by Anna Hackett
Her easy charm cut into him, leaving him bleeding. “It’s been pleasant.”
She rolled her eyes. “Devlin—”
“But it’s best if this ends now.”
She froze. “What?”
“We need to focus on the mission. A very dangerous mission.”
“We are doing that already.”
“No. You and I…the physical stuff between us muddies the waters. We both need clear focus. And we both know this would have run its course anyway. I’m not good at doing this stuff.”
“This stuff? Sex, enjoyment, having an actual intimate connection with someone?”
Damn, she was making it hard. “The last time I connected with someone, she jammed a knife in my back and tried to kill me.”
He saw something flicker in Taylor’s eyes, her gaze dropping to where his scars were. Then she crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, your taste has improved since then. I will never hurt you.” Her voice softened. “Trust me. Trust yourself, Devlin.”
Devlin stared at the ground, her book clenched in his hand. Dammit, he wanted her. He was so tempted to reach out and take her. Quickly, he shored up his crumbling defenses. He refused to hurt Taylor, and he would, eventually.
“No. Look, I’m not the man you need.” She needed someone free and easy, who’d give her the affection and love she deserved. “I just want to forget this happened and move on.”
Her arms dropped to her sides, her face going blank. “Forget it happened.” Her tone was wooden. “Forget you spent time with me, forget you held me, forget you were inside me.”
Instantly, Devlin remembered her mother, and mentally cursed his bad choice of words. He wanted to pull her into his arms and apologize, but he forced himself to stay where he was. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t the best choice of—”
“Stop.” She held a hand up, like she was warding him off.
He handed the paperback back to her. “It’s for the best.”
Her face went blank, but her eyes…there was so much boiling in them. The sight stabbed him in his withered heart. He wished he was a different man, one capable of love.
“I guess you’re a bigger coward than I thought.” With that parting shot, she turned and walked to the door. “Get out.”
He walked past her, wanting to say something to make it better. Instead, he continued through the door and kept walking. This was for the best.
So why didn’t he feel any better?
Over the next hour, Devlin forced himself to check his weapons, check his armor, and prepare for the mission. His vaunted focus was nowhere to be found.
Soon, he was striding into the Hawk hangar.
A Hawk sat, waiting, in the center of the space, and Finn Erickson was walking around it, running his preflight checks.
As Devlin approached, a small, redheaded woman ran up to Finn. The two of them wrapped their arms around each other and shared a kiss. Then Lia, head of the drone team, turned around and headed off. No doubt heading to check on her team that fed back all the drone feed information to the squads.
Finn noticed him and grinned. “Hey, Dev.” Then his gaze moved to the doorway through which Lia had disappeared. “Man, married life rocks.”
Devlin blinked. “Married?”
The pilot nodded. “Yep. I asked her, she said yes, and we got Holmes to do the deed yesterday on a link-up with my family in Norway. I didn’t want to wait to claim her as mine.”
“That’s…fast.”
“I love her. Completely.”
“What if she…?” Devlin tried to find the right words. “What if you can’t give her what she needs? What if she decides she wants something else and she betrays you?”
“Betrays me?” Finn barked out a laugh. “You’ve done too many undercover missions, Dev. She wouldn’t. We’ll disagree, we’ll argue, and sometimes we’ll even hurt each other. That’s all part of being in love. But you just need to trust each other and talk to each other.”
“Hmm—”
Finn’s smile widened. “You don’t sound convinced.”
As Devlin pondered the pilot’s words, he heard footsteps. He looked over his shoulder and saw Taylor enter with Theron and Sienna. The three of them walked together, all wearing armor and holding their carbines. They moved in a way that said they were used to working together. That they were a team.
He let his gaze run over Taylor. It didn’t matter if she was wearing a tank top, her armor, or nothing at all, she still looked like the most attractive woman in the world to him.
“Ahh,” Finn drawled. “So that’s the way the wind blows.”
Devlin’s gaze cut back to the pilot.
Finn raised a brow. “You think a hero like Taylor Cates would betray you?” He shook his head. “Dev, that woman will save you, no matter what you do to her. It’s in her DNA. If you want my advice, grab ahold of her and don’t let go.”
Devlin shifted uneasily. “I…broke it off.”
The Hawk pilot shook his head, then slapped a hand to Devlin’s shoulder. “Then you’re an idiot.” Finn turned to face the others. “Hi, everybody. Welcome aboard Erickson Air. I’ll be your pilot today, for your flight through once-friendly skies, into the middle of alien chaos.”
***
Taylor stood aboard the Hawk, staring out the window as they flew away from the Enclave.
She’d stood in this exact spot so many times over the last two years. As she always did, she double checked her armor, ensuring all the fastenings were done up. Then she checked her weapons: carbine, laser pistol, combat knife. She moved her shoulders. The new armor fit well, and she couldn’t wait to test its capabilities, but it wasn’t her armor. The armor she’d worn on countless missions, training sessions, and firefights.
She sighed. Who was she kidding? Most of all, she was trying to ignore the fact that Devlin was standing behind her, and that the pain he’d opened up inside her was still chewing at her insides.
She’d never had a man make her feel like this before. An ugly, hurt mess.
For the first time in her life, she could understand why her father had tried to erase her mother’s presence from their lives. It was wrong, but she understood the pain he’d been coping with.
She turned her head and saw Devlin standing alone and aloof at the back of the Hawk. He was just so isolated, and kept himself closed off from others.
Because he prefers it that way, Tay. He sure as hell was right. He sucked at relationships.
But she remembered that he’d lost his family. That he’d worked in a job where he couldn’t get close to others, or if he did, it was all a lie. And the one time he’d risked a relationship, some traitorous bitch had literally stabbed him in the back.
Taylor remembered the worshipful way he’d touched her skin, his raw hunger as he’d made love to her, and the slightly bewildered way he’d admitted that she shattered his control.
At that second, his midnight-blue gaze flicked up and met hers. He stared at her for a long, humming second before he looked away.
Taylor stood, frozen. She’d seen hastily hidden misery in his eyes.
She closed her eyes for a second. Yes, he sucked at relationships, but maybe he just needed more practice.
Maybe he needed someone to show him the way.
Life had taught Taylor early to never give up. In that small hole in the ground, her mother had kept repeating over and over to never give up. That there was always hope. To think about the ones you loved and to never give up.
Taylor dragged in a deep breath, scrounged up some of her slightly dented courage, and moved across to Devlin.
“You’re an idiot.”
His face didn’t change. “So I’ve been told.”
Behind them, she heard Hemi snort. They both ignored him.
“But, for some reason, I like you,” she said. “A lot. I’ve decided to not give up on you.”
She watched Devlin’s head move back an inch, and wariness cross his face.
She reac
hed up and patted his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you out.” Fall in love with me.
“Taylor,” he said, his voice deeper than usual. “Everyone is listening.”
She flicked a glance at Tane, Hemi, and Sienna, who were watching with interest. Theron had his eyes closed, and looked like he was desperately trying to ignore them.
“Good.” Taylor looked back. “I’ve survived a lot of shitty stuff in my life, Devlin Gray. One thing I know, though, is that life is worth a few risks.”
Suddenly, Devlin shifted. In one of his super-fast moves, he backed her into the wall of the Hawk. His face turned sharp and lethal. “I am not a puppy for you to adopt.”
His tone had goose bumps sprinkling her skin. He lifted a hand and circled her throat, his thumb stroking her spiking pulse.
“Dev—”
“Shh.” He leaned forward and kissed her—long, deep, and possessive.
“I warned you,” he whispered. “But you didn’t listen. You kept pushing and…”
She lifted her chin. “And what?”
He leaned down again, their noses brushing. “And I’ll claim you as mine, and I’ll never let you go.”
Electricity ran through her body. “Devlin.” A hushed whisper. Taylor realized she’d poked a sleeping wolf.
“Mine,” he said again. “You say yes, Taylor, and there’s no changing your mind.”
She pulled in a shaky breath. “Yes.” She’d never been more sure.
Dark satisfaction moved through his eyes.
Suddenly, Finn’s voice came from the cockpit. “We should reach the jamming zone in another ten minutes.”
Even though all Taylor wanted to do was curl herself into Devlin’s lean body, she looked over at the rest of their team. Sienna gave Taylor a thumbs-up, while Hemi grinned. Tane’s face was its usual unreadable mask, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. Theron was still pretending to sleep.
“When we get back…” Devlin drifted off, his voice full of promise.
Oh, she’d be ready. Suddenly, the Hawk banked into a tight turn. Taylor looked up. “What the hell?”
“Erickson!” Devlin called out.
“Change of plans,” Finn answered. “Just got a comm call from the Enclave. One of these yellow globes has been spotted by a drone.”
Taylor’s pulse jumped. “Where?”
“City center.”
Devlin’s jaw tightened. “The raptors are luring survivors who are hiding in the city out into the open.”
“The drone team thinks this globe is heading for the Opera House,” Finn added. “There’s increased activity there, and a group of captured humans, as well.”
Devlin leaned through the cockpit doorway. “What are our orders?”
“Grab the breathers from the storage unit at the back,” Finn said. “Your new mission is to get dropped into the harbor and swim your way into the Opera House. Grab the globe and free the human prisoners.”
“Oh, yay,” Sienna said sarcastically. “Here I was thinking that storming an alien factory was going to be far too easy.”
Taylor grimaced. She thought of the alien sea creatures that they’d encountered before. They made sharks look cute and cuddly. What the hell was living in the water of the harbor?
Still, the city center was filled with raptors and other alien creatures. Coming in by water would give them the best chance of sneaking up on the raptors.
Devlin brushed past her and opened a storage compartment at the back of the Hawk. He pulled out the tiny breathers that could be clenched between a swimmer’s teeth and provide short bursts of air. He handed them out.
“Five minutes,” Finn said. “I’ll drop you about two kilometers out from the Opera House. Happy swimming.”
Taylor thought the pilot sounded very happy to not be the one going for a dip.
They all checked their weapons and breathers, and moved to the side of the quadcopter.
“Everyone activate your illusion armor,” Devlin said.
Taylor pressed the activation button on her armor. Instantly, the air around her shimmered, and she was enclosed in a tiny bubble that would make her virtually impossible to see. She glanced over, and watched as the others all flickered out of sight. Despite the stress and tension surrounding the mission, she smiled. It was so very cool.
“We’re at the drop zone,” Finn called out. “Good luck.”
Devlin reappeared and yanked open the side door. Warm air hit her in the face. It was a hot summer night. Taylor looked out at lights shining in the distance. The raptors had large beacons set up, and the spiky shadow of the Opera House was visible, as well as the hulking, broken arch of the Harbor Bridge beyond it.
Suddenly, she was yanked forward and hauled up against Devlin’s body. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Stay safe.”
“You too,” she murmured.
Then, he stepped away from her and reactivated his illusion. She sensed the moment he stepped out of the Hawk. She gripped the door frame, looking down. She couldn’t see him as he fell, but she heard the splash when he sliced into the water, feet first.
Taylor took a deep breath, and followed him.
Chapter Eleven
Devlin swam quietly through the water. With the weather getting warmer, the water wasn’t as cold as he’d anticipated, plus his armor protected him.
He swept his gaze ahead, looking for any movement. He could see large figures moving to and fro in the lights near the Opera House. The Sydney landmark, with its roof designed to look like sails, sat right at the water’s edge, on one side of the once-busy Circular Quay. Once, the place would have been busy with ferries and cruise ships coming in and out. Tourists and locals would have rushed along its pathways.
Now, no ferries moved on the water, and the pathways were crawling with invading aliens.
Devlin glanced to his left, gauging the progress of Taylor and the others. He couldn’t actually see them, but he could sense their faint movements in the water.
And he knew, without a doubt, that Taylor swam right beside him.
She was his.
He’d tried to push her away, but she’d pushed right back. Now, there was no going back.
His gaze sharpened on the aliens ahead. There was no sign of the globe…yet. Whatever they faced, he’d keep Taylor safe and get her home. He realized he’d never had anything to lose on a mission before, but now he could lose everything.
As they neared the shore, rounding the elegant bulk of the Opera House, he spotted a golden glow. A few more strokes through the water, and he saw the globe.
“Avert your eyes,” he warned the others. “Don’t look at the device directly. And stay with your partner. If one gets snared by it, it will be up to their partner to drag them away.”
As they got closer, Devlin saw humans standing at the base of the Opera House steps. The crowd looked like they were frozen, all of them staring up at the globe at the top of the steps. All of them eerily still and silent—like dolls.
“Hell,” Tane murmured.
“Fucking spooky,” Hemi added.
Beyond the group of humans, parked on some flat ground, Devlin also saw several pteros. The small alien ships looked like pterosaurs, with a distinctive, triangular shape and pointed wings. He was just thankful these ones were all powered down, and not in the air.
It was hard to miss the towering shapes of the raptors. There were a lot of them.
Devlin and his team paused a few meters from the shore, treading water.
“We need a diversion.” Tane’s disembodied voice. “Give me and Hemi some time to come up with something.”
It was a good idea. With something for the bulk of the raptors to deal with, they’d have a better chance of sneaking up on the globe. “Go. And Tane, radio silence.”
“You got it.”
Devlin heard the men swim quietly away. Now, the rest of them just had to wait.
“This mind-control device is worse than any chains,” Taylor said qui
etly. “Worse than being locked in a cell, or a hole in the ground. It is the ultimate version of stripping away everything a person is. Their thoughts, their free will, their hope.”
He reached out, groping until he found her gloved hand. Her fingers were tense, curled into her palm.
“You survived, Taylor. You more than survived. You took a situation that would have broken most people and made something of yourself. You amaze me.”
She leaned into him, appearing in the bubble of his illusion. Even with her combat helmet activated, she still looked beautiful to him. “Thanks, super spy.”
He ran his finger down the slope of her nose. “I’m just telling the truth.”
Her face turned serious. “If they take me—”
“I’ll get you back.” He cut her off. He wasn’t going to let her finish that sentence. He wouldn’t lose her, not when he’d just found her. He yanked her into his chest. She leaned into him, her face pressed to his armor.
When she pulled back to focus on the mission, she stayed close to his side. They kept waiting, tense and ready.
Where the hell were Tane and Hemi? Devlin scanned the night sky and the shadows beyond the lit area around the Opera House. Nothing.
“Maybe they haven’t found anything they can use?” Taylor suggested.
Suddenly, shouts broke out on the shore. Devlin saw raptors running toward the Circular Quay side of the Opera House, and spotted a red-orange glow.
A blazing shape came into view.
Bloody hell. A large boat, with its sails up and in flames, sliced through the dark waters of the harbor toward the Opera House.
Devlin shook his head. He had to give it to the Rahia brothers, they certainly knew how to create a distraction…and cause a lot of destruction and chaos while they did it.
Raptor weapons fire broke out, and then the boat slammed into the shore. Something on the boat exploded, flames reaching into the sky.
“Those guys are badass,” Taylor said.
“Come on,” Devlin said. “Let’s move.”
They swam to the edge and pulled themselves out of the water. Devlin stayed crouched, assessing the lay of the land.
“We need to get to the globe. Don’t break it. Instead, cover it with the bags you each have. We need to get it back to Noah.”
