by Anna Hackett
Arden just stood there and let him methodically strip her down to her underwear.
When he shifted away, she looked in the mirror and bile rose in her throat. Raptor blood was all over her skin.
Dom flicked on the tap and wet a cloth under the water. When he turned back to her, she realized she was shaking. He started wiping her face and neck.
“You’ve got this, Arden.” His voice was quiet as he wiped across her collarbones, cleaning the blood away. “You held it together out there.”
She looked up, and over his shoulder she saw their reflection. He was all darkness—dark hair, black armor—contrasting against her pale skin.
“There.” He straightened.
The blood was gone. Arden stood there in her simple cotton underwear.
He turned to the sink, rinsing the cloth off.
“We were out for dinner in Sydney with the kids when the invasion happened.” Her voice echoed off the tiles.
Dom went still and looked up. Their gazes met in the mirror.
“A ptero flew over the street where we were. There were explosions, screams.” She swallowed. “The restaurant exploded. Jason, my husband, died instantly. My kids were hurt. I was hurt. I had burns on my arms and legs, and glass had hit me.” She sucked in a shaky breath. “I was trapped under some rubble.”
Dom turned. “Bella—”
She grabbed his hand, holding it like a lifeline.
“My daughter died first.” Tears welled in Arden’s eyes. “There wasn’t time for Beth to be afraid. I held her hand.”
Dom’s fingers clenched on hers.
“I managed to get free and crawl to Emmett. He was still alive, but I could hear the rattle in his breathing. He was afraid.” A tear slid down her cheek. “I held my son as he faded. I sang to him as he died.”
With a muttered curse, Dom yanked her close. She burrowed into his chest, holding on to his strength.
“I’m so sorry, Arden.” He smoothed a hand down her back.
“Me too.” She let out a shuddering breath. “I shouldn’t have been outside the Enclave.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.”
She looked up at him. “You saved me.”
“I killed in front of you, and covered you in blood.” His voice was flat and held an edge.
She tilted her head, looking at his blank face. “If you hadn’t killed that raptor, I’d be dead, or worse.”
“I never wanted you to see that.”
“I’m a comms officer. I see soldiers kill every day, Dom. Maybe not in real life, but I watch it on the feed. I direct my squad to the raptors to kill them. It’s them or us, we all know that. You’re a hero for protecting me and the other survivors, not a killer.”
His dark eyes just stared at her, boiling with shadows. “I’ve always been a killer.”
Arden swallowed. “You worked for the Mafia.”
A short nod.
She was trying to find the right words to tell him that none of them were who they’d been before, but before she could, her legs gave way.
Dom caught her. He lifted her and carried her back into the other room. He gently set her on the bed, then grabbed the robe she’d left draped over the end of the bed. He wrapped it around her.
Suddenly, Arden was unbearably tired.
“Lie down.” He nudged her back against the pillows.
“I…” She dropped back, fighting to keep her eyelids open.
“Adrenaline crash,” he said.
There was a knock at the door. Eyeing her for a second, Dom touched her shoulder, then headed to answer the door. She heard him talking, then a woman’s voice. Indy.
“She’s fine,” Dom said. “Falling asleep.”
Arden let her eyes drift closed and the murmurs washed over her.
Then she heard someone moving beside the bed. When she opened her eyes, she saw Dom was back. He dimmed the lights and leaned over her.
“Sleep, bella.” A brush of lips at her hairline.
When he drew back, she reached out and grabbed his arm. “Don’t go.”
Silence. “What do you need, Arden?”
“Don’t leave me. I couldn’t bear to be alone.”
More silence, then she heard rustling. She realized he was taking off his carbon fiber armor. She heard water running in the bathroom.
A moment later, he climbed onto the bed, pulling her to his side.
She pressed her face to a chest that was now covered in a soft T-shirt. She sighed, her muscles relaxing.
For the first time in a very long time, Arden felt completely safe.
She let sleep drag her under.
Darkness clung to him like tar. Dom tried to fling it away, but it crawled over him, smothering him.
He knew he was dreaming. This nightmare was his constant companion. The black turned to blood, covering his skin, soaking his hair.
You’re nothing, Dominic. Salvatore’s voice. You’re the son of a whore. A killer. Unwanted. Nothing.
“Dom. Dom.”
He felt soft hands on his face.
Dom jerked awake. He blinked and Arden’s concerned face came into view.
For a moment, he was confused. Then he realized he was in Arden’s bed, and she was pressed against him, her slender body covered only by her underwear, and a very thin layer of dark-green silk.
Her scent—delicate, floral—washed over him. He managed to shake off the remnants of the dream.
She’d been through a tough time. And then she’d relived the attack that had taken her family. Now, he’d brought more darkness into her bed.
He sat up, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed.
“No.” She grabbed his shoulders.
“I need to go.”
“I don’t want you to go.”
He looked at her and saw the robe falling off one shoulder. Her skin was smooth, unblemished. He wanted to lick it, to slide that robe away.
No. He clenched his hands into fists. He had no right to touch her.
“I have to go. I don’t belong here. Are you all right? Do you want me to call Indy?”
Arden clutched the robe edges together at her throat. “I’m fine. But… I want you to stay.”
Those words sent emotions surging inside Dom. He wrestled with them and finally beat them down. His entire life, anything and everything he’d ever wanted had been denied to him. He was good at pushing his own needs away. Pushing his desires away.
Especially those things that he wanted to protect and take care of. “I can’t stay.”
Something flickered in her violet eyes. “You don’t want to stay. I understand.”
He reached out, his fingers touching her jaw in the lightest caress. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to stay more than anything he’d wanted in his entire life.
But he didn’t. It was easier this way. He had no right to touch her.
He dropped his hand and her gaze lowered to the bed.
Dom rose, scooped up his armor off the floor, then strode to the door. He walked out without looking back.
Back in his quarters, he robotically showered and changed. He didn’t let any thoughts penetrate. Not the smell of her, the sight of her bare shoulder, the feel of her pressed against him.
He’d just pulled on a shirt when the communicator beside his bed pinged. He touched the button. “Santora.”
“Dom, it’s Levi. The doc is just finishing up with the autopsy on the stealth raptor. Thought you might want to come take a look?”
“Si. Meet you there.”
Grateful to focus on his job, Dom headed for the infirmary. As he reached the door, it opened, and a pregnant blonde strode out. The woman lifted her head, her mass of pale hair gleaming under the lights. Liberty was General Holmes’ woman, and pregnant with their child.
Dom nodded at her.
She smiled at him. “Hello, there.”
“Liberty. I hope you’re well.”
One manicured hand dropped to her belly. “Oh, the kiddo
and I are doing very well. Of course, Adam is proving to be as overprotective as a daddy as he is as a general.” She winked and continued down the hall.
When Dom stepped into the infirmary, he headed straight to the curtained-off examination rooms, and not the open area where the infirmary bunks were set up. In the first room, he saw the doc in her lab coat, bending over an autopsy table. She wore gloves up to her elbows, and they were streaked with blood. Like Liberty, Emerson was also pregnant, and the mound of her belly was just starting to show.
All these babies. Dom didn’t ever want to have kids. There was no way he would hand his DNA down to a child.
Marcus, Roth, Tane, Holmes, and Niko were all standing around the sides of the autopsy table, staring at the black raptor.
Emerson straightened, blowing a strand of straight, blonde hair out of her eyes.
“Stealth raptor is a good label for it,” she said. “From what I can tell, it can distort its shape, which makes it easy for it to hide and sneak around.”
“Fuck,” Roth, the head of Squad Nine, muttered.
“Arden said it flowed,” Dom said.
Everyone swiveled to look at him.
Emerson nodded. “Its skeletal structure is like gelatin. It seems it can harden and soften at will. So it can flatten itself, and then retake a solid form.”
The general looked unhappy, staring at the raptor body with his arms crossed over his chest. “I want a way to detect this. I don’t want these things slinking around the Enclave.”
“Or getting inside,” Niko said.
The doc nodded. “I’ll send all my data through to Noah. I’m sure his team can come up with something.”
“We need to end this,” Marcus ground out. “Once and for all.”
There were murmurs of agreement.
“We’re working on that,” Holmes said. “As soon as that bomb stops, we’re going in to destroy it.”
“I hear Noah’s been working with Manu down in the armory,” Tane said, mentioning his other brother. “They’ve perfected the cineole grenades and found a way to add the oil to weapons.”
Cineole was a component of eucalyptus oil and the raptors hated it. They avoided Eucalyptus trees like they were the plague.
Holmes gave them a grim smile. “Our one bit of good news. And yes, we should have some experimental cineole weapons ready to use soon. Tane and Roth, keep your squads on alert for the bomb mission.”
Roth and Tane nodded.
Then Roth turned to Dom. “Hey, thanks for rescuing Arden.”
Dom lifted his chin. “No need to mention it.”
“She’s a hell of a comms officer, quiet, composed,” Roth added. “And she’s a good woman. Hate the idea the Gizzida could have nabbed her. She’s been through enough.”
She had. Walking away from her had been hard, but she deserved peace.
“Be nice if she found someone,” Emerson said. “Heard on the base grapevine that she was seeing one of the schoolteachers.”
The words were like a kick to Dom’s gut. A teacher. He shoved his hands in his pockets. A steady man with no blood on his hands. That’s exactly what Arden deserved.
For her, Dom would fight this attraction that tangled him up inside with all his strength.
Chapter Four
Arden’s steps echoed on the concrete floor of the empty firing range. As she and Noah entered, Manu Rahia popped his head out of the office. He lifted a hand at them.
“Hey, Noah, Arden.” The tall man’s voice was a deep rumble.
He’d once been a berserker, fighting alongside his brothers until he’d lost a leg on a mission. Now, he ran the firing range and armory with skill and precision. Once he’d adjusted to his prosthetic leg, he’d thrown himself into his new role. And when he wasn’t working, he was with his lover, Captain Kate Scott, head of the Enclave’s security.
“Manu.” Noah hefted up the combat drone in his hand. “We’re here to test out my work in progress.”
“Place is all yours.” Manu shifted, his black T-shirt stretching over his broad, powerful chest. “Probably see a few people come to shoot in about an hour.”
“Thanks.” Noah set the drone down, checking it over. Then his dark gaze hit Arden. “You sure you’re up for this today?”
She sighed. “I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt.” She shook her head. “It was my own fault. I shouldn’t have been outside.”
Noah eyed her and nodded.
The drone beeped and rose up in the air.
“All right then, let’s do this,” he said.
Arden started walking around, passing the empty firing lanes. The drone followed.
“Target,” she commanded.
The drone obeyed smoothly, lasers swiveling. She tested the functionality on several targets.
“I’ve programmed myself into the drone,” Noah said. “Try targeting me.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
He shot her a pirate-like smile.
Arden smiled back. “Okay. Drone, target Noah Kim.”
The drone lowered and turned, laser weapons locking on Noah.
He held up his hands like he was under arrest.
“Drone, disengage,” she murmured.
The weapons retracted.
Noah strode over to a comp screen. “We’ll try moving targets next and actually fire the lasers.” His fingers swiped. “The simulation’s all set.”
Arden pulled in a breath. “Okay, drone, let’s do this.”
In the closest lane, holographic targets flashed up. The combat drone moved into action. It shifted fast, lasers firing.
She watched it take down each target and smiled. This could be a great new weapon to help keep the squads safer in the field.
“Holy hell,” a deep voice said from behind her.
Arden swiveled and saw Griff and Dom. Her stomach danced and she met Dom’s gaze.
“That’s amazing.” Griff was looking at the drone.
She ripped her gaze off Dom. “Drone, disengage.”
“You’re controlling it?” Dom frowned at her.
“Arden’s implanted with a control chip,” Noah said. “It’s been slowly integrating with her nervous system, giving her greater control. We’re still working out the kinks, but it’s coming along very well.”
Griff moved closer, lifting a hand to touch the drone. He started peppering Noah with questions.
“How are you?” Dom asked quietly.
Just looking at him made something inside her ache. He’d looked after her and she’d liked it, wanted more. But he’d just been being nice.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Good. Fine. Thanks again for your help yesterday.”
“Just doing my job.”
Ouch. Arden fought to keep her face blank.
His gaze moved to the drone. “You’re helping Noah with this.”
“Noah needed a guinea pig and I was available. We’ve been working on it for a few weeks.” She shrugged. “I wanted to help.”
“You help every time you put on your headset and help keep your squad alive.”
The praise made her cheeks heat. “You and the others risk your lives out there every day. You’re the heroes.”
He shook his head. “Surely Noah could find a soldier to help with this drone.”
“Soldiers are busy in the field or on patrol. I’m not.” She paused. “It’s safe.”
“Well, there have been a few glitches,” Noah said.
She glanced at the tech genius. “And you’ve worked them all out.”
Noah raised a brow. “I still have to find a new desk to replace the one the drone fried in my lab yesterday.”
Arden shot him a rueful smile. “Luckily, I ducked fast.”
“You said it was safe.” Dom’s voice was cutting. “Noah, if that thing is blowing up desks, then Arden shouldn’t be anywhere near it.”
“It wasn’t Noah’s fault,” she said. “Selena’s bird came in and attacked the drone,
causing the unexpected kerfuffle.”
Dom frowned.
“The drone’s safe. And just imagine once Noah’s got a bunch of these perfected. They’ll be so helpful for all the squads.”
Noah nodded. “That’s the plan. To have a combat drone attached to each squad.”
“Nice.” Griff glanced at Dom. “We’d better get shooting.”
She watched the berserkers head over to their lanes. Griff was in jeans, but as usual, Dom wore black pants. She let herself have one quick glimpse at his perfect ass, then sighed.
She and Noah kept working on the drone, putting it through its paces. Finally, he nodded.
“Finished. Thanks, Arden.”
“You’re welcome.” She watched him power it down.
He eyed her. “You should have dinner with Laura and me sometime.”
“I’d like that.”
With a wave, Noah hefted the drone and headed out. Not letting herself glance at the firing lanes, she headed out of the range.
“Arden.”
Dom’s voice made her quiver. She slowed and turned. She watched him stride toward her and something about him made her think of a stalking panther.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I wish everyone would stop asking that.”
“No more sneaking out.”
She held up a hand. “Believe me, I’ve learned that lesson.”
Quiet fell between them and he kept staring at her. She stared back, drinking in his handsome face. Damn, it was hard having her long-dormant body flaring to life. Especially with a man who wasn’t interested.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Dom ground out.
She blinked. Oh, God, he could read her like an open book. “Sorry, I…” She took a step back. “I know you aren’t attracted to me, so you don’t have to worry—”
He strode forward and she backed up until her shoulder blades hit the wall. Her hands went to his shoulders.
“Dom?”
“Don’t want you?” His words were a deep growl.
She looked into his face and gasped. She saw heat in his eyes and her heart stopped. It wasn’t a flicker of desire, but a deep, burning hunger. Pure need.
