher brain function,” Ty said. “It also has a side effect of stimulating keratin creation.” Ty held up his tablet.
Axel leaned in. The image showed an older woman with a horn on her head.
“What the hell?” he muttered.
“There are cases of humans with horns. It’s excessive growth of keratin, the same material in your fingernails.”
“Any idea why he was drawn to the labyrinth?” Lachlan asked.
Nat and Ty shook their heads.
“Maybe they found a way to alter the virus and get the Minotaur to seek out the labyrinth?” River suggested.
Blair nodded. “Like a safety mechanism? Good idea, MI6.”
“We need to go into the labyrinth and contain Kitchener,” Lachlan said. “We need a way to navigate the tunnels.”
“You can get the drone back in there,” Ty said. “But it’s likely going to take days to map the entire place.”
“We don’t have days,” Lachlan said.
“I’ll keep working on the translations,” Nat said. “There might be something in them about navigating the labyrinth.”
“Keep searching, Nat.” Lachlan rose. “I’m going to relieve Seth and Callie. Blair, you’re with me.”
The woman nodded and followed Lachlan out. River and Smith left as well.
“I need a coffee.” Ty looked at Nat. “Want something?”
“Yes, coffee for me, too, please. But not that potent stuff they have. I want milk and foam.”
“On it.”
That left Axel alone with Nat.
Nat turned back to the laptop, her shoulders hunched.
He sighed. “Nat—”
She turned, her hand whipping up. A pen flew at him and Axel ducked. “Nat.”
Next, she threw her notebook. He dodged and it hit the wall.
“Quit it,” he said.
“You deserved it.” Her eyes sparked fire, then suddenly she deflated. “You don’t have to say anything, Axel. I’m your friend. I know you.”
She sounded tired and resigned. It burned him in his gut. “Nothing happened, or will happen, with that woman.”
Nat held up a hand. “It’s none of my business.”
“You just threw a pen and notebook at my head.”
Her chin lifted. “I shouldn’t have done that. As I said, who you associate with is none of my business.” Her dark eyes met his—direct and unyielding. “Is it?”
Axel fought the urge to punch the wall. “You deserve better than me.”
She cocked her head. “Is this some weird way you justify not committing to someone? Your way to stay footloose and fancy-free, and not feel any guilt about it?”
His hands flexed. “No, it’s the truth.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You really believe that?”
“Nat, my life… I’ve done things that I’m not proud of.”
“Served your country? Saved lives?”
An ugly, choking sensation welled inside him. “I’ve killed. I’ve used people. Not all of them were bad people. Not all people deserved it.”
Sympathy made her face soften. She had such a soft heart. “Axel—”
“No.” He backed up. “I don’t deserve what you’re thinking right now. I’m stained, and nothing will change that. No matter how many missions, how many lives I save. I won’t drag you down into the muck.”
“Axel.” She rose.
“No.” He stumbled back. If she touched him, he wouldn’t be strong enough to resist. “It is what it is. I care about you. A lot. And I will keep you safe from everything that can hurt you.” He turned and shoved open the door. “Even me.”
Chapter Seven
Everything was starting to blur. Nat rubbed her tired eyes.
She stared at the Phaistos Disc where it rested on the table. Maybe it would never give up all its secrets?
She sighed, her mind turning to Axel. She grabbed her coffee mug and sipped, then almost choked. Ugh, it was stone cold.
Leaning back in her chair, she massaged her temples. She knew Axel had demons. All of Team 52 did. They’d all been injured in the line of duty—some had lost limbs, eyes, been scarred. Ty had given them all top-of-the-line prosthetics. But when the damage was inside, it was a lot harder to see and to heal.
She sighed. Clearly, the things Axel had seen and done had left deep scars. She realized now that he wasn’t just running from commitment or a deeper connection, but more than that, he didn’t think he deserved someone to care about him. Nat wasn’t entirely sure where that left them.
Nat had her own personal scars. Her family’s indifference had cut deep. She knew that lots of kids had suffered worse than her. She’d never been physically abused, and she’d been given the best education. It just really sucked when you knew you weren’t important to anyone. She wasn’t sure she’d survive Axel Diaz tearing her own wounds open.
“The mission, Nat,” she whispered. “That’s what you should be worried about right now.”
She pulled the laptop closer. Hunching over it, she looked at the next undeciphered glyph.
The heart.
She snorted. How appropriate. Then she straightened. Next to the heart was a symbol she knew was for the labyrinth.
Heart of the labyrinth. She snatched up her notebook and pen, and started scribbling. Now, if she could decipher a few more…
&nb
sp; “Nat, it’s late.”
Blair’s voice made her jolt and scribble across the page. Turning her head, she spotted the other woman in the doorway.
Nat blinked. “I lost track of time.”
Blair nodded. “You need some rest.”
Nat rubbed her eyes. “I’m fine. I thought you were at the labyrinth.”
“Lachlan sent me back to sleep. It’s so quiet, he didn’t think it needed two of us.”
Nat nodded. “I just keep thinking of the tunnels, the Minotaur, those poor, dead women.” They had to find a way through the maze so they could contain Dr. Kitchener.
“Did you get any sleep last night?” Blair asked.
Nat felt heat in her cheeks. “I had a nightmare, but Axel came in.” She cleared her throat. “He held me for the rest of the night.”
Blair cocked her head. “But not tonight?”
“No, not tonight.”
“You two barely talked to each other today.”
Nat huffed out a breath. “I caught him flirting with a villa staff member. He held my gaze while he took her number.”
“God, he’s a dumbass.” Blair shook her head. “You know he did it deliberately, right?”
“I know.” It didn’t make it hurt any less.
“You need to fight for him, Nat. He’s broken inside and I think you can help him put those pieces back together.”
“Blair—”
“He’s a damn good man. One of the best damn fighters I know. Someone I’d trust beside me in a fight, who’d always have my back. He doesn’t think he deserves love. Doesn’t think he deserves you.”
Nat toyed with the end of her ponytail. “I’m afraid. He could break me, Blair.”
Blair crossed the room and took her hand. “I get it. I fought what I felt for MacKade for a really long time. I honestly did think I hated the guy.”
That made Nat smile.
“Nat, you realize you’re just like Axel.”
Nat blinked. “What?”
“You date boring guys who don’t really excite or interest you. Just like Axel, you’re too scared to trust enough to let someone close.”
Throat tightening, Nat squeezed her hands together. “I’ve never had anyone close.” God, that thought just made her feel more alone.
Mission: Her Shield: Team 52 #7 Page 5
