by Anna Hackett
They ended up facing each other, on their knees. He had an elbow at her throat and she had a tight grip on his throat. One twist and she could snap his neck.
“Mac, you there?”
So close to her, Niko heard the tinny sound of Roth’s voice.
“I’m here. I caught a guy spying on the convoy. Looks human, says he’s from the Enclave and his name is Nikolai Ivanov.”
“Six foot, long dark hair, green eyes?”
Niko felt her relax a fraction.
“Sounds about right,” she answered.
“I can vouch for him. He’s an artist, and one of the leaders of the Enclave.”
Niko heard Mac mutter under her breath. “Roger that. I’ll bring him down to you.”
She released Niko and stepped back. Niko got to his feet. “Two of my soldiers—”
“Are with my squad,” Mac answered shortly.
He cleared his throat. “Are they unharmed?”
“They aren’t conscious but they’re breathing.” She cocked her head. “You are not an artist.”
He held his hands up. As usual, he still had streaks of paint on his fingers.
“You don’t move like an artist. I recognize combat training and experience when I see it.”
Niko shoved his hands in his pockets and mentally cursed that he’d given himself away and that she was so damned observant. “We all had lives before the invasion. I was…something else before the aliens came.”
“You mean we all have secrets.”
He inclined his head. “You have an intriguing face, Mackenna. Beauty edged with toughness. I’d love to sketch you.” Or paint her, sculpt her. Anything to be able to study her more.
“I don’t think so.”
He smiled. He was a persistent man and a patient one. “We’ll see.”
She jerked her shoulder. “Come on. I’ll take you to Roth.”
Niko moved up beside her. “We’ll be seeing a lot of each other. And Mackenna?” He waited until she lifted her dark gaze to his. “You don’t have to run anymore. Welcome to the Enclave. Welcome to your new home.”
***
Liberty let Adam grip her waist and lift her off the quadcopter.
The entire convoy was stretched out in a long row, moving forward slowly. They were flanked by military vehicles she didn’t recognize.
“Sir?” Private Mitchell was waving at them from the back door of Adam’s truck.
“There’s our ride,” Adam said. “Nice to see you, Private.”
“You, too, sir. And we were certainly happy to run into the Enclave troops who came out to escort us in.”
The Enclave. Liberty’s heart clenched hard.
Adam helped her into the back and while she tried to hide her wince, he spotted it. The man was attuned to her.
“You need to see the doc,” he said with a frown.
She waved a hand. “Later. She has her hands full with Santha. Do you think they’ll be able to save the baby?”
“I don’t know.” Adam thumped on the dividing wall with the cab, and the truck started. “All we can do is hope for the best.”
Suddenly, she was engulfed in Adam’s arms. He pulled her back onto the bunk with him, holding her tight. “I thought…back there in that town…I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’m right here.” She held onto him, breathing in the sweat and toil of their fight. She didn’t mind it. It meant he was alive.
He pulled back, his blue gaze drilling into her. “I need you, Liberty. You’re my light. Your smile, your voice, just watching you sleep. You give me more than a reason to keep fighting, you give me a reason to keep breathing.”
“Adam.” Her chest swelled.
“I’m falling in love with you,” he said.
She jerked a little. For a long time, those words had been used as a weapon, a tether against her. Since she’d escaped her ex, she’d never uttered them, or wanted to hear them again.
“That wasn’t supposed to upset you.” Emotions flashed on Adam’s face. “I’m sorry that it wasn’t what you wanted to hear.”
She grabbed Adam’s hands. “I…let me explain.” She dragged in some air. “My ex-husband, he’d tell me he loved me…while he beat the shit out of me. He’d leave me broken and bleeding and stroke my hair, telling me his love for me made him do it.”
Adam’s face hardened. “That is not love.”
“I know. I know that now.” She moved closer to him. “In fact, I only just realized it fully when you said the words to me. I felt the difference.”
“Jesus, Liberty, you know how to cut my legs out from under me.”
“Now, please, tell me again.”
He cupped her cheeks. “Liberty, I’m falling in love with you.”
She breathed in, feeling only warmth inside her. “Adam, I think I started falling for you while I was cutting your hair.”
“God.” He pulled her to his chest, still careful of her wounds. “Put me out of my misery. Be my partner, my lover, my everything.”
“Yes.” She crawled into his lap. “Yes.”
He took her mouth in a hot kiss. Her neck bent back under the force of it, but she gripped him and kissed him back. Eager for more, for the taste of him, to feel he was so very much alive.
“General?”
The private’s voice made them both start. Then she realized the sound had come through the small intercom speaker on the comp.
Adam pressed a button. “Private, this had better be good. And I mean really good.”
The young man let out a nervous laugh. “Ah, yes sir. Um, first thing is that Doc Emerson got Santha stabilized. Her contractions have stopped.”
Liberty closed her eyes. Thank God.
“Excellent news. And the second thing?” Adam asked impatiently.
“How about the fact that we’ve reached the Enclave?”
Liberty’s heart gave a thump, and she saw savage satisfaction flare in Adam’s gaze.
“I won’t demote you, Private.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Soon, the vehicle stopped and they wasted no time getting out. Liberty didn’t care that she was sore and dirty.
At first, she saw the Enclave soldiers. They were standing ahead, waving vehicles in. She didn’t see the entrance, then as cars dipped out of sight, she realized the ramp was well hidden.
Around them, vehicles were honking their horns, and people were shouting and cheering.
Liberty leaned her head against Adam’s chest. “Well done, General. You did it.”
“We did it.”
She looked up at him. She could see he was happy but she sensed sadness as well. “What’s wrong?”
“Just thinking of the people who didn’t make it.”
“We won’t forget them. But look around.” She saw him take in the crowd of happy, relieved people. “See all the people you saved.”
He did and nodded. “Here, we can be safe. Kids can play, old ladies feel useful and appreciated.” He leaned down. “Couples can kiss.”
“Oh, I like that last bit.”
“Here, I can sleep through the night, wrapped in my Liberty.”
The words made her shiver.
“Here, we can regroup and make plans to rid our planet of the Gizzida once and for all.”
Her general would always be a military man. She knew he’d never give up fighting, and that made her proud as hell.
“And here—” his voice lowered “—I can make love to you whenever I want, however I want.”
She cocked a hip, desire flaring. “Is that right?”
“Yes.” He reached past her and into the truck. When he stepped back, he was holding something. It was a small, wrapped present. “This is for you.”
Delight flooded her. She hadn’t received a present in a very long time. She tore it open. It was a bottle…she turned it over and read the label. Homemade bubble bath…in her favorite jasmine scent.
“I don’t know how you knew my favorite—”
“Thank you.” She leaned up and kissed him.
“You can thank me properly later, my love.” He nipped her lips. “When you’re naked, covered only in bubbles.”
“It’s a date. I look forward to it, my general.”
And she also looked forward to every single moment with Adam. She looked forward to falling one hundred percent completely in love with him and living a life that was so very worth living.
---
I hope you enjoyed Adam and Liberty’s story!
Hell Squad continues with NIKO, the story of the leader of Enclave, Nikolai Ivanov, and Squad Nine’s second-in-command, Mackenna “Mac” Carides. Coming June 2016.
If you’re looking for more action-packed, science fiction romance, then read on for a preview of Among Galactic Ruins, the first book in the Phoenix Adventures.
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Preview: Among Galactic Ruins
As the descending starship hit turbulence, Dr. Alexa Carter gasped, her stomach jumping.
But she didn’t feel sick, she felt exhilarated.
She stared out the window at the sand dunes of the planet below. Zerzura. The legendary planet packed with danger, mystery and history.
She was finally here. All she could see was sand dune, after yellow sand dune, all the way off into the distance. The dual suns hung in the sky, big and full—one gold and one red—baking the ground below.
But there was more to Zerzura than that. She knew, from all her extensive history training as an astro-archeologist, that the planet was covered in ruins—some old and others beyond ancient. She knew every single one of the myths and legends.
She glanced down at her lap and clutched the Sync communicator she was holding. Right here she had her ticket to finding an ancient Terran treasure.
Lexa thumbed the screen. She’d found the slim, ancient vase in the museum archives and initially thought nothing of the lovely etchings of priestesses on the side of it.
Until she’d finished translating the obscure text.
She’d been gobsmacked when she realized the text gave her clues that not only formed a map, but also described what the treasure was at the end. A famed Fabergé egg.
Excitement zapped like electricity through her veins. After a career spent mostly in the Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation and on a few boring digs in the central systems, she was now the curator of the Darend Museum on Zeta Volantis—a private and well-funded museum that was mostly just a place for her wealthy patron, Marius Darend, to house his extensive, private collection of invaluable artifacts from around the galaxy.
But like most in the galaxy, he had a special obsession with old Earth artifacts. When she’d gone to him with the map and proposal to go on a treasure hunt to Zerzura to recover it, he’d been more than happy to fund it.
So here she was, Dr. Alexa Carter, on a treasure hunt.
Her father, of course, had almost had a coronary when she’d told her parents she’d be gone for several weeks. That familiar hard feeling invaded her belly. Baron Carter did not like his only daughter working, let alone being an astro-archeologist, and he really didn’t like her going to a planet like Zerzura. He’d ranted about wild chases and wastes of time, and predicted her failure.
She straightened in her seat. She’d been ignoring her father’s disapproval for years. When she had the egg in her hands, then he’d have to swallow his words.
Someone leaned over her, a broad shoulder brushing hers. “Strap in, Princess, we’re about to land.”
Lexa’s excitement deflated a little. There was just one fly in her med gel.
Unfortunately, Marius had insisted she bring along the museum’s new head of security. She didn’t know much about Damon Malik, but she knew she didn’t like him. The rumor among the museum staff was that he had a super-secret military background.
She looked at him now, all long, and lean and dark. He had hair as black as her own, but skin far darker. She couldn’t see him in the military. His manner was too…well, she wasn’t sure what, exactly, but he certainly didn’t seem the type to happily take orders.
No, he preferred to be the one giving them.
He shot her a small smile, but it didn’t reach his dark eyes. Those midnight-blue eyes were always…intense. Piercing. Like he was assessing everything, calculating. She found it unsettling.
“I’m already strapped in, Mr. Malik.” She tugged on her harness and raised a brow.
“Just checking. I’m here to make sure you don’t get hurt on this little escapade.”
“Escapade?” She bit her tongue and counted to ten. “We have a map leading to the location of a very valuable artifact. That’s hardly an escapade.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess.” He shot a glance at the window and the unforgiving desert below. “This is a foolish risk for some silly egg.”
She huffed out a breath. Infuriating man. “Why get a job at a museum if you think artifacts are silly?”
He leaned back in his seat. “Because I needed a change. One where no one tried to kill me.”
Kill him? She narrowed her eyes and wondered again just what the hell he’d done before he’d arrived at the Darend.
A chime sounded and the pilot’s voice filtered into the plush cabin of Marius’ starship. “Landing at Kharga spaceport in three minutes. Hang on, ladies and gentlemen.”
Excitement filled Lexa’s belly. Ignoring the man beside her, she looked out the window again.
The town of Kharga was visible now. They flew directly over it, and she marveled at the primitive look and the rough architecture. The buildings were made of stone—some simple squares, others with domed roofs, and some a haphazard sprawl of both. In the dirt-lined streets, ragged beasts were led by robed locals, and battered desert speeders flew in every direction, hovering off the ground.
It wasn’t advanced and yes, it was rough and dangerous. So very different to the marble-lined floors and grandeur of the Darend Museum or the Institute’s huge, imposing museums and research centers. And it was the complete opposite of the luxury she’d grown up with in the central systems.
She barely resisted bouncing in her seat like a child. She couldn’t wait to get down there. She wasn’t stupid, she knew there were risks, but could hold her own and she knew when to ask for help.
The ship touched down, a cloud of dust puffing past the window. Lexa ripped her harness off, trying—and failing—to contain her excitement.
“Wait.” Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the opening door. “I’ll go first.”
As he moved forward, she pulled a face at his broad back. Arrogant know-it-all.
The door opened with a quiet hiss. She watched him stop at the top of the three steps that had extended from the starship. He scanned the spaceport…well, spaceport was a generous word for it. Lexa wasn’t sure the sandy ground, beaten-up starships lined up beside them, and the battered buildings covered with black streaks—were those laser scorch marks?—warranted the term spaceport, but it was what it was.
Damon checked the laser pistols holstered at his lean hips then nodded. “All right.” He headed down the steps.
Lexa tugged on the white shirt tucked into her fitted khaki pants. Mr. Dark and Brooding might be dressed in all black, but she’d finally pulled her rarely used expedition clothes out of her closet for the trip. She couldn’t wait to get them dirty. She tucked her Sync into her small backpack, swung the bag over her shoulder and headed down the stairs.
“Our contact is supposed to meet us here.” She looked around but didn’t see anyone paying them much attention. A rough-looking freighter crew lounged near a starfreighter that didn’t even look like it could make it off the ground. A co
uple of robed humanoids argued with three smaller-statured reptilians. “He’s a local treasure hunter called Brocken Phoenix.”
Damon grunted. “Looks like he’s late. I suggest we head to the central market and ask around.”
“Okay.” She was eager to see more of Kharga and soak it all in.
“Stay close to me.”
Did he have to use that autocratic tone all the time? She tossed him a salute.
Something moved through his dark eyes before he shook his head and started off down the dusty street.
As they neared the market, the crowds thickened. The noise increased as well. People had set up makeshift stalls, tables, and tents and were selling…well, just about everything.
There was a hawker calling out the features of his droids. Lexa raised a brow. The array available was interesting—from stocky maintenance droids to life-like syndroids made to look like humans. Other sellers were offering clothes, food, weapons, collectibles, even dragon bones.
Then she saw the cages.
She gasped. “Slavers.”
Damon looked over and his face hardened. “Yeah.”
The first cage held men. All tall and well-built. Laborers. The second held women. Anger shot through her. “It can’t be legal.”
“We’re a long way from the central systems, Princess. You’ll find lots of stuff here on Zerzura that isn’t legal.”
“We have to—”
He raised a lazy brow. “Do something? Unless you’ve got a whole bunch of e-creds I don’t know about or an army in your back pocket, there isn’t much we can do.”
Her stomach turned over and she looked away. He might be right, but did he have to be so cold about it?
“Look.” He pointed deeper into the market at a dusty, domed building with a glowing neon sign above the door. “That bar is where I hear the treasure hunters gather.”
She wondered how he’d heard anything about the place when they’d only been dirtside a few minutes. But she followed him toward the bar, casting one last glance at the slaves.
As they neared the building, a body flew outward through the arched doorway. The man hit the dirt, groaning. He tried to stand before flopping face first back into the sand.
