Niko: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 9) (7 page)

She tossed Shaw over her shoulder and he landed flat on his back on the mats with a groan.

“I’m waving the white flag, Carides,” he panted. “Damn, you are mean.”

Mac circled around Gabe, and the man matched her movements, watching her steadily with his gray eyes.

He lunged in a few times, but Mac didn’t fall for the bluffs. She watched him, cataloging every little shift of his feet, and waited to see any sort of tell on his face.

There
. The slightest shift of his eyes. As he moved in, she dodged around, got in a good chop to his thigh. When he stumbled, she grabbed his arm, swiveled, and they went down.

Gabe hit the mat with a heavy thud, and Mac landed beside him with her knee pressed to his chest.

He gave one short nod. Coming from Gabe, that was pretty high praise.

Shaw gave another groan. “I’m out of here. I’m gonna let my woman put my pride back together.”

Gabe snorted. “You know she’s going to tease you.”

Shaw grinned. “Probably, but then she’ll get me naked, so it’ll be worth it.”

Mac stood and started stretching. “Go. I don’t want to hear the details of your sex life.”

Shaw waggled his eyebrows. “If you have anything to share, I’d like to hear it. But as far as I know, you don’t have a sex life.”

“And if I did, it would be none of your business, Baird.”

He held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m not sure any man’s brave enough to get close to you. You’d just toss him on his head.”

Shaw’s words stung. She shrugged a shoulder. The one man who she’d thought she wanted close…well, she wouldn’t mind the chance to toss him on his head.

Gabe and Shaw left with casual waves. Mac still felt an edgy tension running through her body. Maybe she should run it off on the treadmill.

That’s when she glimpsed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She saw Niko emerge from a shadowed corner of the gym.

Chapter Six

Had he been there the whole time? Mac was angry with herself for not noticing him. That kind of lapse could get her killed in the field. “You’re good at hiding.”

“Old skills.” He walked closer with that easy, loose-hipped stride, paint streaks on his shirt.

She hated that her pulse leaped at the sight of him. But more curiously, she heard the dark undertone to his words. Old skills apparently also came with old scars.

“I got the chocolates,” she said.

He came closer. “Did you like them?”

“Sure.”

He moved his hand, holding out a pretty flower with creamy-white petals. “I’m sorry, Mackenna.”

Stay strong
. She didn’t say anything. She hadn’t expected the outright and honest-sounding apology.

“Seeing you out there…I know how good you are, but I had this visceral reaction to watching you in action, in danger.”

Mac turned away and gave him her back. He came up behind her, his body brushing hers.

“I don’t want to see you hurt.” He stroked his hand and the flower down her arm. “I don’t want to see this body hurt. I haven’t even had the chance to touch it yet.”

She felt herself melting, wavering. She wasn’t going to do this.

She turned and aimed a fist at his stomach.

He moved faster than she thought possible and blocked her, catching her fist in his palm.

Her gaze narrowed. She tried another strike. He blocked that one, too.

This time Mac launched a full-on assault. Kicks, hits, blows. She drove him back across the mat. Every move she made, he blocked with a skill and expertise that stole her breath.

Just what the hell had he done before the invasion?

Testing him, she pulled out some of her best moves backed by all her strength. Hit to the stomach. Chop to the arm. Kick to his side.

He blocked every move. And never once made an offensive move back.

“I’m not going to fight you, Mackenna.”

She aimed a kick at his chest. He gripped her ankle, stopping her foot an inch from hitting him. He held her there, her leg extended up.

“What if I want you to fight me?” Her blood was surging.

He released her. “No.”

“You think I can’t protect myself?” She punched out and he knocked her hand away. “You think I’m not a good soldier?” This time she got a good kick to his gut before he dodged her foot. “You think I can’t handle whatever it is you’ve got?”

Angry now, she launched herself at him. She landed against his chest, wrapping her legs around him. They spun in an ungainly circle. She leaped off, and while he was unbalanced, she gripped his arm and flipped him over her shoulder.

He went down, but before she could pin him to the mats, he jumped up without using his hands. A brilliant display of strength and speed.

“I know you’re good,” he said, his face serious. “I didn’t mean to make you doubt that.”

“I don’t doubt it,” she bit off. “But I don’t play with men who don’t respect me.”

She attacked him again. But before her foot connected, she saw something change in his face.

His patience snapped.

He launched back at her. He grabbed her around the waist, lifted her, and slammed her down onto the mat.

The air rushed out of her lungs, and she lay there, shocked, for a second. She rolled and jumped to her feet. He backed her across the mats and she struck back a few times—hit, kick, block.

Mac’s breath hitched and she had to put everything she had into warding him off. Next thing she knew, he grabbed her, and flipped her onto the mat.

She landed flat on her back. She was trying to roll away when the next thing she knew, he was lowering his body over hers.

Mac blinked. No one, not Roth, not Gabe, not Shaw, none of the soldiers she trained with, had ever pinned her to the mats.

“I respect your fucking abilities. Didn’t you see the drawing I left you?”

He’d made her look strong but feminine. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. “Yes. And I saw some of your trading cards.”

He smiled. “You liked them.”

“I didn’t see one for me.”

His smile widened. “That one belongs to me.”

Mac shook her head. “Niko, you could have your pick of women around here. I’ve seen the way they watch you.”

“I’ve never wanted any of them the way I want you.”

“You and I make no sense. I’m a soldier, you’re a leader.”

His lips lowered close to her mouth. His gaze ran over her face. “It doesn’t have to make sense. But to me, it feels damn right.”

He kissed her.

The taste of him flooded her—he’d tried one of her chocolates, and tasted of hunger, raspberries, and sin. The kiss was a tangle of tongues and teeth, and he growled into her mouth. She fisted a hand in his thick, silky hair and pulled him closer.

The sudden blare of a siren made them wrench apart. Both of them were breathing heavily.

Her short-circuited brain started firing. It was the alarm for the squads. “I have to go.”

He pushed off her, then gripped her hand and helped her to her feet. They stood there for a second, looking at each other. Then he slid a hand into her hair, pulling her face up to his, but stopped short of kissing her again. “Be careful.”

She waited for more. For the demands, the orders, the ultimatums.

When he said nothing else, she nodded. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

He leaned down and grabbed the flower he’d dropped. It had somehow survived their fight. He handed it to her. “Count on it.”

***

Niko couldn’t stop himself from heading to the Command Center. He knew Squad Nine had gone into the field to save a small band of human survivors who needed help.

As he walked in, he could hear Arden talking in her calm voice. But there was an urgency underlying it. Holmes stood with his hands behind his back, watching the screens intently.

On the screen, Niko watched the Hawk lower toward the ground. On the stretch of road below, he could see humans in three beaten-up vehicles, under attack by raptors.

“We’re going in hot, Nine. Let’s do this.” Roth sounded like he was talking about them going out to play a game of basketball.

Niko knew the squad was good, but it didn’t stop him from worrying.

He saw Mackenna and the others leap off the quadcopter. The feed was a chaotic blur of laser fire, frightened shouting, and the deep grunts of the aliens. Niko locked down his emotions. The woman he wanted was a soldier. He had to deal with that.

He saw the way the squad tore into the aliens. Mac and Cam were covering the humans where they huddled near a car. Roth led the rest of them to take down the attackers.

The squad worked together well—anticipating each other, backing each other up.

They were magic.

“Another raptor patrol incoming. They’re one klick away.” Arden tapped on her screen. “Come in, Lia. I need a drone redirected out to the north of Squad Nine’s current location. I need more details on these incoming raptors.”

“On it,” Lia’s voice came across the speaker.

Suddenly, Niko heard a high-pitched growl cut across the lines. His head snapped up. What was that?

He heard Mackenna’s curses, then her frantic voice. “Roth! The humans we’re helping…they are raptor hybrids. I repeat, raptor hybrids. It’s a trap.”

“They’re armed,” Cam shouted.

Nyet.
Niko stared at the screen. Beside him, he heard Holmes mutter a sharp curse.

Lia’s new drone appeared, giving them clear images. The feed made Niko’s stomach clench. He could see now that the humans that were right near Mac and Cam were actually hybrids. Humans who’d had their DNA altered and alien DNA added. Some had scaled patches on their faces, others had red eyes, and others had claws on the ends of their hands.

Arden shot out of her chair. “Lia, I’ve lost the feed from drone one. Can you get it back?”

Niko spotted the now-black screen.

An expulsion of breath on the speaker. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with it. My people are working on it—”

Niko watched as the feed on another screen blinked out.
What the hell?

“We’ve lost another one,” Holmes said.

“I need the feed to see the incoming raptor patrol,” Arden shouted. “I need it back!”

The final screen went blank.

Niko could still hear the screams and grunts. He could still hear swearing from the Squad Nine soldiers.

Then he heard Roth’s voice. “What’s that in the sky? Shoot it! Shoot it now.”

“Roth,” Arden said. “We’ve lost visuals on the drone feed. If we lose—”

Suddenly the sound cut off. Silence.

Arden sat back and pressed a hand to her mouth. “We’ve lost everything.”

His gut rolling, Niko moved forward. “What the hell do you mean?”

The door slammed open and Lia raced in. She stared at the screens with horror. “We have no feed in Squad Nine’s area.”

Niko’s heart was hammering against his chest. They were blind.

Holmes reached forward and grabbed the mic on Arden’s desk. “Roth, abort. Get back here.” There was no response. “Do you copy? Abort!”

Silence.

Niko spun to face Arden. “Hell Squad. Get them out there to help. Now!”

Holmes gave a sharp nod, and the comms officer frantically tapped at her screen.

Niko stared up at the blank screens.
God, Mackenna, be okay.

***

Niko paced in the Hawk hangar.

“They’re fine,” Holmes said from nearby.

Niko knew Hell Squad had made it out and rescued Squad Nine. They were all on the way back in.

But he wasn’t going to feel any sense of relief until he saw them. Saw her.

An alarm sounded as the overhead doors retracted. A second later, he saw the shadow of the Hawk lowering.

Its skids touched down, and the side door slammed open. Marcus leaped off, followed by the rest of Hell Squad. Niko shifted impatiently. Then Squad Nine exited.

When he saw Mackenna, covered in blood and gore but unhurt, Niko finally released a breath.

He wanted to touch her, quite desperately. But he was filled with a volatile emotion he’d never felt before. Hell, in his previous work, he’d been known for having ice in his veins.

Right now, he was more volcano than ice floe.

He saw her talking with Roth, and then she pressed her hand to her leader’s arm and nodded.

She was alive. Niko turned around and stalked out of the hangar. He needed to contain this emotion before he approached her. He didn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing to her again.

He needed his paints or his clay.

He strode through the corridors and ended up in the Enclave library. He had a small corner set up like a studio.

Thankfully, no one else was in there. He only had the rows of books for company. It was a lovely spot, lots of warm wood, and deep, burgundy leather chairs. Usually, the space soothed him and let him be creative.

Right now, it did nothing to soften the jagged edges inside him.

On the wall was one of his paintings. It was a wild, chaotic picture he’d done not long after they’d moved to the Enclave. A representation of his life before, the violence of his past.

He stepped in front of his easel, uncapped his paints, and set to work. This would be no pretty, delicate painting. It would be much like the one on the wall. Maybe the violence of his past really wasn’t as gone as he would have liked.

A little while later, he sensed her.

Breathing deeply, he spun, holding up his paintbrush like a sword. She’d taken her upper armor off, but still wore it from the waist down. Her dark-green T-shirt stuck to her body, outlining the sweet shape of her breasts.

They stared at each other across the space.

“I made it back okay.” She walked closer, but he could sense she was wary.

With rigid control, Niko put his brush down.

Mackenna stopped just a few meters away. With a growl, he moved toward her and scooped her up. As his mouth crashed down on hers, he backed her up against the shelves.

Her hands clung to his shoulders, and she kissed him back.

He swept his tongue into her mouth, and she met him halfway. Her hands moved to cup his cheeks, her tongue dueling with his. He pushed deeper, needing the taste of her, the connection.