by Anna Hackett
When she looked back at the men, she saw a close-to-full-blown smile on Tane’s mouth. She went still and blinked. The man was seriously attractive under the scary intensity.
“You should smile more often,” she said.
His smile widened a fraction.
Hemi’s arm tightened, his beard tickling her ear. “Quit flirting with my brother.”
“But I just realized how handsome he is, and—”
Hemi growled and nipped her ear, but she could tell he was grinning.
“Want a drink?” he asked.
“Sure.”
As Hemi moved over to the self-service bar, Cam leaned against the wall.
“So you finally let Hemi catch you.” The smooth voice belonged to Ash.
The tall, lean man would make any woman’s mouth water. He was the handsome berserker, with a fallen-angel face and amazing colorful tattoos covering his arms. She saw something different in those designs every time she looked at them.
“He was starting to whine. It was kind of pathetic.”
The berserkers broke into laughter. Cam noted a woman nearby cast a wistful glance their way. Cam couldn’t really blame the woman.
“My brother is a lucky man,” a deep, booming voice said.
Cam glanced at the big man sitting nearby. “I think so.”
Manu Rahia was a huge mountain of muscle. He looked like a mix of his brothers. Not quite as rugged as Hemi, and not quite as handsome as Tane. Sitting sprawled in a chair, you’d never guess one of his legs was a prosthetic. She remembered when he’d been injured on a mission. The berserkers had been dangerous to be around while they’d waited to hear if Manu would survive. Actually, Hemi had destroyed several chairs and put a few holes in the walls of Blue Mountain Base.
The oldest Rahia smiled, his teeth white against his bronze skin. “You’ll keep him on his toes. Hemi needs that.”
“Thank you…I think.”
Manu’s laugh was big and loud. It made her want to join in. He wasn’t a man who let bitterness or regrets rule him.
“You come down to the firing range some time and I’ll give you a few tips about Hemi.”
She smiled. Having intel on Hemi could be useful, and she enjoyed spending time in the firing range. Manu ran a tight ship down there, and the man didn’t let his prosthetic slow him down at all.
Hemi returned, clutching a bunch of beers. He handed out the beers before passing her one. Then, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “What lies is Manu telling you?”
A warm glow burst inside of Cam, and she struggled to ignore it. Hemi was affectionate, that was all. “He’s tempting me with irresistible things.”
Hemi’s brows drew together. “Stay away from my woman.”
Manu laughed again and Cam slapped at Hemi’s shoulder. “He’s offering me behind-the-scenes intel on keeping one step ahead of you.”
Now Hemi grinned. “It won’t help you.”
Cam hitched herself up on a stool and sipped her beer. The axe-throwing contest was heating up and she turned to watch. Hemi stood close enough for her to feel the heat of him.
Levi lost by a whisker to Tane—amidst some ribbing—and Griff Callan stepped up next to challenge Tane. She didn’t know Griff very well. He was a man who radiated a dangerous intensity. He was a hard-edged former cop who’d gone down for murder. She didn’t know all his story, doubted anyone did, but for a cop to survive doing time in a Coalition Supermax prison… She shivered—he had to be hard. She’d heard he’d escaped during the invasion, somehow hooked up with the berserkers, and ended up at Blue Mountain Base.
Feminine giggles made her turn her head. A young, blonde woman was flirting with Levi. He was smiling at the woman, but Cam thought he looked distracted. He kept glancing across the room. She wondered what—or who—had caught his eye?
Cam’s gaze fell on the final berserker. He was sitting in a chair nearby, ice rattling in a glass of what looked like whiskey.
All the berserkers were in the running for being the most dangerous, badass guys in the Enclave. A few of the guys from Hell Squad could join them, too, and Roth was no slouch in the driven badass department. But when her eyes met Dom Santora’s all she could think of was black ice. He had Italian good looks, swarthy skin, and a soulless gaze.
She leaned forward. “Were you really in the Mafia?”
From nearby, Levi turned and snorted. Dom just raised a dark brow. “Maybe.”
Hemi’s arm snaked over her shoulders. “He won’t tell you. Dom is the king of being mysterious.”
The man in question sipped his drink.
“Hemi, you’re up.” Tane handed an axe to his brother.
Hemi took it and headed over to join Griff. As the two men battled it out, Cam cheered Hemi on.
When he won, he raised a fist in the air. Griff groaned and went to grab a beer.
Hemi’s gaze fell on Cam. “You up for a challenge, McNab?”
She pushed to her feet and sauntered over. She heard Levi whistle. She snatched up an axe, running her finger over the edge of it. She heard one of the berserkers laugh behind her.
“I can beat you with my eyes closed, Rahia.”
“Uh oh.” Ash shook his head and laughed.
Cam leaned over, conscious of Hemi’s gaze sliding to her ass. “I need a few practice throws first.”
As she started throwing the axes, she realized it wasn’t as easy as she’d thought. She adjusted and kept trying. A few throws went wide, earning her catcalls from the berserkers.
Hemi moved in behind her, his arms sliding around her. “Let me give you a few pointers.” His warm breath on her neck made her shiver.
“I bet you say that to all the ladies.”
He chuckled. “You need to get your grip on the axe right. Adjust to the weight of it. It’s top-heavy, and not like throwing a knife.”
With his help, her next few throws were better.
“Okay, Rahia. Let’s play.” She deliberately rubbed her ass against him.
His hands clamped on her hips. “You’re trying to distract me.”
She turned her head and fluttered her eyelashes. “I would never do that.”
“Witch.” He nipped her lips.
They settled on best of five, and she lost woefully. But hearing Hemi’s deep laugh was worth it.
“You owe me another prize,” he growled against her lips.
“And I always pay my debts.” She happily bowed out and headed back to her stool. She watched Dom step up to take her place.
As the men gave each other a hard time, she sipped her beer and smiled. Tane, Manu, and Hemi might be the only ones related by blood, but she could see that these men were brothers.
She felt a presence at her side and glanced up. Tane loomed over her, his gaze on his brother.
“Thanks for rescuing him,” Tane said quietly.
Something in her softened. “He cut his way out of that alien, Tane. Hemi rescued himself.”
“You fought for him and made sure he came home.”
Tane’s face was expressionless, but she knew instantly that this man loved his brother. Family. It made her ache.
“Sure thing.” She covered her reaction by taking another sip of her homebrew.
“And thanks for making him smile.”
She raised a brow, surprised. “He’s always smiling.”
Tane’s gaze met hers. “Not like he is now.”
Tane moved away, and for a moment, Cam sat there, listening to the joking and ribbing between the berserkers. They were a wild bunch, but she knew they were a hell of a squad. Every one of them was willing to fight for those who needed their protection. Whatever they’d been before the invasion, they were heroes now.
Cam’s gaze moved to Hemi, watching the flex of his muscles as he tossed an axe. She took a deep breath and let herself relax and just enjoy.
“The tech team is working double-time, trying to decode that data cube that Claudia got off the raptor,” Tane sai
d, his comment catching Cam’s attention.
“Heard they have Elle working on it,” Levi added.
Cam knew Elle had the best knowledge of the raptor language. She leaned forward. “And the creeper?”
Tane took a sip of his beer. “Bladon’s team is keeping it contained so Doc Emerson and her guys can work on it. They’re studying it and running tests.”
“Hope they can find a way to kill the damn things,” Ash said.
“Heard they don’t like heat,” Tane said.
That the creepers were temperature-sensitive was good to know, but it was also a long way from them finding a way to neutralize the damn things. Cam imagined hordes of the mutated animals rushing through the city, hunting down the last of humanity’s survivors. She shuddered, pushing the mental picture away.
She shook her head, and realized her beer was empty. “Another round?”
She got a chorus of yeses, but Ash shook his head and stood. “I’m calling it a night.”
“Hot date?” she asked.
A tiny smile. “Something like that.”
Levi appeared and slapped a hand on Ash’s back. “My friend here is heading back to his quarters to hunch over a damn comp.”
Cam frowned. “What?”
“There’s a Pre-Emptive Strike tournament tonight,” Ash said.
“The computer game?” A laugh burst out of her. “You do the real thing every day.”
“It’s kind of cathartic to mow down a bunch of monsters in the game.” Ash grinned. “Besides, I’m good. It keeps the geeks on their toes, and they have no idea it’s me.”
After Ash left, Cam headed over to the bar. She opened the cooler, grabbing several bottles of homebrew out, and popping the tops. Next, she poured another whiskey for Dom.
“He’s good, isn’t he?”
The female voice made her spin around. “What?” She looked at the woman standing nearby.
She was a few years younger than Cam, with generous curves packed into a tight skirt and a blousy top that showed off a butterfly tattoo over her collarbone. The top also showcased a pair of large breasts, and her pale-brown hair was piled on top of her head.
“Hemi. He rocks in bed, doesn’t he?” A smile curved the woman’s red lips. “And he can go all night.” Her eyes got a faraway look in them, and her smile widened.
Cam’s gut curdled. She’d known Hemi had a past, but she really didn’t want to hear the details. “Is there a reason you feel compelled to tell me this?”
“He’s shared his bed with a few of us, and while we all want more, he never comes back for seconds. I just wanted to warn you to enjoy the ride while it lasts.”
Cam studied the woman, and didn’t detect any malice. This woman’s life really revolved around sex, gossip, and by the looks of things, dressing up. Cam blew out a breath. God, when was the last time any of those things had mattered to her? It made her feel ancient. “Look…”
“Tanya.”
“Right. This is not a conversation I want to have.”
Tanya ignored her. “Hemi loses interest pretty quickly.” The woman’s gaze flicked over Cam. “Usually he prefers curvy.”
Okay, Cam had really had enough. “I think we’re done—”
“That man.” Tanya made a humming sound. “The other night, when I had my hand on that monster cock of his—”
The other night? A sour taste filled Cam’s throat. “What?”
Cam’s sharp tone made Tanya blink. The woman took a step back. “Look, I just wanted to warn you. Woman to woman. Enjoy the ride.”
Gut churning, Cam spun and marched back to her group. So, Hemi had been chasing Cam and fucking the entire Enclave at the same time. All his pretty words about only being able to think about her… Ugh. She slammed the beers down on the table, glass rattling.
She felt Tane watching her and ignored him. She snatched up a beer and took a long swig. They’d made no promises. She’d known whatever the hell this thing was between her and Hemi was short-term. Hell, she’d been pushing him away for months, so she really had no right to feel upset that he’d been fucking pretty, tattooed Tanya.
But he’d made his interest in Cam clear a long time ago. He’d saved her from the alien oura mind-control globe, they’d fought side by side numerous times. Dammit, even though she hadn’t wanted it to, it had meant something to her.
While it meant something to her, he’d been letting that woman touch him.
Doubts crowded in, panic like acid in Cam’s veins. She remembered her mother’s paranoia about her father cheating on her. When her father was away, her mother had often forcibly sat Cam down, and ranted and raved about what he might be doing with other women.
Cam had spent years watching her beautiful, confident mother worn down by doubts, fears and uncertainties.
A woman appeared, cocking one hip. “Knew I’d find you guys here.”
Indy Bennett was the comms officer for Squad Three. She was in her late twenties, and wore dark jeans, with a tank top the color of blood. She had a silky fall of ink-black hair that she had up in a long ponytail. Her face wasn’t quite beautiful, it had too many angles, but it was attractive. The woman had curves that she happily put on display, and beautiful, full-color tattoos that spilled down one arm in a tangle of roses and thorns.
“Indy,” Levi called out. “Grab a beer.”
The woman shook her head. “The general’s called an emergency meeting.” Her bright-blue eyes skated across the group. “The tech team decoded the alien cube. You’re all going to want to hear what they got off it.”
Chapter Eleven
Hemi leaned against the wall in the Command Center. The place was filled with squad leaders and soldiers, and the low rumble of conversation.
Niko and Holmes stood at the front of the room, flanking Elle.
The general rapped his knuckles on the table. The room grew quiet.
“Noah and Elle have decoded the data cube the mission team recovered,” Niko announced.
Elle cleared her throat. “Most of the data on the cube references the creepers.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” Roth called out.
Elle nodded. “What we’ve learned is that there is a creeper breeding ground.”
Grumbles passed through the room. Hemi glanced at Cam. She was standing beside him, but she’d been stiff and distant since they’d left the games room.
“Do we know where it is?” Marcus asked.
“Not yet,” Holmes answered. “It describes a vast underground warren.”
“We are trying to find a location from the cube data.”
“A warren?” Cam murmured.
“You’ve thought of something?” Hemi asked.
“Sir?” Cam called out. “My squad saw a strange area on a previous mission.”
“Yes.” Roth shouldered forward. “The ground was pockmarked, like entrances to tunnels.”
Elle rushed over to a nearby comp. “I did consider that.”
Everybody in the room went quiet. Watching and waiting. Images of the bumpy ground glowing orange filled the room’s display screens.
Elle nodded. “At first glance, some elements of the images match the descriptions on the cube.” She scanned the crowd, her pretty face tense. “But I can’t be a hundred-percent certain that the area that Squad Nine discovered is the creeper breeding ground.”
“If the creepers are breeding here,” Holmes said, “then we need to stop them.”
“We need to confirm it first.” Niko shoved his hands in his pockets. “I suggest we find out everything we can about this place, and then decide how to best destroy it.”
“Can we send a drone inside it?” Tane asked.
“Risky,” Elle said. “It would be noticed easily, in a confined space like this.”
A tall, dark-haired man stepped forward. Noah Kim from the tech team. “I have several mini-drones we’ve been trialing. We could send one in to map this place.”
Holmes glanced over their way,
his gaze moving to Tane. “Tane, I’m tasking this intel mission to Squad Three.”
Hemi watched his brother nod.
Holmes tilted his head. “Get there, take a look around, and deploy the mini-drone.” The general’s tone turned dry. “And I’d prefer if you didn’t engage. Intel-gathering only.”
Tane’s face stayed noticeably blank. “We’ll do our best.”
Holmes looked like he wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Be ready to leave at dawn.”
When Hemi turned around to talk to Cam, he saw that she’d already left the Command Center.
What the hell? Something was wrong.
As the squads gathered into small groups, talking, Hemi strode out. Stepping into the corridor, he caught a glimpse of her turning a corner at the end of the hall. He broke into a jog and followed.
“Cam?”
She sped up.
“Cam!” He grabbed her arm. “Where’s the fire?”
“I have things to do.” Her gaze skated to look over his shoulder.
“Me, too. I wanted to talk you into a pre-mission quickie.”
He expected a laugh or a joke. Instead, he got a blank face.
“Is that your usual MO? Find a quick fuck?” She tried to pull away. “Find someone else.”
What the hell? “Camryn.” He gripped her arms and pushed her against the wall. When she shoved at him, he moved closer, pinning her there with his body.
She fought harder. “Get off.”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
“Screw you.”
They scuffled, and finally he grabbed her wrists and slammed them above her head. “Care to explain what the hell is going on in that head of yours?”
She angled her chin. “One of your fuck buddies stopped by for a chat.”
Hemi went still. “I wasn’t a monk before I met you.”
“She told me to enjoy the ride. Apparently, you get bored fast, prefer curves, and the ride won’t last very long.”
He blinked. She honestly thought that the heat they generated was going to fade. He wanted to laugh, but he saw something in her eyes. “Cam, right now my dick is hard for you and you alone.”
