“When you have a clean shot, open fire. Take it down.”
Team 52 lifted their weapons. A second later, the gunshots made Nat wince. The sound was deafening.
The Minotaur roared and leaped onto the top of the train parked beside the platform.
It threw out its arms and let out another roar.
“Blair, tranq,” Lachlan said.
“I’m trying to get a shot.”
As Lachlan turned, Nat glimpsed Blair on one knee, aiming the tranq gun. She fired, but at the same moment, the Minotaur leaped back onto the platform. It swiveled and ran.
“Don’t lose it,” Axel yelled.
The team sprinted after it.
“Come on.” Nat tapped her foot on the floor. Tension sang through her shoulders.
“They’ll be fine.” Ty’s gaze was glued to River.
Nat couldn’t see Axel, but he was all she was thinking about. Stay safe.
* * *
Axel ran, dodging some cowering people, then leaped over abandoned suitcases.
“Anyone else feel like we should be getting the train to Hogwarts?” he quipped.
Blair groaned and Lachlan shot him a look.
“Hey, trying to break the tension, here.”
Ahead, the Minotaur tore into some abandoned suitcases on the platform. Clothes flew everywhere and glass smashed. Axel switched his CXM to shotgun mode. The standard rifle fire barely slowed the creature down.
He turned, aimed, and fired.
Boom.
The bullet hit the creature and the Minotaur rocked back. It roared, its face twisted with rage.
“Keep it busy.” Blair aimed the tranq gun again.
Axel pumped his weapon and fired again, this time right beside the Minotaur. Boom.
Blair fired. The red dart hit the creature’s brawny arm.
With a bellow, the Minotaur gripped the dart and pulled it out.
Then it ran. Right at them.
Fuck.
Axel lunged to the side. The Minotaur came at him and he didn’t have time to fire his weapon. Instead, he shifted his grip and swung his CXM liked a bat. It crashed into the Minotaur’s head.
Dazed, it shook its head. Axel leaped up and kicked the creature.
Blair raced in from the side, trying to get another shot. Smith charged and slammed into the Minotaur, tackling it to the ground.
The pair struggled, rolling on the platform. Axel leaped on the Minotaur’s legs, trying to keep it pinned. It kicked and struggled, then managed to throw Smith off. The big man rolled across the platform and onto the empty tracks on the other side.
“Keep it down!” Lachlan jumped onto the Minotaur.
Axel and Lachlan strained. Damn, the thing was strong.
“P-put your weapons down,” a voice called out.
Axel turned his head and saw a young police officer in a fluorescent yellow coat aiming a taser at them.
Jesus.
“Release the…beast and all of you, on your knees.”
“Amigo, we’re the only thing holding this fucker down,” Axel bit out. “You want to come over here and subdue him?”
The young officer swallowed. “I—”
Gunshots echoed, and the officer jerked. He fell to the platform. Bullets hit concrete right beside Axel and Lachlan.
“Fuck, who’s firing?” Lachlan roared.
Axel rolled off the Minotaur. More shots peppered around them. He dived in behind a brick column with Callie.
Panting, he turned his head. “Shit.”
Black-clad mercs in balaclavas were running down the platform.
The Hannibal Syndicate had found them.
Axel pulled his Glock and Callie lifted her CXM.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded. Together, they spun out, aiming their fire on the mercs.
“Lachlan, we have company,” Axel said into his earpiece.
“I see them. Don’t let them get the Minotaur.”
“Cal, we need to circle around them,” Axel said.
She nodded. They darted to the next brick column. Someone had dropped a stack of newspaper and magazines on the ground. Axel dodged them as they rushed to the next column. They were now even with the incoming mercs.
Axel waited for the closest man to pass. Just a little bit more.
He darted out and punched the man in the lower back. He yanked the man down and punched him.
With a groan, the merc slumped.
Callie moved past them, firing on the mercs. They scattered, just as the Minotaur’s enraged roar echoed down the platform.
Ahead, Axel saw the creature lift a merc off his feet, then break his arm. The merc screamed. The Minotaur tossed the man aside like he weighed nothing. The merc slammed into a female merc, and they flew off the platform and onto the tracks.
The remaining Hannibal Syndicate members lifted their weapons and fired. One had a larger weapon that fired with a deeper boom. A net flew at the creature.
It rushed toward the Minotaur, but the creature dodged. The net slammed into the side of the parked train on the other side of the platform.
Axel advanced. Nearby, Seth and Blair were fighting hand-to-hand with two mercs. Beyond them, a tall merc closed in on the Minotaur.
No, you don’t. Axel ran toward the man and jumped on him.
They crashed to the ground and wrestled. Axel grunted, scrambling to keep the man down.
“You can’t stop us,” the man growled. “Our bosses want the monster. It’s too valuable.”
“Fuck you.” Axel punched him.
They continued to scuffle, and Axel took a fist to the gut. Damn. He ignored the pain, and hit back.
There was another earsplitting bellow. Axel lifted his head and saw the Minotaur rushing at them.
Shit. Axel rolled off the merc. The monster didn’t slow down, and it trampled the merc, who was too slow to get out of the way.
Rising up on one knee, Axel lifted his Glock. He met the Minotaur’s burning red gaze. He saw no sign of human thought or comprehension in that gaze.
Lowering its head, it charged.
Oh, hell. Axel threw himself to the side, but he wasn’t fast enough. One of the creature’s horns clipped him, tearing into his shoulder.
He groaned, burning pain tearing through him. He fell on his side, pressing one hand to his shoulder. Blood pumped from between his fingers.
“Axel!” Lachlan yelled.
The Minotaur met Axel’s gaze, and he tensed.
Then the creature turned and ran. It leaped an abandoned luggage trolley, then jumped down onto the tracks. It sprinted down the tracks until Axel lost sight of it.
Axel tried to push himself up, but pain made him hiss. He grimaced.
Then his team surrounded him, Smith and Blair still firing on the Hannibal Syndicate mercs.
Callie knelt and touched his shoulder. “Hang in there, Axel.” She ripped his vest to one side. “Nice little scrape you got yourself.”
He grunted.
She pressed gauze to his wound. “Can’t have you bleeding everywhere.”
“Minotaur’s gone,” Smith said.
“The mercs?” Axel said.
“Gone, as well.”
Lachlan’s mouth firmed into a line. “Let’s get back to the safe house.” He leaned down to help Axel up. “Time to move, 52.”
Chapter Thirteen
Oh, God.
Nat paced the control room of the safe house, waiting for the team to return.
Axel was hurt.
She pressed her hand to her mouth. He’d been gored by the Minotaur. God, God, God.
He could have been killed. This made her more determined to get the hard-headed man to wake up to his feelings.
“This is a clusterfuck.” Ty scowled. “The Hannibal Syndicate is out there, the Minotaur is missing again, and Axel’s hurt.”
She swallowed, and then Ty touched her arm.
“Axel will be fine. Callie’s with him, and he’s been through worse.”
>
Nat raised a brow. “Worse?”
Ty winced. “Shit, that doesn’t help, does it?”
“No.”
The door upstairs opened, and Lachlan and Smith came into view on the stairs. They were carrying Axel between them, with his arms slung over their shoulders.
His dark gaze met hers. “I’m okay.”
His shirt was soaked with blood. She sucked in a sharp breath.
“This is not okay, Axel Diaz.”
“He’s lost some blood,” Callie said. “He needs rest and fluids. The wound isn’t too deep, and I pumped him full of meds and used some of Ty’s enhanced creams in the SUV.”
“This way.” Nat opened a bedroom door. The men set him down and he winced.
“Ty,” Lachlan said. “Brooks is already hacking transit cameras. We need to find the Minotaur before the Hannibal Syndicate does.”
Ty lifted his chin. “Assholes will be hot on the creature’s trail.”
“But they don’t have Brooks.” Blair crossed her arms. “Tranq didn’t even slow the Minotaur down.”
“Everyone out,” Nat ordered. “Axel needs rest. I’ll take care of him.”
She ignored everyone’s amused grins and shoved them out the door. Then she turned to Axel. “Shirt off.”
He opened his mouth.
“And no lame jokes or innuendos.”
He closed his mouth. “Where’s the fun in that?”
“You’re hurt. There is nothing fun about this.”
She helped him out of his ruined shirt and saw the white bandage on his shoulder. Blood stains streaked his bronze skin.
Tears pricked her eyes. A few inches lower, and the Minotaur could have hit his heart. She wadded the shirt in her hands.
“Hey.” Axel pulled her down to her knees in front of him, and cupped her jaw. “I’m fine. It looks far worse than it is. With some of Ty’s fancy potions, I’ll be almost better in the morning.”
She nodded. “I heard you were hurt, but I couldn’t see. I didn’t know how bad it was.”
“Nat.” He pulled her against his chest. “I felt the same when you called from the conference. I knew you were in danger, but had no idea if you were all right. I spent the worst hours of my life on the jet, wondering if you were still alive.”
“Oh, Axel.”
She tilted her head and their lips met. The kiss was slow, almost gentle.
“You smell so damn good,” he muttered.
“And you’re hurt.” She pulled back. She wanted to look after him. Rising, she headed into the small, adjoining bathroom. She found a cloth and ran it under the water, then rinsed it out.
She headed back to the bed. “Lie back.”
He obeyed, bracing himself on the pillows. Nat hesitated, taking in the picture he made—bare chest, muscled arms flexed, intriguing black ink on his skin. He sure made her ovaries sit up and take notice.
She shook her head and sat on the side of the bed. She wiped his skin, washing the blood away. As she worked, she noticed his breathing quicken.
Her finger traced over some of the designs on his left arm.
“Kraken,” he said. “Got it once I left Delta. In the Army, my team had to be able to blend in.”
So no identifying marks. “Why a kraken?”
He smiled, his white smile lighting up his handsome face. “It was the most badass thing I could think of at the time.” He shifted a shoulder. “I liked that this powerful creature stayed hidden, and only rose up to protect its territory, then afterward, it would slide back into the depths and disappear.”
He was describing himself. His work with Delta, and now with Team 52. He appeared out of nowhere to protect others, took no credit, then disappeared into the darkness again. Only, she didn’t think the kraken spent its time regretting the things it had done.
Once the blood was gone, she dropped the cloth on the bedside table. She let her fingers drift over his clean, brown skin. He had gorgeous skin. When she looked up, his dark eyes were burning. He stared at her.
Her breath hitched. “Axel—”
The door opened and she jerked back.
Callie and Lachlan came in.
“I want to check that wound.” The medic skirted the bed and knelt down on the other side.
Nat tried to shove her unruly desire away.
“Looks good,” Callie declared. “Keep it clean and dry.”
“Any news on the Minotaur?” Axel asked.
“Brooks is searching,” Lachlan said. “He thinks it made it into the Tube tunnels. Some have cameras.” Lachlan raked a hand through his dark-brown hair. “But he’s also told me that there are lots of abandoned tunnels and stations, as well. The creature has a lot of places where it could hole up.”
“It’ll turn up eventually,” Axel said.
Nat chewed her lip. How many people might it kill before then? What if the Hannibal Syndicate found it first?
“I want everyone to rest up.” Lachlan headed for the door. “Eat, sleep. I want everyone ready to move once it’s spotted.”
Axel and Nat nodded.
Callie hugged Nat, then left with Lachlan.
“I’ll get you something to eat.” Nat rose. “Don’t move.”
She hurried into the kitchen and warmed up some soup and bread. When she returned to his room, she found that he’d changed into soft, black shorts, but was still shirtless.
“I said, no moving.” She set the tray down on the bedside table.
“I told you that I’m fine.”
“The gouge on your shoulder says otherwise.”
He moved lightning fast, grabbed her and tumbled her into bed.
“Hey!”
“Relax.” He pinned her down. “Or I’ll have to find a way to make you relax.”
Her lips parted, her pulse running wild. Tension filled the space between them and the air heated.
“Axel,” she breathed.
“Fuck.” He fingered her hair, his gaze on her lips. “Why are you so beautiful?”
Then he kissed her—deep, hungry, and urgent—and desire exploded in her belly.
* * *
Axel’s gut was hard, his cock even harder. It didn’t matter that he’d been injured—now all he felt was hot, overpowering arousal.
He had to stop this. He had to find a way to push her away.
She straddled him, pressing her palms to the bed on either side of his head.
“What are you doing?” He gripped her hips and swallowed a groan. She felt too damn good.
She nipped his lip, and this time, he did groan.
“If you can’t work it out, you’ve been doing this wrong,” she said breathlessly.
He slid his hands over her perfect ass, kneading her buttocks. She shimmied and made a husky sound.
“You’re taking advantage of me,” he growled.
She sat up, then stripped her T-shirt off over her head.
Oh, fuck. His cock jumped. Her gorgeous flesh was cupped by pretty, green lace, and his mouth went dry.
“This isn’t a game, Axel. You could have died today—”
He stilled and saw the fear lurking in her dark eyes.
He cupped her breasts and her eyelashes fluttered. He reached around and quickly removed her bra. As she spilled into his hands, a groan welled in his throat. She was the most beautiful thing he’d seen. He traced the contours of her.
“No, not a game.” He thumbed her nipples into sweet, little points.
“You want me, don’t you?” she asked.
The faint thread of uncertainty hit him like a blade. He realized that all the times he’d fought the pull of her had made her doubt just how much he wanted her. He might not deserve her, but she was the sexiest, smartest, hottest woman he’d ever seen.
And he’d damn well make her realize that.
He surged up. “I ache from wanting you.” He sucked one nipple in his mouth, working it until she cried out, voice husky. He licked her sweet skin. “I’ve gone to bed alone so many ti
mes, stroking my cock and thinking of you.” He switched to the other plump breast.
She shifted her hips, rubbing herself against his hard cock. “Axel.”
That flushed face, the hungry look in her eyes. It was everything.
He grabbed one of her hands and pressed a kiss to the palm. She had elegant hands, perfectly formed.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to let you go,” he said, voice gritty.
She growled. “I don’t want you to let me go.” She pressed her other hand to his face. “I told you that I’ll fight for you. However, long it takes.”
Churning emotion filled Axel. He couldn’t fight it, or her, or the incandescent desire anymore.
He kissed her and she kissed him back. It was hard, hot, and perfect.
He rolled until she was under him.
“Your shoulder—”
“Is fine.” Adrenaline, desire, need all coursed through him in a wild rush. Now, he wanted the rest of her naked.
“I wish you had one of your skirts on,” he murmured. “You don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed of pushing one of them up and tearing your panties off.”
She licked her lips, her face flushed. “Sometimes, I’m not wearing any panties.”
His cock surged against his shorts. “What?”
“It would ruin the line of my skirt.”
He ran a hand down her hip, then gripped her slim, denim-clad thigh. “You’re telling me, that at base, sitting there so prim and proper and gorgeous, you had no panties on?”
She nodded.
He growled and kissed her hard.
Her hands slid into his hair and she kissed him back with a fire that made him groan. He felt the edge of her teeth on his lip. Her breasts—lush and full—pressed against his bare chest. Then one of her hands travelled down and gripped the waistband of his shorts. Their eyes met for a humming second, and Axel knew he couldn’t move if his life depended on it.
Nat shoved his shorts down and her fingers closed around his cock.
Fuck. His body jerked.
She licked her lips. “I want to—”
He didn’t let her finish. Instead, he pulled back, fighting for any shred of control. Her gaze dropped to his cock where it rose—hard and proud.
“I really want your cock in my mouth,” she murmured.
Mission: Her Shield: Team 52 #7 Page 10
