MISSION: HER SHIELD

TEAM 52 #7

ANNA HACKETT

Mission: Her Shield

Published by Anna Hackett

Copyright 2020 by Anna Hackett

Cover by Melody Simmons of BookCoversCre8tive

Cover image by Wander Aguiar Photography

Edits by Tanya Saari

ISBN (ebook): 978-1-925539-98-1

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-925539-99-8

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, events or places is coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form.

CONTENTS

What readers are saying about Anna’s romances

Anna Hackett Box Set

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Preview: Undiscovered

Preview: THS and Norcross Security

Also by Anna Hackett

About the Author

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANNA’S ROMANCES

Heart of Eon - Romantic Book of the Year (Ruby) winner 2020

Cyborg - PRISM Award Winner 2019

Edge of Eon and Mission: Her Protection - Romantic Book of the Year (Ruby) finalists 2019

Unfathomed and Unmapped - Romantic Book of the Year (Ruby) finalists 2018

Unexplored – Romantic Book of the Year (Ruby) Novella Winner 2017

Return to Dark Earth – One of Library Journal’s Best E-Original Books for 2015 and two-time SFR Galaxy Awards winner

At Star’s End – One of Library Journal’s Best E-Original Romances for 2014

The Phoenix Adventures – SFR Galaxy Award Winner for Most Fun New Series and “Why Isn’t This a Movie?” Series

Hell Squad – SFR Galaxy Award for best Post-Apocalypse for Readers who don’t like Post-Apocalypse

“Like Indiana Jones meets Star Wars. A treasure hunt with a steamy romance.” – SFF Dragon, review of Among Galactic Ruins

“Strap in, enjoy the heat of romance and the daring of this group of space travellers!” – Di, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer, review of At Star’s End

“Action, danger, aliens, romance – yup, it’s another great book from Anna Hackett!” – Book Gannet Reviews, review of Hell Squad: Marcus

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CHAPTER ONE

Running for your life, scared out of your mind, sucked.

Natalie Blackwell choked back a sob. She could barely see in the dank, dark tunnel. The harsh rasp of her breathing competed with the hard thump of her heart.

Her bare foot hit something sharp and she winced. She pressed a palm to the stone wall and sucked in some air. She couldn’t even remember losing her shoes, and her favorite gray skirt was now torn and stained.

She was so claiming them as work expenses when she got out of this nightmare. A hysterical laugh bubbled in her throat. She’d been running through these underground tunnels for hours, and she still hadn’t found a way out.

Somewhere, deep in the labyrinth of tunnels, a monstrous roar echoed.

No. Her pulse spiked, and she took off running again.

She turned a corner, her feet slapping on the damp stone.

She’d been at an archeology conference in Athens. She’d been loving the fabulous talks, the chats with colleagues, and the socializing. Needless to say, her conference had gone very wrong.

Now she was alone, in the dark.

You’ve always been alone. Nat felt her chest lock. That’s right. Growing up, her ambitious parents had mostly forgotten they’d had a daughter. They’d always been late home from work, or off on work trips. Natalie had spent more time with her nanny and housekeeper.

She lifted her chin. So what? It had taught her independence and to trust herself. It had made her strong.

And while she might be alone right now, her team would be searching for her.

Her belly clenched. God, she missed them.

As the archeologist for a covert black ops team, Nat spent most of her time locked in an underground base in Nevada, helping her team of military badasses save the world. She had to believe they’d come for her.

If they could find her.

As she paused at a junction, peering down the shadowed tunnels, she thought of sexy, brown eyes and a handsome, scruff-covered face.

Axel Diaz—former Delta Force, too handsome for his own good, a charmer.

Natalie choked back a small sob. Axel was her secret, middle-of-the-night fantasy. They were attracted to each other, but he’d never acted on it, and she’d seen him run through one-night stands like a…a… Forget it. She was too stressed out to think of a good metaphor. She didn’t deny she wanted the guy, but she wasn’t interested in being a notch on his already very notched bedpost.

She sniffled, rubbing her hand under her nose. Still, she was going to think of Axel’s muscled arms and sexy smile to get her through this.

Whatever the hell this was.

Something inexplicable had happened at the conference. One of the archeologists had gone crazy and he’d changed into something…wild. He’d attacked the conference attendees, torn up the hotel, then abducted Nat and several other female archeologists.

After that, everything was a blur. He’d knocked them all out—she had the aching lump on the back of her head to prove it. She’d woken up locked in a dark space with the other sobbing women beside her. Wherever they’d been trapped had been rocking, so she’d guessed they’d been aboard a boat.

The next thing Nat knew, she’d come to in these dark tunnels.

She had no idea where the other women were, although she’d heard someone scream about an hour ago. Or thirty minutes ago, or hell, maybe two hours ago. She had no idea what the time was.

Squeezing her eyes closed, she tried to keep calm. All this had to be linked to her work. She had access to a lot of classified information. Unbeknownst to most historians, human civilization had once been far more advanced than the mainstream history books taught. Advanced cultures had risen and been destroyed during the last ice age. Through her work, Nat had the chance to study incredible pieces of technology that had survived to modern times.

Team 52 was tasked with retrieving powerful artifacts that occasionally turned up, and keeping them out of the wrong hands. At their secret base at Area 52, they had a warehouse filled with incredible but deadly artifacts.

Nat had no idea what had driven Dr. Mark Kitchener to lose his mind, but she would survive this.

“The team is coming,” she whispered. “The team is coming.” Axel is coming.

If she made it out—no, when—she was going to kiss him. She had no idea what made him avoid relationships, but fuck it, she wanted to know how well he kissed.

A scraping noise echoed behind her. She swiveled, squinting into the darkness, and her heart leaped into her throat.

She walked backward, trying to keep her steps quiet. Her fingers dragged against the wall, and caught on shallow grooves that might have been engravings. Damn, she wished she could see.

Another scraping sound.

Biting her lip, she turned and ran. She had to keep moving.

Suddenly, she collided with another body.

A woman screamed.

“Shh!” Nat whispered. “It’s okay. I’m not the monster.”

The woman whimpered, moving closer. “Natalie?”

Nat recognized the French accent. “Cosette?” The woman was from the University of Bordeaux.

“Oui.” The woman gripped Nat’s arms, her nails biting into Nat’s skin. “It’s hunting us.”

“It’s Dr. Kitchener. Something happened to him.”

“Whatever happened, he is changed. A monster.” Cosette lowered her voice. “He has horns. Like the devil.”

Crap. Nat had seen the horns, but she’d thought that she’d hallucinated them.

Then they both heard a soft snorting sound and footsteps. Heavy footsteps.

“He comes,” Cosette whimpered.

“Let’s go.”

But the woman was terrified and frozen to the spot. Nat grabbed Cosette’s hand and tugged.

“You’re not alone, Cosette. My team is coming for us.”

“The monster will devour us…or worse.”

What was worse than being devoured? “Not today,” Nat clipped out. “I’m not up for any devouring. Now, let’s move.”

They took off running down the tunnel.

Nat tried to stay strong, repeating the words over and over again in her head. Hurry, Team 52. Hurry, Axel.

BEFORE THE SUV had even stopped, Axel Diaz threw open the door.

His boots hit the ground and he strode toward the front entrance of the Athens Marriott Hotel. It was a square box of a structure that looked more like an office building than a hotel. Ahead, a yellow line of police tape was strung across the front doors, and several police cars sat lined up in the front of the building.

He moved to duck under the tape, when a police officer dressed in a dark-blue uniform turned and fired off some angry words in Greek at him.

Axel swiveled and stared at the man.

The policeman’s eyes widened, and he took a step back.

Wise choice, amigo. Axel had had a very bad night, and he was more than ready to take it out on anyone who got in his way.

“Axel, hold up,” a deep voice said.

Axel paused as Lachlan Hunter, leader of Team 52, stepped up beside him.

“I’m Lachlan Hunter,” the tall former Marine told the officer. “We need to talk with Captain Andreas Nikou.”

The officer eyed them suspiciously. Axel ground his teeth together, watching as the frowning officer headed over to a cluster of other police officers. Axel hated waiting. He’d been trapped on the team jet for fucking hours. He’d spent every minute imagining what the hell could be happening to Nat.

Don’t lose it. He flexed his hands. Nat needed him.

The police captain appeared, striding toward them. He was an imposing man with thick, dark hair. Lachlan nodded, and the men had a low, heated conversation. From what Axel could overhear, the Athens Police had nothing.

Then Lachlan said the magic words. “I think you need to talk with Director Grayson.”

The next second, the captain’s phone rang. Scowling, he held it to his ear. “Director Grayson. Yes, I’m Captain Nikou.”

The man turned away, talking with the Team 52 director. Axel glanced at the rest of his team.

They were all spread out under the hotel’s entry portico. Blair Mason was bouncing on the balls of her feet, ready for action. Her blonde hair was in a neat braid, and her athletic body dressed in brown cargo pants and black T-shirt. She caught Axel’s gaze and rolled her eyes. She was no less happy about the delay, and wasn’t a big fan of bureaucracy.

Beside her stood Seth Lynch, looking calm and composed. The former CIA spy usually looked cool, but he was jingling something in the pocket of his black cargo pants. Behind them, Smith Creed rose a head taller than everyone else, his brawny arms crossed over his wide chest. Callie Kimura, the team medic, stood beside him, looking impatient. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. River, their newest team member, had her hands in the pockets of her jeans, her gaze narrowed on the police. Her curly dark hair was pulled back ruthlessly from her face. A former MI6 agent, the woman had skills and would be an asset to the team.

And also with the team was Dr. Ty Sampson. He was the team’s scientist and River’s man. The pair had fallen in love on a dangerous mission. Ty usually didn’t come into the field with them, but with Nat missing, they needed him on the ground. The big, dark-skinned man was scowling at the hotel doors like he could see through them and stroking his goatee.

They were all impatient to find Nat. Axel pictured her laughing—she was Australian with some Chinese heritage—and she had the best laugh he’d ever heard. She was fucking gorgeous, wore tight skirts over her mouthwatering figure, and had long, black hair. Her beautiful face went perfectly with that quick, clever brain of hers.

Axel shoved a hand through his hair. She had to be okay. He couldn’t imagine a world without Natalie Blackwell in it.

He’d wanted her for forever. And he’d fought that attraction just as long.

He was nowhere good enough for her. She deserved so much better than a broken ex-soldier who specialized in random hookups, and who woke every night screaming from his nightmares.

Shit, this isn’t about you, Diaz. He needed to focus on Nat.

The police captain ended the call and headed back to them.

“Please go in, Mr. Hunter. Anything you need, let my officers know, and they will assist you.”

Director Jonah Grayson greases the wheels again. Axel ducked under the tape, smacked a hand against the glass door, and strode into the hotel.

With the team at his back, he crossed the lobby, following the signs to the conference room.

When he stepped through the open double doors and into the large room, he sucked in a breath. Fuck.

The place had been destroyed. There were holes in the walls, tables and chairs had been overturned, and the ceiling had partially collapsed.

Axel remembered Nat’s frantic video call. I need help. She’d been terrified.

Then his gaze fell to the ugly carpeted floor. Several bodies lay under white sheets.

The blood drained out of his face. No. No. He strode straight toward them.

“Axel—” Lachlan lunged for him.

Dodging his friend, he gripped the sheet over the first body and flipped it back. A middle-aged man stared up at him with sightless eyes.

He moved to the next body. It was a woman in her late thirties, dressed in an ugly, brown suit.

He flicked back the last sheet. This woman was younger, with blood-stained blonde hair.

Axel stood and jammed his hands on his hips. He released a long breath. None of them were Nat.

“What the fuck happened here?” Ty said.

Lachlan scanned the room, his golden gaze like a tiger’s, searching for prey. “The police reports say a monster attacked the conference.”

Axel’s eyebrows rose. “A monster?”

“Yep. Humanoid, red eyes, dark-gray skin, with horns on its head.”

“Fuck,” Smith muttered.

“Split up and search the room,” Lachlan ordered.

Axel spun and circled the large space. He determined where Nat had been standing when she’d called them. Nearby, a long table was tipped on its side, several smashed artifacts littered across the carpet.

Nat would be pissed to see them broken and ruined.

He moved closer and crouched down. He’d learned enough working with Team 52 to pull a pen out of his pocket to avoid using his fingers. He gently touched the broken shards of clay. It looked like it had been some sort of vessel or jar. While the clay was a smooth red color on the outside, it was stained black on the inside.

Nearby, a round, clay tablet was resting beside a broken stand. He used the pen to tip it onto its back. It was circular, with some sort of pictograms on it, written in a spiral. If it helped find Nat, he was taking it with them.

Still standing upright was a figurine of a woman. Her arms were outstretched, and she was holding snakes in each hand. There were also several pots—some broken, some intact—made of black clay and decorated in vibrant, red designs.

“What have you got?” Ty appeared.

“Artifacts.”

The scientist crouched. “Definitely Ancient Greek. Some look Minoan.”

“This broken jar tell us anything?”

Ty shrugged a shoulder. “I’ll take samples and test it.” He snapped on some gloves and pulled out some bags.

“Here.” Axel nudged the round clay tablet.

“Shit,” Ty grunted. “I think I’ve seen this before.” He carefully slid it into a bag. Next, he started collecting up shards of the broken pot.

Once they were done, they met the others in the center of the room.

“There are reports from the hotel staff that the attacker took several women with him,” Lachlan said.

“How?” Blair demanded.

“Carried them out. Witnesses say they all looked unconscious.”

Axel ground his teeth together. If this thing had hurt Nat…

“After the monster left the grounds, it disappeared,” Lachlan finished.

“So we have no idea where Nat is?” Axel bit out.

“Not yet.” Lachlan’s gold eyes flashed. “But we won’t stop until we do.”

“Fucking hell.” Blair spun, her blonde braid swinging behind her.

“Keep it together.” Lachlan’s gaze bored into Axel. “Captain Nikou gave me the names of some of the archeologists recovering in the hospital.”

Axel’s pulse spiked. Finally, something concrete. “I’m driving.”

CHAPTER TWO

Nat sat with her back pressed against the wall, dozing. She was so tired.

Beside her, Cosette stiffened. “I heard something.”

Nat tilted her head. Somewhere deep in the bowels of the labyrinth, noises echoed. She had no idea how close they were, or who was making them.

“Come on.” She pushed herself to her feet and helped the other woman up. Faint light seeped in from somewhere, just enough to turn the black to murky gray. They started jogging down the tunnel.

They needed to find a way out. They couldn’t keep up all this running around in circles.

Suddenly, Cosette tripped and fell heavily to the ground.

“Ow.” The woman let out a choking cry. “I’m so tired, and so thirsty.”

“I know.” Nat knelt down beside her. In the faint light, she saw the woman holding her nose. Dammit, it was bleeding.

Cosette started crying.

“Shh.” Nat ripped off the bottom of her shirt and pressed the fabric to Cosette’s nose. “You’re okay. I don’t think it’s broken. It’s just bleeding a little.”

“I’m so afraid, Natalie.” The Frenchwoman’s voice was shaky. “I don’t want to die here.”

“We are not going to die. We’ll find a way out, or my team will find us.”

“No one is coming.”

“You don’t know my guys.”

Cosette swallowed. “You sound so certain.”

“I am. They’ll come for me. I trust them more than my own family.” She ran a hand down Cosette’s hair. “Now, we’re going to get up and we’re going to keep going.”

The other woman gave her a tiny nod.

Nat helped her up. She hadn’t been lying about her family. Her parents were the perfect definition of workaholics. Her mother was a high-powered lawyer and her father was a successful entrepreneur, always chasing the next deal. They’d divorced when Natalie was thirteen. They’d both remarried and had second families. Nat had just become even more of an inconvenience for them.

She blotted Cosette’s nose. “There.”

Suddenly, an enraged bellow echoed down the tunnel, followed by a woman’s high-pitched scream.

Nat turned, her heart in her throat. “We should keep moving.”

They set off at a quick walk. They turned a corner and ahead, Nat spotted light. Her heart leaped in her chest.

They hurried forward and stepped into a large junction where five tunnels intersected. Light was trickling in from above. It looked like there were some grates set into the ceiling.

Nat sucked in a breath. The walls here were covered in glyphs. They were amazing. She ran a hand over them, touching the faded paint.

Cosette moved closer. “It looks like—”

“Linear A,” Nat said. “Minoan.”

The other woman moved farther along the wall, the pain of her nose clearly forgotten. She sucked in a breath. “Some of this looks the same as the glyphs on—”

Nat gasped and looked at Cosette. “The Phaistos Disc.”

No one had been able to decipher Linear A, or the closely related Linear B. The mysterious symbols on the Phaistos Disc were even more unique and mysterious.

God, she wished she had a camera. She studied the Linear A and the Minoan glyphs. Absolutely incredible. This could be some sort of Rosetta Stone that would help them finally decipher the Minoan texts.

Then, running footsteps echoed down one of the tunnels. She swiveled and watched a long-legged, African woman—dark hair askew, her clothes stained and torn—run into the junction.

She pressed her hands to her thighs and bent over, panting. “It’s coming.”

Nat waved a hand. “Come on.”

The three of them moved together, barreling down one of the other tunnels.

“I’m Nat, this is Cosette.”

“Martha.”

“Dr. Martha Manduli? From Kenya?”

“Yes,” the woman replied with a lilting accent.

“I’m Natalie Blackwell. We’ve traded a few emails.”

“Yes, of course.” They turned a corner and ran down another tunnel. “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”

“Me too.”

Ahead, Nat spotted something on the ground. She realized that part of the ceiling was partially collapsed. Chunks of stone littered the ground.

Excitement tore through her. Maybe there was a way out. But when they reached the collapsed section, she looked up and saw nothing but dirt. Her hope withered.

All of a sudden, another woman appeared at the end of the tunnel.

“Help me.” She had a British accent, and tangled, blonde hair.

A wild roar sounded, and a hulking shape shot out of the darkness and tackled the woman to the ground.

Oh, fuck. Nat’s heart pounded like a drum on steroids.

Cosette dropped to her knees, rocking in terror. “We’re going to die.”

The blonde woman trapped under the creature was screaming. Screw this. Nat took a step forward and met Martha’s dark eyes.

The other woman straightened her shoulders and nodded. They both reached down and grabbed hunks of rock off the floor.

Then they ran forward.

Nat stared at the muscular back of the creature and the shirt hanging off it in shreds. Its skin was a dark gray. The monster was tearing at the woman’s clothes.

No, you don’t. Nat lifted the rock and slammed it down.

With a roar, the monster turned.

Nat sucked in a breath. She took in the huge set of black horns, the glowing eyes, and the contorted face—like the bones beneath it were trying to break out of its skin.

There was no sign that the creature had once been a man.

The beast swiped a hand at Nat. He hit her in the side and the force of the blow lifted her off her feet. She flew through the air and hit the wall.

Ow, ow, ow. The air rushed out of her lungs. Damn, it was strong. She wrapped an arm around her aching ribs.

Martha tossed her rock. Nat forced herself onto her knees and grabbed another stone, one of her nails breaking off in the process. She hurled the rock.

The man-beast whirled to face her. Martha jumped onto the creature’s back. Ignoring her aches and pains, Nat pushed to her feet. With a grunt, she hefted up a larger chunk of rock.

When the creature spun, trying to knock Martha off, Nat rushed in, slamming the rock into the monster’s muscled gut.

It let out an angry bellow and gave a wild shake. Martha flew off, ramming into the wall. But she didn’t stay down. The woman leaped up. She ran to Nat and gripped the rock with her.

Together, they charged at the beast, slammed into it, and drove it back against the wall.

With a roar, it threw them off. Nat hit the ground and rolled. She pushed up on her hands and knees to see the creature turning and running down a dark tunnel.

Then there was silence.

Martha had a hand to the wall, sucking in air. The woman that the monster had attacked was curled in a ball on the ground sobbing.

“It’s gone.” Nat crouched beside the woman.

“I-it was t-trying to rape me,” she said, brokenly.

God, God. Nat thought of the horns, the glowing eyes. She swallowed, glancing back toward the junction where they’d seen the Minoan texts. Was it possible they’d just met a real-life, mythological beast?

She touched the woman’s shoulder. “You’re safe now.” Please don’t let me be lying. “What’s your name?”

“Lydia. Lydia Beckwith.”

Nat held out a hand to Lydia. “Come on. We’re safer if we stay together.”

Nat glanced at Martha as she helped Lydia to her feet. They shared a nod. “Thanks for the help.”

Martha nodded back. “Let’s find a way out of this hell.”

AXEL WAS RESISTING the urge to pace, or punch something. Barely. He stared through the window into the hospital room.

Callie and Lachlan were talking to a tired and traumatized woman lying in a hospital bed. She was pale, her brown hair lank around her scratched-up face. She’d been attending the conference and had been injured in the attack—she had a broken arm and leg.

“This is taking too long,” he muttered.

“Stay calm, Axel,” Seth said.

“Screw calm. Nat might be hurt, or—”

He broke off. He couldn’t voice his worst thoughts. Grinding his teeth together, he shoved his hands in his pockets. She was out there, somewhere, alone and afraid.

Hold the fuck on, Nat.

Through the glass, he saw Lachlan stiffen. He took something from the woman, and then strode out of the hospital room.

“What?” Axel demanded.

Lachlan held up a cell phone. “She recorded part of the attack.”

Adrenaline punched through Axel. Yes. He and the rest of the team clustered around as Lachlan swiped the phone’s screen.

The footage was shaky and showed several overturned tables and chairs. Screams echoed from the phone, followed by a loud crash. The woman’s hand was shaking and her harsh breathing dominated the recording.

She shifted, crawling across the carpet. The legs of someone ran past, just their shoes and shins visible.

Come on, show something useful.

Then a roar drowned out everything else. It sounded like an enraged animal.

A large shape crossed in front of the camera.

“What the fuck?” Blair muttered.

Lachlan touched the phone screen and swiped back. An image froze on the screen.

Axel’s blood ran cold. At first glance, it looked like a tall, muscular man. But the man’s muscles were straining and bulging, his skin was a dark gray, and his clothes were torn like he’d done an Incredible Hulk transformation.

But the most eye-catching thing was the long set of black horns on top of his head.

“A man-bull?” Smith said incredulously. “That’s a new one.”

Lachlan touched the screen and the creature moved on, crashing and roaring.

“Let me go, asshole!”

Axel sucked in a breath. That was Nat’s soft Aussie accent.

They caught another glimpse of the monster heading for the door. It had Nat tossed over its shoulder and she was pummeling its back with her fists.

The recording ended.

“That fucking thing took her,” Axel said.

“And several other women,” Lachlan said. “The police accounted for the survivors, the injured, and the dead, and compared it to the list of conference attendees. Seven women, including Nat, are missing. One man is unaccounted for, as well.”

“Seven?” Blair said. “How the hell did he subdue seven of them, and get them away from the hotel? Even if they were unconscious, surely he couldn’t carry them all.”

“We don’t know.”

“Things like that monster can’t stay hidden,” River said. “People would notice.”

“Police are searching and appealing for help from the public,” Lachlan said. “I’ve got Brooks scanning any reports coming in.” Lachlan’s phone rang and he pressed it to his ear. “Ty, talk to me.” A pause. “We’ve got some cellphone footage that shows the attacker. We’ll see you in five.” Lachlan looked at the others. “We’ll meet Ty at the hotel. He’s studying the artifacts.”

It was a short drive from the hospital to the hotel where Team 52 had set up a makeshift headquarters.

After a quick ride in the elevator, they all strode into Ty’s hotel room. Artifacts were spread over the dining table and coffee table. He also had several pieces of equipment set up as well.

The big man looked up from a microscope. “Don’t touch anything. Let’s see the footage.”

“There’s my sweet-tempered man,” River drawled.

Axel paced as River showed Ty the recording. Then Ty stiffened, as though he’d been shot.

“What?” Axel asked.

“Most of these artifacts—” Ty waved a hand at the table “—are Minoan.” He snatched a tablet up from his gear.

“Yeah,” Axel said. “Old Greek stuff.”

“The Minoan Civilization was based on the island of Crete. It flourished during the Bronze Age and it’s most famous for this.” Ty held up a tablet so they could see.

Axel sucked in a breath. On the screen was an image of a statue. It was of a man with a bull’s head and horns.

“The Minotaur,” Callie breathed.

“You got it,” Ty said. “The Minotaur and the labyrinth are all stories central to the Minoans.”

Lachlan grunted. “I don’t think a man-bull has been living around here for centuries, and then randomly decided to attack a bunch of archeologists.”

“No,” Ty agreed. “But there are a lot of Atlantis myths and legends centered on the Minoans.”

Lachlan nodded slowly. “So this is probably some sort of ancient technology. Find out what, Ty.”

“On it. I’m running every test I can on all the artifacts.”

The tablet chimed, and Brook Jameson’s face appeared. The team’s tech whiz pushed his glasses up farther on his nose and waved a hand at them. He was wearing a blue T-shirt over his muscular chest, with what looked like an election logo on it that said “Obi Wan Kenobi, he’s our only hope.”

“Hey, gorgeous.” Brooks winked at Callie, his smile blinding. Callie blew him a kiss.

The pair had just gotten together and were glowing with love. Every time Axel turned around, another member of his team was hooking up. He rolled his eyes impatiently.

“What’s up, Brooks?” Blair asked.

“Reports of a disturbance on a ferry that left Athens eight hours ago. One of the ship’s crew was found dead. Word is that something had clearly stowed away in the hull.”

“Bingo,” Axel straightened. This was it. He felt it in his blood. His instincts had kept him alive too many times in too many dangerous shitholes when he’d been with Delta. He never ignored them.

Brooks frowned. “You want to know where the ferry was headed?”

“I can guess,” Lachlan said. “Crete.”

Brooks’ eyebrows rose. “Yeah. Man, you stole my thunder.”

Axel was already heading for the door. “Let’s roll.”

CHAPTER THREE

“Everyone okay?” Nat asked.

Martha was helping Cosette, and nodded. Lydia, a British historian, had recovered from her attack and gamely nodded as well. Their little group limped down one of the tunnels.

Martha glanced at the walls. “No sign of any exits out of this place.”

“No.” Nat tried not to get too dejected. It had been several hours since they’d seen the Minotaur. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. Something in one of the artifacts had somehow turned Dr. Kitchener into a monster.

“Look,” Cosette said, excitement in her voice.

Ahead, a water fountain appeared, carved into the wall. A trickle of water was flowing from it.

With cries of happiness, they all knelt beside the fountain, scooping up the water.

Nat hadn’t realized just how thirsty she’d been. Her stomach was still full of hard, tense knots, but a bellyful of water helped smooth some of her ragged nerves.

“I don’t think we’ve been down this way.” She peered down the dark tunnel. There was no sound, other than the faint tinkle of trickling water, and she was taking that as a good sign.

“Let’s keep moving,” Martha said.

They continued onward. As they walked, she wondered just where the hell they were. Were they still in Greece? How would her team find her?

For a second, she was a little girl again, hiding out in her closet because it was her birthday, and she was hoping that this time her parents might not be too busy to see her.

Don’t give up hope. Nat squeezed her hands into fists. Team 52 had just saved the freaking world on their last mission. They never gave up.

Nat stumbled over something on the floor of the tunnel. “Shit.”

“Natalie, are you okay?” Martha asked.

“Yeah. There’s something on the ground here.” She knelt down and reached out to touch the object. Her stomach dropped to her feet. “My God, it’s a body.”

Nat could barely see in the murky light. Was it the Minotaur? She patted down the body and felt a long tumble of hair.

“It’s a woman.” She touched the woman’s neck, and felt something wet and sticky on her fingers. Blood. “No. Oh, no.” She groped for a pulse. “I can’t see anything.”

“Is she okay?” Martha asked.

Nat swallowed. The woman’s body was cool to the touch and there was no pulse. “She’s dead.”

Cosette moaned.

“No,” Lydia whispered.

Natalie made herself pat the woman down. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. Rest in peace now.” There was something bulky in the woman’s pocket. Nat’s pulse leaped. “Oh, God.”

“What?” Lydia demanded.

“She’s got a cellphone.” Nat pulled it out and touched the screen. It lit up. She scanned the screen, her pulse racing. There wasn’t much charge left, and thankfully, it wasn’t locked.

She aimed the light down at the woman and sorrow hit her. “It’s Pippa Joubert.” The bubbly blonde archeologist was from South Africa. Despair a choking sensation, Nat closed the woman’s eyelids.

She pushed her to her feet. “There’s no signal down here.” She saw that Dr. Joubert had tried to make several calls, but hadn’t gotten through. “We need to keep moving. We need to see if we can find a place where we can get a cell signal.”

Renewed energy hit her little group. She sensed the faint stirrings of hope.

They set off, their pace brisker than it had been previously. Before the dim light of the phone shut off, she saw the shadows of more engravings on the wall. She wished she could use the light, but she didn’t want to waste the battery. The screen went dark.

“I almost didn’t attend this conference,” Martha said. “My girlfriend wanted me to go on vacation. To the beach.”

“The beach sounds like a wonderful idea,” Lydia said.

“Well, you couldn’t have predicted this,” Nat said. “None of us could have.”

Martha gave a startled laugh. “True. So, are we going to address the fact that we’re in a labyrinth covered in Minoan text, being hunted by something that looks like the Minotaur?”

“What’s there to say?” Nat checked the phone again. No signal. “That all appears to be true.”

“You don’t seem very shocked, Natalie.” There was a considering tone to Martha’s voice.

Natalie looked up, and in the blue light of the phone, she met Martha’s dark gaze.

“I’m just trying to stay focused on getting out of here,” Nat said carefully.

“I know you don’t work for a university. You actually don’t say much about your work.”

Nat remained silent.

Martha nodded. “I’m not prying. I’m just trying to work out what we’re up against.”

“My work is classified, that’s all I can say. And in this situation, I don’t know any more than you do.” Nat held out a hand. “I’m going to do my best to get us all out of here. Alive.”

Martha studied her for a beat, then took her hand and squeezed.

“And my team will be searching for us,” Nat added. “I promise you.”

“This team isn’t made up of middle-aged archeologists who like tweed, is it?” Lydia asked.

Nat tried to imagine Axel in tweed and failed. She laughed. “Ah, no.”

Something flickered on the cell screen.

“Wait!” About a dozen different emotions slammed through Nat. “We have a few bars.”

“Mon Dieu,” Cosette breathed.

Nat tapped in a number and pressed the phone to her ear. “Come on, come on.”

THE X8 JET-COPTER touched down at Heraklion Airport, the main airport on Crete. The airport was bigger than Axel had guessed, with a large terminal, and several planes disgorging tourists.

As soon as the X8 rolled to a stop, he pushed out of his chair and strode down the aisle. He slid the side door open.

A bus was heading to one plane parked on the tarmac—no doubt full of sunburned tourists who’d spent too much time under the Mediterranean sun. He slipped on his sunglasses and spotted two black SUVs waiting for them.

“Thank you, Kinsey.” Their logistics manager always came through, wherever they went.

Lachlan stepped up beside Axel, his own dark shades already in place, hiding his golden eyes. “Let’s get to Knossos. It’s a short drive.”

Axel slid into the backseat of the closest SUV. Smith got in behind the wheel, while Lachlan took the passenger seat. Blair got in the driver’s seat of the other vehicle, with Callie, River, and Seth.

Ty got in beside Axel.

“Knossos was the main palace and political center for the Minoans.” Ty buckled his seat belt. “Legends say it’s where King Minos—the first King of the Minoans—lived. The ruins have been heavily excavated, and are visited by thousands of tourists every year.”

The SUVs rolled out of the airport, and soon they were zooming down the city streets. Axel tapped his fingers against the door.

He saw Ty frowning down at his tablet. “What?”

“Well, all the myths talk of the Minotaur being trapped in a labyrinth designed by the famous inventor and architect, Daedalus.”

“Right, and something about a ball of string,” Lachlan said.

Ty grunted. “We should start at the beginning. King Minos was fighting with his brothers for the throne, so he prayed to one of the gods—”

“Which one?” Axel asked.

“I don’t know,” Ty grumbled. “Nat remembers this shit, not me.” He stabbed at his tablet. “Poseidon. Anyway, the king was supposed to sacrifice a white bull in honor of Poseidon, but Minos kept the bull and sacrificed a different one. Poseidon was pissed and to punish Minos, he made Minos’ wife, Pasiphaë, fall in love with the bull. She had Daedalus make a hollow cow construction so she could get in it… I’m sure I don’t need to go into detail on the next bit.”

“Jesus,” Smith muttered.

“Pasiphaë gave birth to the Minotaur, half bull, half man, and apparently it had a taste for human flesh.”

Axel’s heart knocked hard in his chest. Shit.

“Minos had Daedalus construct the labyrinth to keep the Minotaur locked in. Anyway, then Minos had a beef with the Aegeus, the King of Athens. He’d had Minos’ son murdered, so Minos waged war against Athens and won. Minos forced Athens to send several young men and women every year for him to feed to the Minotaur.”

“Sacrifices,” Axel said.

“Right. They had to send seven men and seven women.”

“Fuck.” Smith looked at them through the rearview mirror. “This monster took seven women from the conference.”

Axel gritted his teeth and stared out the window, watching as the buildings gave way to tree-covered hills.

“But only one man,” Lachlan mused.

“Needless to say, Athens wasn’t thrilled by this,” Ty continued. “Theseus, the son of the Athenian king, was determined to kill the Minotaur. He came to Crete, where Minos’ daughter, Ariadne, fell in love with him. She gave him a ball of thread to help him navigate the labyrinth, and he succeeded in killing the Minotaur.”

“There’s Knossos,” Lachlan said.

Axel peered out the windshield. The old ruins cascaded down a hillside. It was a jumble of stone walls and parts of long-destroyed buildings. Parts of it had been reconstructed and looked well-kept, while others were little more than rubble. Still, it gave a sense of how grand the place must have looked in its heyday.

Smith pulled the SUV to a stop. The other SUV pulled up behind them.

“Everyone keep a low-profile,” Lachlan murmured. “There are too many tourists for us to cause a scene.”

Axel stepped out of the vehicle. There were crowds being guided by tour guides, and others meandering through the ruins, cameras in hand. He and the rest of the team were all dressed in casual clothes—jeans or cargo pants, and T-shirts. He had his Glock tucked into the small of his back and hidden by his black shirt. They all knew how to blend in.

“We do have a problem,” Ty said.

Axel looked at the man. “Problem?”

Ty stroked his goatee. “Archeologists have scoured Knossos for years. They’ve never found a labyrinth here.”

“What?” Axel scowled.

The team all gathered around.

“So the labyrinth must still be hidden?” Axel said.

Ty shrugged. “Some people think it’s just a metaphor for something else. Or it’s just a myth.”

“The horned man who abducted seven women says it’s not a myth.” Axel scanned the ruins.

“Or it was somewhere else?” Ty mused.

Where are you, Nat? They didn’t have time to search the entire island.

They walked down the main path and into the ruins. They all fanned out and Axel took in a larger structure, the pillars still in place. Shit, where did they start?

He walked slowly, taking in the rows of huge pottery vases, all elaborately engraved.

“Pithoi,” Ty said. “Large storage jars for wine, oil, and grain. They’ve found lots of pottery here. All of it heavily decorated.”

Lachlan’s phone rang and he pressed it to his ear. “Hunter.” Lachlan’s big body stiffened and he spun. “Nat?”

Axel felt like he’d been hit by an electric shock. His heart lodged in his throat.

“Where are you?” Lachlan barked. “Okay, slow down. Tell me everything.”

Axel itched to snatch the phone out of Lachlan’s hand.

Lachlan turned, thumbing a button, and put the phone on speaker.

Then Nat’s shaky voice filled the air. “We’re in a maze of underground tunnels. We can’t find a way out. There’s a bit of light trickling in, so we can’t be down too deep.”

“Nat?” Damn, Axel was happy to hear her voice.

“Axel.” She choked on a sob.

“Be strong, baby, we’re here. We’re coming for you.”

“Okay.” Another muffled sob. “There are engravings on the walls. They’re Minoan.”

“We know,” Axel said. “We’re here on Crete. At Knossos.”

“God, I knew you guys would come.”

“Hell, yeah,” Axel replied.

“There are four of us. But another woman is dead.” Nat’s voice hitched. “This is her phone.”

“Okay,” Axel said. “You guys stay together. That’s a good strategy.”

“Axel, it’s hunting us.”

His blood ran cold and he met Lachlan’s gaze. He watched a muscle tick in Lachlan’s jaw.

“We’ll find you before the Minotaur does,” Axel said. “I promise.”

She gasped. “You know about the Minotaur?”

“Yeah, we—”

A beep crossed the line.

“My battery’s running low,” Nat cried.

Dammit. Axel stifled a curse. “Hold on, Nat.”

She made a sound. “Okay, okay. Guys, there’s no labyrinth at Knossos.”

“It must be here,” Lachlan said. “We’ll find it.”

“I have a theory,” she said.

Then there was a longer beep.

“I don’t have much time!” she said.

“Where do you think you are, Nat?” Axel asked.

“There has always been a rumor that the labyrinth was at another Minoan palace. The text I’ve seen down here is mostly standard Minoan Linear A, but some of them are more mysterious pictograms.”

“Nat, spit it out.” Axel loved when she got onto some fascinating piece of history, and her face and voice lit up, but now wasn’t the time.

“They match the same symbols I’ve seen on a mysterious artifact called the Phaistos Disc. The disc was found at the ruins of Phaistos.”

Adrenaline punched through Axel. He suspected he knew exactly what disc she was talking about.

Ty nodded. “The ruins of the palaces at Phaistos are far less excavated than here.”

“How far?” Lachlan asked.

Ty tapped. “About forty miles. Takes about an hour to drive on the island’s roads.”

Lachlan frowned. “Or we fly.”

Blair shook her head. “By the time we get back to the airport and wait for clearance to take off…” She shrugged.

Axel grabbed the phone out of Lachlan’s hand. He could make the forty-mile drive faster. “Nat, we’re coming. You hold on.”

“Axel, hurry, I—”

There was a final beep as her phone died.

CHAPTER FOUR

The SUVs screeched to a halt at the Phaistos ruins.

Like at Knossos, the ruins were on a hill, but less extensive and not nearly as well maintained. They had a more ruined feel, and there were fewer trees.

The team had added light, bullet-proof vests over their shirts. Ty had designed the high-tech vests to be less bulky than the standard vests law enforcement used.

Axel climbed out of the SUV, swinging his CXM rifle onto his shoulder.

He took in the ruins and countryside. There were no tourists to be seen. Lachlan had called Jonah and their director had made some calls.

The ruins had been “evacuated for security reasons.”

Ty moved forward, holding a small, handheld scanning device.

“Anything?” Lachlan asked.

Ty shook his head. “Not detecting any tunnels or underground excavations here.”

“Come on.” Lachlan moved up some rock-cut steps.

The ruins spread out ahead of them, but Axel kept his gaze on the ground. He didn’t have time to look at the pretty view of the valley.

Everywhere he turned, he saw ruined stone walls and pillars. No signs of any entrances to underground tunnels.

“The ruins cover a large area,” Ty said. “The city apparently went for a few kilometers into the valley. Only a portion of it has been excavated.”

Axel cursed. “Nat may not have that long. We need to find her.”

There was a monster hunting her. He’d taken down plenty of monsters before—hell, he was half monster himself, thanks to the things he’d done.

“It’s not just the size that’s a challenge,” Ty added. “The site’s been inhabited since 4000 BC. Different palaces have been built, then destroyed by earthquakes or invaders, then new structures rebuilt.”

“Where was the oldest palace?” Blair asked.

“Up on the hill. It’s said it looked like the Knossos Palace.”

The team turned and moved upward. A huge set of stone steps led past some impressive walls.

Ty’s scanner beeped.

Axel clenched his hand into a fist. “What is it?”

“Tunnels.” Ty smiled. “I’m detecting tunnels beneath us.”

“Spread out,” Lachlan said. “Look for a way in.”

Axel stepped over a broken wall, moving through some overgrown grass. He didn’t spot any holes or caves.

“Here!” River yelled.

They all jogged over to where River stood, her hands on her hips. Axel spotted a narrow tunnel dug in under a stone wall. The dirt was freshly turned.

“It looks like it was dug recently,” Lachlan said.

Like someone, or something, had dug down deep to get access to the tunnels beneath.

“No one’s discovered tunnels here before,” Ty said. “So I’m guessing any main entrances to a labyrinth are hidden.”

“Or deliberately blocked,” Smith said.

“Shh, I hear something.” Axel crouched down by the hole. He heard the distant roar of an enraged animal.

Hell. “I’m going in!” Axel dived headfirst into the hole.

He forced his way through the dirt and a second later, he dropped into a stone-lined tunnel.

As he clicked on the light on his CXM, the others started dropping in beside him.

The tunnel was made of stone, dark, and dank. It was large enough for them to stand fully upright.

“Well,” Callie murmured. “This is cozy.”

The walls were decorated with engravings and text, but Axel had no interest in looking at them twice.

“This way,” Ty said.

Axel moved up beside Lachlan. They marched through the tunnel, keeping their weapons up. There were no more roars, or any sound at all.

They reached a junction with multiple tunnels fanning out from it.

“Sure looks like a labyrinth, all right,” River said. “We don’t want to get lost in here.”

“I’m on it.” Ty pulled his backpack off his shoulder. “Brooks gave me a little something that he cooked up.” Ty pulled out a small drone, the size of his hand. The four small rotors whirred and it lifted up into the air, then zoomed off through the first tunnel. “It has sonar attached to it.”

On Ty’s tablet screen, Axel saw light pulsing, and watched as the screen started to fill with a map of the tunnel.

“It’ll take time to map the entire place, but at least we’ll know the way back,” Ty said. “I suggest we go straight.”

The team kept moving.

“Keep tight, 52,” Lachlan murmured. “The back of my neck is prickling.”

And every good soldier knew to trust their instincts.

“Look.” Callie jerked her head.

On the ground were some fresh scuff marks, and a small, perfect footprint that had to belong to a female.

Axel’s gut tightened. Was it Nat’s?

They turned down another tunnel. Behind them, Ty walked slowly, snapping pictures of the walls.

“Fuck,” Smith said.

Axel’s head jerked up and he sucked in a breath. There was a body on the ground ahead of them.

Callie darted forward, dropping down to gently roll the body over.

It was a woman with light-brown hair tangled over her face. Her skin looked impossibly pale in the darkness.

Callie shook her head. “She’s dead. Throat’s been ripped out.”

Fuck, the Minotaur wasn’t messing around. Where the hell was Nat?

“Do we risk calling out for Nat and the other women?” Axel asked.

Lachlan’s mouth flattened. “Let’s look around a bit more, first. We don’t want to invite any unwelcome guests.”

But they hadn’t gone much farther when a wild roar emanated through the tunnels. It echoed off the stone walls.

It was followed by a woman’s scream.

“Right.” Smith swiveled, sprinting down the right-hand tunnel.

They all took off running. The roaring got louder.

Axel’s heart was pounding as they turned down another tunnel.

At the end of the long corridor, there was movement. A body lay partly on the ground—a woman, Axel guessed—and a horned man had his mouth at the limp woman’s neck.

The creature lifted its head. There was blood all around its mouth.

It stared at them, its eyes glowing red. Then it tossed its head back and roared again.

Holy fuck. Axel watched as the Minotaur dropped the lifeless woman, and then charged toward Team 52.

“Take it down,” Lachlan yelled.

They all opened fire.

Axel gripped his CXM, his finger steady on the trigger.

The Minotaur’s body jolted under the barrage of bullets. Then suddenly, it darted to the side, disappearing down another tunnel.

“Fucking hell,” Seth said.

Callie ran to the woman. Axel was one step behind her.

The victim had long, black hair.

Please, God, no.

Callie grabbed the woman and rolled her onto her back. She was Asian—but smaller and more slender than Nat.

Cursing, Callie shook her head.

Then another scream echoed from a tunnel ahead of them.

It was followed by an angry voice. “Fuck you, asshole!”

Nat.

Axel charged forward, breaking into a sprint. “Nat!”

NAT SHOVED AGAINST THE MINOTAUR.

It growled loudly, its strong, claw-tipped hands biting into her arms.

“Run!” she yelled at the others.

She kicked at the beast and the two of them spun in a circle. The creature was covered in blood, making Nat’s hands sticky and forcing her to grit her teeth to keep her meager stomach contents down. Then, surprisingly, it stumbled, almost dragging her down to the ground. Damn, something was wrong with it.

She shoved the beast again, but it gripped the front of her shirt and yanked her close. It pulled her up on her tiptoes, and its fetid breath washed over her.

“Fuck you, asshole!” Fear twisted inside her. She didn’t want to die.

It bellowed at her.

Then from somewhere behind her, Nat heard someone shout her name.

“Nat!”

She knew that deep voice. “Axel!”

A second later, he came powering out of a tunnel, his CXM rifle up. The laser sight on the weapon arrowed on to the Minotaur.

The monster made a deep, angry sound and shoved her toward Axel.

With a cry, Nat tripped. Strong arms kept her from hitting the floor.

She looked up into Axel’s face. “Oh, God, Axel.”

He crushed her to him. “Nat. Nat.”

He breathed her name and she clung to him. He was so warm and strong.

She twisted her head. “The Minotaur—?”

“Gone. Ran down a tunnel.”

“You came for me,” she whispered.

His lips brushed her cheek. “Yes, mi cielo. I will always come.”

There were running footsteps, and the rest of the team rushed into the tunnel, looking badass as always.

“You got her?” Lachlan growled.

“Yeah,” Axel replied.

“Nat, this is not the way to do a Greek vacation,” Blair drawled.

Nat looked at them all wordlessly for a moment, then she burst into tears.

Axel rose, lifting her into his arms. She clung to him, in no hurry to let him go.

“Where’s the monster?” Seth asked.

“It ran down that tunnel.” Axel jerked his head toward the tunnel entrance.

“It was moving strangely,” Nat said, with a sniff. “And covered in blood.”

“Because we filled it with bullets,” Axel said.

They’d come for her. For her. Most of her life, she’d never had anyone she trusted completely to be there for her. She had been bounced between her parents, neither wanting her permanently. Her siblings were much younger than her and they weren’t close. She buried her face against Axel’s neck.

“Nat?” Martha’s tentative, lilting voice.

Nat lifted her head. “Martha, it’s okay. It’s gone. This is my team.”

The other women crept out of the shadows. Lydia looked shaken, her hair askew. Martha had an arm around a teary Cosette.

“There are only four of you?” Lachlan asked.

Nat nodded. “The Minotaur killed another woman. Dr. Joubert.” She bit her lip.

“Did she have black or brown hair?” Callie asked. “Or Asian features with a slim build? Japanese, I’d guess.”

“No,” Nat breathed. “Dr. Joubert was blonde.”

“That sounds like Dr. Suzuki,” Lydia said to Callie.

“I’m sorry,” the medic said. “The creature killed her and another brunette.”

Nat’s hand clenched on Axel’s shoulder.

He pulled her closer. “It took seven of you from the conference.”

God, he felt so good, and she felt so safe, pressed against him.

Callie stepped in front of the women. “I’m Callie Kimura and I’m a medic. Does anyone have any major wounds that I need to patch up so we can get out of here?”

The women shook their heads.

“Just scratches and bruises,” Martha replied.

“I just want to get out,” Cosette said.

“How are you holding up, mi cielo?” Axel murmured.

Nat bit her lip. “Just don’t let go.”

His hands flexed on her, an intense look on his handsome face. “Been so fucking worried about you.” A tortured whisper.

She pressed her forehead to his. “I knew you and the team would come.”

“There was a male archeologist unaccounted for at the conference as well,” Lachlan said. “A Dr. Kitchener. Did the Minotaur take him?”

Nat swallowed and shook her head. “The Minotaur…that is Dr. Kitchener. He was changed into the Minotaur by one of the artifacts at the conference.”

“Dammit,” Ty muttered. “You know which artifact?”

She shook her head. “All I know is that he was looking at the artifacts at the conference, then he changed and started attacking everyone.”

“Okay, we’ll work it out,” Lachlan said.

She reached out and grabbed Lachlan’s hand. “Lachlan, we have to stop him.”

He gave one curt nod. “For now, let’s get you and the others somewhere safe. You can eat, shower, and Blair can deal with recovering the dead bodies and coordinate with the authorities.”

From somewhere close by, Blair groaned.

Seth elbowed her. “Not so easy when you aren’t sleeping with them, huh?”

It was a reference to Blair’s live-in lover, Detective Luke MacKade. The tall, sexy detective was the team’s contact at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. After a turbulent start, he and Blair were now living together.

“I’ll recall the drone.” Ty touched the screen on his tablet.

“Come on.” Axel headed up the tunnel.

He carried Nat carefully, like she meant something, like she was important. It made her heart squeeze tight.

“Let’s get you out of here,” he said.

CHAPTER FIVE

Nat let the hot water fall over her head. It felt so damn good. Her abraded feet were stinging, but Callie had already taken a look at them, her tender ribs, and the lump on the back of her head. She was a little beaten up, but fine.

She was alive and several other women weren’t.

Biting her lip, she tipped her face up to the spray. She wished she could wash the residual fear away as easily as the dirt and muck.

You’re clean, Nat. You’re safe. Axel and the team had brought her and the others to a nice, family-run villa in the beachside town of Matala, not far from the Phaistos ruins.

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a thick, terry robe. She pushed her wet hair back. She had a scrape on her cheek, and she knew by morning that she’d have some interesting bruises. You’re safe. She just had to keep reminding herself of that.

She opened the bathroom door to find Blair and Callie waiting for her in her room.

“Took both of us to boot Axel out,” Blair said.

Nat tightened the belt on her robe.

“How are you doing?” Callie asked, her gray eyes filled with concern.

Her friends’ worry was like a balm. “Tired, stressed, still shaken.” Nat managed a smile. “But I’m alive, and that’s what counts.”

“It’s okay to need some time, Nat.” Callie frowned. “You’ve been through something traumatic.”

“It was worse for the women who died.” Nat sat on the bed. “I’ve seen the missions you guys have been on. Hell, I watched the destruction that storm caused in Las Vegas on the news, knowing that you guys were right in the middle of it, trying to save everyone.” She shook her head. “I just never thought it would happen to me.”

“Axel was frantic,” Blair said. “He was desperate to get here. To get to you.”

That sent a shot of warmth through her until she tamped it down. “I’m grateful, but we all know Axel doesn’t want more than a mild flirtation. The man never lacks for bed partners.” Pain arrowed into her heart. She’d watched one too many sleepy-eyed, satisfied party girls wander out of Axel’s life.

“Maybe this has opened his eyes,” Callie said.

Nat huffed out a breath. “God, you two are getting laid regularly, and now you’re trying to couple up the rest of us.”

“You like Axel,” Callie said. “And the bone-headed man likes you, too.”

“And you’re just as stubborn as he is,” Blair said.

Callie’s lips curled. “He watches you like he’s starving and you’re an ice-cream sundae loaded with sweet goodness.”

Blair groaned. “Great, now I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Nat said.

“I’d kill for a cupcake.”

Nat grimaced. “Let’s not talk about killing.”

The door burst open, and Axel blocked the doorway, scowling. “That’s long enough for secret girl talk.”

“It’s never long enough when it comes to secret girl talk, Diaz,” Callie said.

Axel moved to Nat, his brown eyes looking darker and more serious than usual. “You okay?”

Nat nodded.

There was a knock at the door and a dark-haired waiter appeared with a tray.

“I ordered you some food.” Axel sat beside her and the bed dipped.

“I’m not hungry.”

The waiter set the tray down beside the bed, and left with a nod. There was a bowl of thick, creamy Greek yoghurt, topped with honey and fruit. Her stomach growled.

“We’d better check on the other women,” Callie said. “Nat, I’ll leave you some cream for your feet.”

“You talk with the police?” Axel asked Blair.

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Yes, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

The women both hugged Nat tightly before they left.

“You sure you’re all right?” he asked, quietly.

She sighed. “No, but I will be.” She scooped up some yoghurt. “Oh God, this is delicious.”

There was a brief knock and the door opened again. Lachlan and Seth filed in. Lachlan sat on the couch, while Seth stretched out on the other side of the bed.

Axel made a sound. “She needs rest.”

“She can rest with us here,” Seth said.

Ty stalked in a moment later, a large box in his hands.

“Where’s River and Smith?” Nat asked.

“They drew the short straw,” Lachlan said. “They’ve taken first shift watching the ruins and making sure the Minotaur doesn’t get out.”

Ty grunted. “We need to talk about the Minotaur and what happened.”

“She needs rest,” Axel said firmly.

Nat pressed her hand to his arm. “It’s okay. I want to help. We need to go back and find Kitchener. Stop him hurting anyone else. And see if we can help him, as well. He didn’t ask for this.”

Axel made a growling sound.

“So Kitchener was at the conference,” Lachlan said. “He was acting normally?”

Nat nodded. “He was his usual self. He’s set in his ways, and a bit of an ass. Thinks he knows it all, and likes to mansplain.”

Ty scowled. “Mansplain?”

“Do not open that can of worms, mi amigo,” Axel suggested.

“Last I saw him, he was studying the artifacts on display at the conference. They had a great collection.”

Ty nodded. “Ancient Greek and Minoan.”

Axel reached into Ty’s box. “Like this thing.”

Nat shot to her feet. “Oh my God, Axel, do you know what that is?” She snatched a shirt off the bed and carefully took the clay tablet off him.

“An old hunk of clay someone doodled on?”

She glared at him. “This is a one-of-a-kind artifact. It’s the Phaistos Disc.”

Ty whistled. “I knew I’d seen it somewhere. It was found at the ruins where we rescued you.”

She nodded. “It was discovered by an Italian archeologist, Luigi Pernier, in 1908. It’s covered in undeciphered glyphs. No one’s been able to crack it.”

“There are some of those glyphs in the labyrinth,” Ty said.

She pushed a strand of wet hair back behind her ear. “Yes, there are. Along with a freaking Minotaur. One of the artifacts changed Kitchener. It somehow gave him increased strength, took over his ability for rational thought, and made him grow horns.”

“Several pots were broken,” Ty said. “I assumed from the attack, but perhaps Kitchener accidentally broke one and something happened to him.”

“Then he changed into a monster with a hunger for flesh.” Lachlan rose. “We need to find out what that artifact was. Ty, how much of the labyrinth did the drone map?”

The tall man grimaced and shook his head. “Not much. From what I can tell, it’s a small portion of what’s down there. The labyrinth is extensive.”

“Exits?”

Ty shook his head. “None that came up.”

Lachlan’s mouth firmed into a line. “We need to get to work, because we need to find a way to capture the Minotaur.”

SHIRTLESS AND BAREFOOT, Axel paced his villa room. It was late, and the rest of team had gone to bed.

After a teary goodbye with Nat, Blair had taken the women they’d rescued to the airport to board flights home. Since then, Ty and Nat had been working non-stop on the artifacts. Last he’d checked, Ty had set up a freaking lab next door and was running all kinds of tests on the artifacts. Nat had been glued to a laptop, researching everything she could on them all.

Lachlan had sent Seth and Callie to relieve River and Smith, and do the night shift keeping an eye on the Phaistos ruins. They didn’t need a damn monster on the loose.

Axel shoved his hands in his hair. He still felt unsettled. Seeing Nat afraid, dirty, and exhausted had left him rattled.

He wanted her safe. No, something inside him needed her safe.

He stared out the window. The lights of the town glittered against the darkness of the ocean. The same darkness that lived inside him. As a member of Delta—the Army’s elite special ops group—he’d been called a hero, but to fight a war sometimes required dirty things. Things that haunted him, and things that he wasn’t proud about.

He stared at that impenetrable darkness outside. A part of him was as dark as that blackness.

And Nat…she was the light. He never, ever wanted to see that go dim.

Suddenly, a terrified scream cut through the wall. Nat.

He snatched up his Glock, threw open his door, and then banged a fist on her door. “Nat?”

No response.

“Nat?” Screw this. Axel rammed his shoulder to the door and tore its flimsy lock open. The room was dark, except for the light coming from a laptop screen on a small desk.

Nat sat in the center of the bed, on top of the covers, in a large, borrowed T-shirt.

Blinking, and close to hyperventilating, it looked like she was still locked in a nightmare. Axel scanned the room. The windows to the balcony were closed. There was no one there. He slid the gun into the waistband on his jeans at the small of his back.

“Axel?” Lachlan appeared in the doorway.

“Nightmare,” Axel murmured.

“You got this?”

“Yeah.”

Lachlan propped the damaged door closed.

“Nat?” Axel approached the bed. “You’re okay. You’re safe.”

She blinked. “Axel?”

“Si, mi cielo. It’s me.”

A sob broke from her. Then she scrambled up and flew at him.

He caught her and sank onto the bed. She gripped him tight. The shirt rode high on her slim thighs, and he forced himself to look away from that sexy length of leg on display.

“I was running and running, but the monster was coming. I could feel it right behind me. It wanted to hurt me.”

“Shh.” He tightened his arms. “I’m not going to let anyone or anything hurt you.” He rocked her gently and her hands pressed to his bare chest.

She moved closer and turned her head, her lips brushing his neck.

Axel’s cock responded.

Shit. He tried to get a handle on his response. But it was Nat—who felt good, smelled good. The large shirt slipped off her shoulder, exposing the slender curve of her shoulder. Dammit.

“I’ll keep you safe, Nat,” he murmured. “Always.”

She looked up at him, her eyes impossibly dark.

They stared at each other and he felt the connection. Their connection, Hell, he’d felt the zing of it the first time he’d ever met her.

Shit. Her hair looked like black silk, framing her gorgeous face.

“Axel,” she breathed. “Why do you make me feel so safe?”

“Because I’d risk anything to keep you safe.”

A sad smile flitted over her lush lips. “Except your heart.”

His fingers flexed on her skin. “My heart withered and died a long time ago.”

Her hand cupped his cheek. “I don’t believe that.”

“If I had a heart, it would be yours.”

Nat leaned closer. Axel knew he should get up, walk out. But he couldn’t push her away.

Their lips touched. The barest caress. It was enough for him to get a taste of her, for heat to flare inside him.

She made a husky little sound and Axel’s mind shut down. His body took over. He cupped the back of her head and kissed her.

She moaned, her lips opening for him. Finally. The word echoed inside him.

He plunged his tongue into her mouth. She pushed closer, kissing him back.

Dios. He pushed her back onto the bed.

More. He wanted more of her, needed more. He wanted to possess her so that she’d never remember anyone else who’d touched her or kissed her before.

Then she trembled. And he remembered what she’d just survived.

Axel pulled his mouth from hers.

He was a grade-A asshole. She’d been through hell, and here he was, thinking with his cock.

Without a word, he pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin.

“Axel?” Uncertainty trembled in her voice.

“Just let me hold you, Nat.”

After a second, she relaxed against him, her fingers brushing on his skin. He buried his face in her hair.

It only took a few minutes of them sitting there before she fell asleep.

He’d hold her all night to keep her nightmares away. He knew very well that the ugly dreams liked to attack in the darkness.

You can’t have her. Axel wasn’t sure if he was talking to her nightmares, or himself. But he’d suffer the exquisite torture of holding her close to make sure that she was okay.

CHAPTER SIX

She was feeling much better today.

Nat wiggled into a pair of jeans and a red shirt that Callie had brought for her. The jeans fit her like a glove, and the raspberry-red color of the shirt cheered her up.

Next, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. And Callie—bless her soul—had also brought Nat some basic makeup. She applied it now, hiding her healing scratches as best she could.

She smiled. She’d slept like a rock in Axel’s strong arms. There had been no more nightmares. He’d been gone when she’d woken this morning, but the pillow still had a dent from his head and her sheets held his masculine scent. She hugged the warmth in her chest to herself.

Walking to the doors leading onto her balcony, she pushed the lightweight curtains aside. The curve of a pretty beach greeted her. She breathed deep, feeling the sunshine on her face. The town of Matala followed the sweep of the beach, and she saw several people already dotted around on the sand.

Ugly memories of the labyrinth threatened, but she ruthlessly shoved them aside. She was not going back to that dark, lonely place.

Well, she could now safely say that Axel Diaz could kiss. He’d stopped before things had gone too far, but she knew he was too much of a good guy to take things too far when she’d been scared.

But he’d let her in, just a little.

It part thrilled her and part terrified her. Nat smiled and toyed with the end of her ponytail. She could work with that.

Heading out, she took the stairs two at a time. Ty had organized a conference room for them to work in downstairs. She was pretty excited to take a closer look at the artifacts. Her smile was still in place when she reached the white, airy lobby.

Then she saw Axel and her steps faltered.

A curvy woman in a villa staff uniform was pressed against him, her dark curls spilling around her beautiful face.

They were both smiling, and the woman’s hands were resting on his chest.

Nat pulled in a sharp breath, her chest going tight. He was too far away to hear it, but his head snapped up, and their gazes met.

The woman said something, head tilted to the side. She held a small slip of paper out to Axel, her other hand stroking his chest.

Axel didn’t move for a beat, then he looked away from Nat. He shot the woman his megawatt smile, and tucked one of her curls behind her ear. He took the paper, then slipped it into the pocket of his cargo pants with a sexy wink.

Oh. God. Nat’s heart felt like it had contracted to the size of a pea. Damn, it hurt. She’d been spinning stupid daydreams while Axel was off being Axel.

Lifting her chin, she strode across the lobby without looking at the couple and headed straight for the conference room.

“Good morning.”

Ty looked up. “Hey.” He frowned. “You look pretty good, considering.”

“Wow, thanks for that bolstering encouragement.”

Ty grunted.

It was so Ty, and so familiar, that Nat smiled. She shoved Axel Diaz far out of her head, or tried to. Her traitorous eyes burned. “Right, time to get to work.”

Ty studied her. “Nat, you okay?”

She was not crying because of that man. “Don’t be nice to me right now. Can we just work?’’

Ty touched her arm. “You’re safe now. Every person on this team is looking out for you.”

For her body, maybe, but not her heart.

Dammit, she was in charge of her heart. Axel hadn’t pledged undying love for her. He’d kissed her and held her while she slept. She was the one who’d read more into it.

You know better than that, Nat. No one stuck around forever.

“I know. Now—” she sat in front of the laptop set up on the long table “—we have work to do.”

“Grab something to eat.” Ty nodded at the tray on the table. It was loaded with baked goods, cold cuts, and boiled eggs.

Her stomach was still tied in knots, but she picked at a pastry and pulled up some data.

“I have all the images I took in the labyrinth uploaded.” Ty leaned over her shoulder.

“Great.” Nat studied the text. “I want to compare them to the glyphs on the Phaistos Disc. I feel like it’s important.”

“There’s Linear A and Linear B in the labyrinth too.”

“I know.” She grinned, her love of her work taking over. All this undeciphered text, so much mystery, so much potential. “Dr. Natalie Blackwell, the next Rosetta Stone discoverer, who decoded the mysterious Minoan languages that have long eluded archeologists.”

Ty snorted. “Except that this will be classified.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t ruin my daydream. An archeologist can dream.” She set to work. Grabbing an empty notebook and pen, she dragged them closer and started taking some notes. “What are you doing?”

“Running tests on all the artifacts.” He lifted a syringe and tube filled with fluid. “Several were broken, so it’s adding to the workload.”

They worked in companionable silence. The next thing she knew, the team—except for Callie and Seth—started filing in with lunch. Nat’s stomach grumbled.

Axel came in last, and she felt like a rock hit her belly. Damn. Anger sparked and she looked away.

“Hey, how are you doing?” Blair hooked an arm around Nat’s neck.

“I’m good. Work helps. Any news about Martha and the others?”

“They all made it safely home.”

Nat blew out a breath. “Good.” She was so glad they’d made it. A flash of sorrow filled her for the women who’d died in those underground tunnels.

“Seth and Callie have been watching the ruins all night,” Lachlan said. “No sign Kitchener’s come out.”

Nat tapped a finger against her lips. “I’ve been thinking about that. It’s almost like something drew him there. He transported all seven of us to Crete, keeping us blindfolded and tied up. He had to have a good reason for coming here.”

“You need to eat.” Axel shoved a sandwich at her.

“Or have a salad,” Blair added. “These Greek salads are delicious.”

Nat shot a thin smile at Axel. “I’ll take the salad.”

Something shifted in his brown eyes, but she made herself look away.

One of Ty’s machines beeped. The scientist leaned over and grabbed his tablet, then he stiffened.

“Got something?” Nat lifted a forkful of her salad.

“Yeah.” He scanned the results. “Detected something off the broken shards of the vessel.”

“What?” Lachlan demanded.

Ty looked up. “A virus.”

“Virus?” Axel tensed. “Is it contagious?”

“No. It doesn’t appear to be airborne, and there are only low levels present. My guess is that at the time the vessel broke, there were higher levels.”

Nat sucked in a breath. “Enough to infect Kitchener.”

“Yes. I also picked up some blood on one of the pottery shards.”

“Kitchener accidentally broke the pot and cut himself,” Lachlan said.

Ty nodded. “That’s my guess.”

“And this virus changed Kitchener,” Lachlan continued. “But where did Minoans get their hands on a virus like that?”

Ty shrugged one broad shoulder.

Nat tapped on her laptop. “I’ll see if I can find any references to it.” As a thought hit her, she swallowed. “Could it pass between people?” Oh, God, was she infected and about to grow horns?

Ty’s mouth hardened. “I’ll draw some of your blood.”

“We have lots of questions,” Lachlan said with a scowl. “Let’s find some answers.”

AXEL FELT LIKE SHIT. Nat was ignoring him.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. This was for the best. Last night, Nat had gotten too close, and made him feel too damn good.

Leaning against the conference room wall, he watched the intense focus on her face as she studied the Phaistos Disc. She was completely absorbed with it.

She’d looked at him like that last night. Fuck.

He had to remind himself that she was better off without him. Nat deserved a guy with his shit together. One who’d give her a nice house, cute kids, an easy, happy life. Not more nightmares.

Fuck, he hated the guy already.

The pretty Greek woman from the villa reception had come on to him this morning, hot and strong. He’d been politely turning her down when Nat had stepped into the lobby.

Axel rubbed the back of his neck. He’d used the opportunity to push Nat away, but now he felt like dirt.

This wasn’t high school. He just needed to talk with her. But he was afraid that if he tried to explain things to Nat, she wouldn’t agree. Wouldn’t let him walk away.

“Oh, my God,” Nat suddenly exclaimed.

“What’ve you got?” Blair, sitting cross-legged on the conference room table, leaned forward.

“I think I’ve decoded part of the Phaistos Disc.” Nat jumped up and did a little victory dance.

Axel watched her denim-clad hips wiggle and his mouth went dry.

“Well?” Ty demanded.

“It mentions a plague.”

“The virus?”

“I think so,” Nat said. “They called it a gift from the goddess. It came from the ancestors. My guess is that King Minos asked Daedalus to help him use it.”

“Daedalus?” Axel said. “The architect?”

She flicked him a quick glance and nodded. “He was a genius craftsman and architect. He was known for his wisdom, knowledge, and power. It isn’t inconceivable that he had a wide range of skills.”

“He designed the labyrinth to contain the Minotaur,” Ty added.

“He must have been a scientist as well.” Nat studied her notes. “Minos had a feud with Athens because they’d killed his son.”

“And he forced Athens to give him young men and women to dump in the labyrinth,” Lachlan said.

Nat smiled. “History award goes to Lachlan.”

Lachlan gave her one of his rare smiles. “Ty already mentioned some of the legends when we were on our way to rescue you.”

Nat chewed on her bottom lip. “The legends say that Athens would send seven youths and seven maidens to appease the Minotaur.”

Lachlan arched a brow. “But Athens wouldn’t have just happily handed them over. Minos must have been holding something over them.”

Nat shook her head. “Like a plague that could turn Athens’ citizens into crazed Minotaurs?”

“Shit,” Axel muttered.

“I’m still studying the virus.” Ty swiveled his chair. “I’ve sent everything I’ve got to Brooks. He’s going to get some experts at the CDC to look at it. From what I can tell, it doesn’t appear to pass from person to person.” He looked at Nat. “You’re fine.”

She blew out a breath. “Good.”

Axel felt his own sense of relief.

“My guess, without studying Kitchener closely, is that this virus stimulates hormone production in the body, and also shuts down higher brain function,” Ty said. “It also has a side effect of stimulating keratin creation.” Ty held up his tablet.

Axel leaned in. The image showed an older woman with a horn on her head.

“What the hell?” he muttered.

“There are cases of humans with horns. It’s excessive growth of keratin, the same material in your fingernails.”

“Any idea why he was drawn to the labyrinth?” Lachlan asked.

Nat and Ty shook their heads.

“Maybe they found a way to alter the virus and get the Minotaur to seek out the labyrinth?” River suggested.

Blair nodded. “Like a safety mechanism? Good idea, MI6.”

“We need to go into the labyrinth and contain Kitchener,” Lachlan said. “We need a way to navigate the tunnels.”

“You can get the drone back in there,” Ty said. “But it’s likely going to take days to map the entire place.”

“We don’t have days,” Lachlan said.

“I’ll keep working on the translations,” Nat said. “There might be something in them about navigating the labyrinth.”

“Keep searching, Nat.” Lachlan rose. “I’m going to relieve Seth and Callie. Blair, you’re with me.”

The woman nodded and followed Lachlan out. River and Smith left as well.

“I need a coffee.” Ty looked at Nat. “Want something?”

“Yes, coffee for me, too, please. But not that potent stuff they have. I want milk and foam.”

“On it.”

That left Axel alone with Nat.

Nat turned back to the laptop, her shoulders hunched.

He sighed. “Nat—”

She turned, her hand whipping up. A pen flew at him and Axel ducked. “Nat.”

Next, she threw her notebook. He dodged and it hit the wall.

“Quit it,” he said.

“You deserved it.” Her eyes sparked fire, then suddenly she deflated. “You don’t have to say anything, Axel. I’m your friend. I know you.”

She sounded tired and resigned. It burned him in his gut. “Nothing happened, or will happen, with that woman.”

Nat held up a hand. “It’s none of my business.”

“You just threw a pen and notebook at my head.”

Her chin lifted. “I shouldn’t have done that. As I said, who you associate with is none of my business.” Her dark eyes met his—direct and unyielding. “Is it?”

Axel fought the urge to punch the wall. “You deserve better than me.”

She cocked her head. “Is this some weird way you justify not committing to someone? Your way to stay footloose and fancy-free, and not feel any guilt about it?”

His hands flexed. “No, it’s the truth.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You really believe that?”

“Nat, my life… I’ve done things that I’m not proud of.”

“Served your country? Saved lives?”

An ugly, choking sensation welled inside him. “I’ve killed. I’ve used people. Not all of them were bad people. Not all people deserved it.”

Sympathy made her face soften. She had such a soft heart. “Axel—”

“No.” He backed up. “I don’t deserve what you’re thinking right now. I’m stained, and nothing will change that. No matter how many missions, how many lives I save. I won’t drag you down into the muck.”

“Axel.” She rose.

“No.” He stumbled back. If she touched him, he wouldn’t be strong enough to resist. “It is what it is. I care about you. A lot. And I will keep you safe from everything that can hurt you.” He turned and shoved open the door. “Even me.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Everything was starting to blur. Nat rubbed her tired eyes.

She stared at the Phaistos Disc where it rested on the table. Maybe it would never give up all its secrets?

She sighed, her mind turning to Axel. She grabbed her coffee mug and sipped, then almost choked. Ugh, it was stone cold.

Leaning back in her chair, she massaged her temples. She knew Axel had demons. All of Team 52 did. They’d all been injured in the line of duty—some had lost limbs, eyes, been scarred. Ty had given them all top-of-the-line prosthetics. But when the damage was inside, it was a lot harder to see and to heal.

She sighed. Clearly, the things Axel had seen and done had left deep scars. She realized now that he wasn’t just running from commitment or a deeper connection, but more than that, he didn’t think he deserved someone to care about him. Nat wasn’t entirely sure where that left them.

Nat had her own personal scars. Her family’s indifference had cut deep. She knew that lots of kids had suffered worse than her. She’d never been physically abused, and she’d been given the best education. It just really sucked when you knew you weren’t important to anyone. She wasn’t sure she’d survive Axel Diaz tearing her own wounds open.

“The mission, Nat,” she whispered. “That’s what you should be worried about right now.”

She pulled the laptop closer. Hunching over it, she looked at the next undeciphered glyph.

The heart.

She snorted. How appropriate. Then she straightened. Next to the heart was a symbol she knew was for the labyrinth.

Heart of the labyrinth. She snatched up her notebook and pen, and started scribbling. Now, if she could decipher a few more…

“Nat, it’s late.”

Blair’s voice made her jolt and scribble across the page. Turning her head, she spotted the other woman in the doorway.

Nat blinked. “I lost track of time.”

Blair nodded. “You need some rest.”

Nat rubbed her eyes. “I’m fine. I thought you were at the labyrinth.”

“Lachlan sent me back to sleep. It’s so quiet, he didn’t think it needed two of us.”

Nat nodded. “I just keep thinking of the tunnels, the Minotaur, those poor, dead women.” They had to find a way through the maze so they could contain Dr. Kitchener.

“Did you get any sleep last night?” Blair asked.

Nat felt heat in her cheeks. “I had a nightmare, but Axel came in.” She cleared her throat. “He held me for the rest of the night.”

Blair cocked her head. “But not tonight?”

“No, not tonight.”

“You two barely talked to each other today.”

Nat huffed out a breath. “I caught him flirting with a villa staff member. He held my gaze while he took her number.”

“God, he’s a dumbass.” Blair shook her head. “You know he did it deliberately, right?”

“I know.” It didn’t make it hurt any less.

“You need to fight for him, Nat. He’s broken inside and I think you can help him put those pieces back together.”

“Blair—”

“He’s a damn good man. One of the best damn fighters I know. Someone I’d trust beside me in a fight, who’d always have my back. He doesn’t think he deserves love. Doesn’t think he deserves you.”

Nat toyed with the end of her ponytail. “I’m afraid. He could break me, Blair.”

Blair crossed the room and took her hand. “I get it. I fought what I felt for MacKade for a really long time. I honestly did think I hated the guy.”

That made Nat smile.

“Nat, you realize you’re just like Axel.”

Nat blinked. “What?”

“You date boring guys who don’t really excite or interest you. Just like Axel, you’re too scared to trust enough to let someone close.”

Throat tightening, Nat squeezed her hands together. “I’ve never had anyone close.” God, that thought just made her feel more alone.

“Love is scary.” Blair smiled. “But when it’s the real deal, when you take the plunge, I promise you that it’s totally worth it.”

“If he keeps throwing up walls—”

“You need to bash them down. And do the same to your own walls.”

Nat rolled her eyes. “I’m not as bloodthirsty as you.”

“How do you feel about him?”

Nat’s heart ached. “When I look at him, I feel so damn much. And sometimes, he looks back and I feel this hum. Like everything’s right in the world.” She wrinkled her nose. “Then I see him take some random woman home and it hurts.”

“He hasn’t done it for a while, Nat. But you should make the man work for you. A little grovel wouldn’t hurt him.” Blair winked. “Or a good whack to the head.”

Nat laughed. “I did throw my pen and notebook at him today. He dodged.”

“The man is quick on his feet.” Blair squeezed her shoulder. “Fight for it, Nat. That includes fighting him, if you have to.”

“Fight.” Something clicked in Nat’s head. She spun back to her notes. “That’s it!”

“What?”

Nat scribbled more notes. The last few symbols…

Blair sat beside her at the table.

“I just fully decoded the Phaistos Disc.” Nat grinned, then wrinkled her nose. “And no one will ever know.”

“Yeah, well I saved the world last week, and no one will ever know about that. Doesn’t change anything.”

Nat smiled. No, heroes like Blair didn’t need the public recognition. Protecting the innocent was a drive they were born with and had to fulfil.

“The Phaistos Disc is a map. It describes how to get to the heart of the labyrinth.”

Blair straightened. “Seriously?”

Nat nodded. “The first clue should have been the spiral layout of the glyphs. A labyrinth pattern right there for all of us to see.”

“The heart of the labyrinth. That’s where we’ll find the Minotaur?”

“I think so. It says it dwells there.”

“I’ll call Lachlan at the ruins.” Blair pulled out her phone. “Bossman, Nat deciphered the rest of the disc. It’s a map to the center of the maze.” A pause. “Okay, I’m on it.” Blair ended the call. “I’ll wake the others. We’re going in.”

Nat felt her pulse jump. “Now? It’s the middle of the night.”

“It’s dark in the tunnels, anyway. The longer we wait, the greater the risk of Kitchener escaping.”

Resting her hands on the table, Nat blew out a breath. “Okay.”

Blair crossed her arms. “Can you make us a map of the disc? Something we can follow?”

Nat shook her head. “No, I need to reference symbols on the wall in the maze.” She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “I need to come with you. I need to go back into the labyrinth.”

HE WAS CAUGHT in his nightmare.

It was one of many that repeated night after night. The hot North African sun sent sweat trickling down the back of his neck. The agitated crowd at the market swirled around him. The rough robe hiding his face rubbed against his beard. Then he saw her. A young woman coming through the crowd, a bomb strapped to her chest, a wailing baby on her hip, and terror in her eyes.

Fuck. “McCarthy! Suicide bomber. Woman in black robes, west side of the market.”

“Fucking hell, Diaz,” the sniper said across Axel’s earpiece. “She’s got a kid.”

“And a bomb.” Axel turned, trying to find another way. The place was packed and certain government officials were about to arrive. “Take the shot.”

The gunshot echoed in his ears.

But the deafening boom of the bomb going off was even louder.

Then somewhere in the back of Axel’s brain, he heard the door to his hotel room quietly open. He snapped awake and grabbed his Glock from under his pillow.

He aimed at the shadowy figure. “You trying to get yourself killed?” he growled.

In the doorway, Seth snorted. “It would take more than you to take me down, Diaz.”

Axel sat up. “What’s up? Is Nat okay?”

“Yeah. She cracked the text on that disc. It’s a map of the labyrinth.”

“Shit.” Axel snapped on the bedside light. “It’ll lead us right to Kitchener?”

“She thinks so. Gear up. We’re meeting Lachlan there.”

Axel moved quickly. Years in the Army, and now Team 52, meant he could be ready for a mission in minutes. He yanked his light combat gear out of his duffel bag, and pulled it on. Then he slid his Glock into his thigh holster. He checked his CXM and slung the rifle over his shoulder.

The others were gathered in the hall.

When Smith shifted his stance, Axel spotted Nat, also in all-black gear, her hair pulled back in a braid.

He stiffened. “Why are you here?”

Her chin lifted. “I’m coming.”

Disbelief hit him, and he looked at Blair. “What the hell? She can’t go back in there. She’s already having nightmares about it.” He’d had trouble getting to sleep, worrying if she was sleeping okay.

“She has to come,” Blair said.

Nat crossed her arms. “I need to match glyphs on the walls to what I decoded off the disc in order to lead you into the center of the maze.”

“Goddammit.” He gritted his teeth.

“I can do this, Axel.”

“I know that, but you’ll be back in there.” He didn’t want her anywhere near the Minotaur. He didn’t want her in danger.

A flash of fear crossed her face, but it was mixed with a large dose of defiance. “I won’t be alone.”

No, she wouldn’t. He’d be right beside her.

“Let’s move,” Blair ordered. “Ty’s staying here to provide comms for us.”

The scientist nodded, his gaze drifting to River. “Stay safe.”

They loaded up in the SUVs and headed out of town. The roads were dark, the hills all shadows, dotted with a small farmhouse here and there.

“God, it’s so black,” Nat murmured.

The tunnels would be much darker.

Finally, they turned into the parking area at the Phaistos ruins. They all gathered together outside the vehicles.

“Guards?” Seth asked.

“Lachlan took care of it,” Blair said. “No one here but us.”

Lachlan appeared silently out of the darkness, striding toward them. “Ready?”

The team all nodded.

“Keep it quiet,” the team leader said. “Everyone, night-vision goggles.”

Smith opened a case he’d brought from the SUV. The goggles were Ty’s design. They weren’t bulky, but instead a sleek, lightweight design.

Axel pulled his on, and instantly, his surroundings were washed over with green. When he looked up, Callie was helping Nat with hers.

“Let’s go.” Lachlan led the way to the makeshift entrance to the labyrinth.

They all crawled through and dropped down into the tunnel.

“Okay, Nat,” Lachlan said. “You’re up.”

She nodded, lifting her tablet. It was set to a dim setting and he knew the goggles would adjust to allow her to look at the screen. She turned to the wall, walking along, studying the glyphs.

“There.” She pointed at a glyph. “We need to go that way.”

She headed down the tunnel and the team stayed close around her, everyone tense and alert.

There were no sounds, except the steady drip of water from somewhere.

They paused at a junction.

“Right,” Nat said.

Blair pulled out some chalk and marked the walls. “So we can get out quickly, if we need to.”

Nat looked at the chalk mark and winced, but didn’t complain about drawing on ancient engravings.

They continued steadily through tunnels, Nat leading the way and Blair marking the walls. At a larger junction, Nat peered at the walls.

The distant roar of Minotaur echoed from the tunnels.

Nat jolted and sucked in a sharp breath.

“Hey.” Axel touched her lower back. “It isn’t close. You’re fine.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “Fear doesn’t always listen to reason.”

“Just breathe.” He rubbed the base of her neck. “I am not going to let that fucker get close to you again.”

She looked at him, her pretty face obscured by the goggles.

“What do you do when you’re afraid on a mission?” she asked.

Shit. “I’m not the right person to ask. I just ignore it.”

“You mean you deny what you’re feeling? Never.”

“Hey, stow the sarcasm, Blackwell. Now, get back to work.”

She nodded and straightened her shoulders. “Thanks, Axel. For making me feel better.” She turned and focused on scanning the wall.

So damn brave.

“Found the right glyph.” She pointed down the right-hand tunnel. “That way.”

Moving quietly, they headed down the tunnel.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this place,” Smith muttered.

Blair snorted. “Unless Kinsey is within touching distance, you never have a good feeling. She’s the only one who puts a smile on your face.”

Smith just grunted in response.

They stepped into another wide junction, the walls all intricately carved, and the ceiling and one wall were partly crumbled. Nat touched the walls, frowned, and backtracked.

Then she swiveled. “I can’t find the next glyph.”

“You think it’s in the damaged section?” Lachlan asked.

“I don’t know.” She looked at the wall again, running one long finger over it. “Dammit.”

Axel heard the frustration in her voice. “Nat, you’ve got this.”

She pulled in a deep breath, then she crouched by the crumbled rocks. “Okay, okay. If the symbol was on these pieces of the wall…” She pushed a block over, uncovering some glyphs. “There it is!” She grinned, her smile bright green in the night vision glow. “It means we’d need to go—” she pointed “—that way.”

Lachlan went first, keeping his CXM up and aimed. Axel helped Nat up.

Then Lachlan stopped and lifted a closed fist.

“What is it?” Axel asked.

“Shit, I see it,” Blair muttered.

Nat grabbed Axel’s hand. He held on and squeezed.

“There’s a body ahead on the ground,” Lachlan said.

Nat jerked. “Oh, no. Is it another woman?”

Axel studied the dark shape. “Too big.”

Blair kept her weapon in place and moved forward with Lachlan. Lachlan crouched beside the body, touching the man’s neck.

“No pulse. He’s dead.” Lachlan rolled the body over. “Fuck.”

Lachlan pushed his night-vision goggles up and switched on a small flashlight.

Axel frowned. It was a muscular man in combat gear. His throat had been ripped open.

“Who the hell is that?” Callie asked.

Lachlan scowled. “I have no idea. All I know is that he isn’t one of ours.”

Nat pressed a curled fist to her throat. “So who is he? And what’s he doing down here?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Nat pulled in a deep breath. Who was this guy? How did he get down here?

She swallowed, her chest tight. Just being back in these tunnels left her edgy and fighting off the fear trying to climb inside her chest.

But she had to do this. She had to help find the Minotaur for the women who hadn’t made it out.

She watched as Lachlan finished patting the dead man down.

“Looks ex-military. No identifying marks.” Lachlan rose, looking unhappy. “He’s well equipped.”

“Someone wants the Minotaur,” Axel said.

A cold shiver ran down Nat’s back. “How would they know?”

“Heard about the attack on the news and went from there,” Callie suggested.

Lachlan lifted his CXM. “Blair, snap some shots of him to send to Brooks. Let’s keep moving.”

Nat refitted her night-vision goggles. She checked her notes and moved back to the wall.

God, these engravings were beautiful. They told the stories of the Minoans and their vibrant culture. She vowed to come back one day. Or at least make sure other archeologists got the chance.

She spotted the matching glyph. “This way.”

Axel was staying close to her. She glanced at his big form, grateful he was watching out for her.

She was tired of fighting what she felt for him. She’d almost died down here. It could have easily been her bleeding out on these ancient stones. Her hands clenched on her tablet.

He had demons. She understood that. She had some of her own.

But life was too damn short.

A part of her expected the people she cared about to leave her. She’d never had a loving family, or people she could depend on one hundred percent.

Until Team 52.

Throat tight, she let her gaze drift down Axel’s profile. He looked so sexy and badass in his gear, with his rifle in his strong hands. The man had the sexiest hands. For all his shying away from their attraction, she knew Axel cared about her.

He felt something for her, and they damn well deserved a chance.

Nat paused at the end of the tunnel. There were three tunnels branching out ahead of them.

She studied the engravings. “Right.”

She turned to the right-hand tunnel…

Just then, five black-suited soldiers—faces covered by balaclavas—rushed out. One slammed into Nat, knocking her down.

“Nat!”

With Axel’s voice ringing in her ears, she rolled to the side.

Grunts and gunshots echoed loudly. She looked up and saw Team 52 all fighting the soldiers. Axel and Smith fired their CXMs. Blair leaped up and kicked out, slamming into one of the attackers.

Lachlan was grappling with another.

Callie was down on one knee, firing her weapon. Seth whirled in a deadly dance with a large assailant.

Where was River? Nat turned her head.

River appeared out of the shadows. The woman ducked behind one of the attackers. She jerked something around his neck and pulled back. With a surprised grunt, the man fell to the floor and River was on him.

Wow, River was amazing.

Something touched Nat’s leg and with a gasp, she spun. A man in black loomed over her.

She kicked him. He gripped the back of her clothes and she struggled to get free. He dragged her across the stone floor.

Anger shot through her. She kicked at him again, hitting his knee.

“Bitch,” he snapped.

“Oh, I’m just getting started.” She aimed her next kick between his legs, but he swiveled, taking her boot in his thigh, instead.

Then someone slammed into the man, knocking him off her. Nat sat up and saw Axel ram a hard punch into the man’s face. His head snapped back.

The men launched into a vicious fight. They traded hard punches, and Axel drove an elbow into the man’s neck.

Nat winced, scrambling out of their way.

Axel drove the man to the ground, a knee pressed into his chest. “Who are you?”

The man just glared.

Nat rushed forward and slapped the man’s face. He grunted.

“I’ve had a really bad few days,” she snapped. “I would love to take it out on you, so give me a reason. Who sent you?”

The man turned his head to stare at the wall.

Nat made an angry sound, grabbed the man’s balaclava, then slammed his head into the floor.

“Hey, Xena.” Axel gripped the back of her neck. “Take it easy.”

She heaved in a breath.

“Who sent you?” Axel asked again.

The man just glared sullenly. Then Lachlan dragged another unconscious mercenary over and dumped him beside Axel’s captive. The rest of the mercs were all on the ground groaning, Blair and Seth holding rifles on them.

“I’m guessing these guys are not garden-variety mercs.” Lachlan crouched, gloved hands dangling between his thighs. “I will find out who you work for one way or another. So pick the easy path or—” Lachlan lowered his voice to a dangerous purr “—the hard one. If you choose the hard one, I’ll take some pleasure in it.”

The man Axel had pinned swallowed nervously. “I’ll talk, I’m dead anyway.”

Lachlan smiled, but there was nothing nice about it. “Believe me, I’m scarier than your boss. I won’t kill you, I’ll just make you wish you were dead.”

The man made a choked sound, and even Nat felt goosebumps. Damn, Lachlan could be scary.

All of a sudden, a huge shape ran out of a tunnel and barreled into their group.

“What the fuck?” someone yelled.

Nat saw horns and her blood ran cold. No. Fear rooted her to the spot. The Minotaur roared and grabbed a merc off the ground. It gripped the man’s neck and, with one quick twist, snapped it.

Then it roared again, the sound echoing off the walls.

God, it was right in the center of them. Nat backed up.

Smith ran like a linebacker and slammed into the creature. Axel spun Nat away, pressing her into the wall, his body covering hers.

“Take it down,” Lachlan shouted.

“Now’s our chance!” an unfamiliar male voice yelled.

The shouts of Team 52 and the mercs echoed off the walls as the monster attacked.

Nat trembled, and Axel’s strong body pressed into hers. As the Minotaur bellowed again, she tried not to lose it.

“I’ve got you, Nat,” Axel murmured in her ear.

She closed her eyes, gripped his forearm, and listened as the fight raged on around her.

AXEL TURNED HIS HEAD, watching the others engaging the beast.

The mercs had regrouped and backed up. Shit. They were letting Team 52 do the hard work of fighting the Minotaur.

The monster let out a deafening roar. It charged, slamming Smith into Seth.

“Go and help them,” Nat said.

He looked down at her. She was scared but holding it together. That was Nat—strong as steel.

“No. I’m not leaving you.”

“It isn’t focused on me. Go, Axel. Help the others.”

Knife in hand, Blair rushed past them, running at the Minotaur.

It pivoted, swinging a muscular arm. It smacked into Blair and the force of the blow lifted her off her feet.

Dammit.

Nat shoved at Axel. “Go. I’ll stay here.”

Gritting his teeth, he stepped away from her, his body resisting leaving her unprotected. He pulled out his Glock.

“Go,” she whispered.

He pivoted and strode forward.

Two mercs attacked the Minotaur with kicks and punches. It lifted one of the men off his feet, and tossed him at the other. They slammed into the stone floor. Axel fired.

The Minotaur bellowed and shook its head. Still firing, Axel circled around to Callie.

“It’s enraged,” she said. “And strong as hell.”

“Let’s attack together.”

She nodded. “You go high, I’ll go low.”

They rushed in. Axel fired and kicked the Minotaur in the gut. Callie landed a vicious side kick, followed by a hard punch to its thigh.

The monster grunted. When Callie kicked it again, it grabbed her ankle and twisted. Callie leaped, then crashed to the ground with a curse.

Axel fired to keep the beast off her and yanked her up.

Lachlan and Blair charged next.

The Minotaur lost it. It threw its arms out, spinning wildly.

Shit. It whacked Axel, knocking him into Lachlan. He heard his team members shouting as he hit the floor.

“Fire now,” one of the mercs yelled.

Axel pushed up on his hands and saw something black hit the Minotaur. A net.

Fuck. The mercs closed in on the creature, several of them holding ropes attached to the net.

The monster struggled against the ropes holding it.

Then there was the clink of metal rolling across the floor. Axel swiveled and saw the grenade. It stopped and smoke exploded out of it, filling the air.

“Watch out!” Axel yelled.

He clamped his mouth shut and stayed low. Where was Nat?

The Minotaur roared.

“Hold it,” a male voice yelled.

Axel coughed and crawled forward. Where was his team? He had to get to Nat.

Then he heard her curse. “Let me go,” she cried.

“You’re coming with us.” A deep growl.

“Screw you.”

Axel couldn’t see a damn thing, but he moved toward the sound of a scuffle. His eyes watered and his lungs burned.

Then he saw movement.

A merc was dragging Nat backward. She was twisting, fighting to get free.

Rage exploded inside Axel. He charged.

He slammed into the man and grabbed him at the back of his neck. He wrenched the asshole backward.

Nat tore free and spun.

Axel punched the merc. And again. After several more punches, the guy’s nose broke and, with a groan, he went down. Axel pressed his knees to the merc’s chest, and kept pummeling him.

“You don’t touch her,” Axel growled. “Ever.”

“Axel.” Nat grabbed his arm. “He’s out.”

Sucking in air, Axel stared down at the guy. He was out cold.

Bellows of the enraged Minotaur sounded behind them. Through the dissipating smoke, he caught a glimpse of the monster fighting the net. The mercs were working hard to contain the creature.

The smoke shifted again. Where the hell was his team? Axel rose, wrapping an arm around Nat.

All of a sudden, the Minotaur went silent.

“Axel?” Nat whispered.

Axel took a few steps forward. He spotted the mercs dragging the lifeless Minotaur across the floor. Then he saw Smith’s big body sprawled on the stone.

Fuck. Find his injured team, or attack the mercs taking the Minotaur?

“Where are Lachlan and the others?” she whispered frantically.

“I see Smith. He’s down.”

“Down?”

“The smoke grenade probably knocked them out. We were just on the edge of it.”

“What now?”

“Come on.” He checked his Glock and wished he hadn’t lost his rifle. “We can’t let these assholes take the creature.”

Suddenly, a large shape barreled through the smoke. A big merc rushed at Axel.

Nat screamed, and Axel blocked the asshole’s fist. The force of the blow vibrated up his arm. He brought his knee up but the asshole twisted. They moved across the tunnel trading blows. The prick knew Krav Maga.

Yeah, well, Axel knew every dirty trick in the book. He blocked a hit and rammed his fingers into a pressure point on the man’s neck. He let out a pained noise.

Axel hit him, and followed with his elbow. Then he ducked the man’s swinging arm, and rammed a fist into the guy’s gut. The air rushed out of him, but he shoved Axel hard.

Axel took two steps back. He braced, ready to attack again.

“Axel, look out!” Nat screamed.

The merc grinned, teeth white against his balaclava. He whipped a large handgun out of nowhere, and aimed at Axel’s chest.

Fuck.

Bang. Bang.

It felt like he’d been hit by a truck. Axel fell backward, pain tearing through him.

“Axel!” Nat screamed.

Then a deep voice echoed off the walls. “Blow it.”

An explosion rocked the tunnel.

“Nat.” The word came out as a whisper, since he couldn’t make his lungs work. Then rock rained down from above, and everything went black.

CHAPTER NINE

Coughing, Nat pulled herself up.

She ripped her skewed night-vision goggles off, blinking to try and get her eyes to focus.

Light was coming from nearby and dust clogged the air. She swallowed and brushed some shards of broken stone off her.

Axel. Panic coursed through her. She’d seen the merc shoot him straight in the chest. Sobs threatening, she crawled across the floor. Where was he?

A frantic, growing fear choked her. She scrambled across the stone.

Part of the roof had collapsed. There was just enough illumination to light up the dust hanging in the air.

“Axel? Axel?” She reached around with one hand.

She touched warm skin.

Oh, God. She moved closer. Axel was sprawled on the floor, covered in a layer of dust and some small chunks of stone.

“Oh, Axel.” She shoved the debris off him. With shaking hands, she cupped his cheeks.

He was warm and he was breathing. It was shallow, but he was alive.

He groaned, but didn’t regain consciousness.

“Open your eyes.” She tapped his cheek. “I need to know that you’re okay.” He didn’t move.

Nat made herself touch his chest, terrified of what she’d find. She found a bullet crushed against his vest. A small cry escaped her. His vest had taken the brunt of the gunshot. He’d be bruised, but he was alive.

A cough came from nearby. She swiveled and saw Lachlan stagger into view. Blood streaked the side of his rugged face.

“Nat, you all right?” he asked.

She nodded. “But Axel took a bullet to his vest.”

“Shit.” Lachlan looked around. The rest of the team was emerging.

“Feel like I was hit by a train,” Seth said on a groan. “Then a bus, then dragged by a horse.”

“They gassed us and then set off an explosive.” Nat looked up at the hole above them.

Callie emerged, face streaked with dust. She spotted Axel and dropped down beside him. Nat stayed on her knees, watching Callie’s brisk, competent hands as she checked Axel over.

“His vitals are strong. He’s probably got a mild concussion, and he’ll have a hell of a bruise on his chest.” Callie’s dark eyes met Nat’s. “He’s going to be fine.”

“Those fuckers,” Blair growled.

“They took the Minotaur,” Nat said quietly.

“Fuck.” Lachlan set his hands on his hips, staring at the ground.

“They took their unconscious friends as well,” Seth said.

Lachlan straightened. “We need to get out of here and find out who the hell they are.”

“If they set the Minotaur loose in a crowd…” Blair let the statement hang in the air, unfinished.

“Smith and Seth, carry Axel.” Lachlan’s gold gaze hit Nat. “Get us out of here, Nat.”

It was a quiet and quick trip back to the surface. When Nat stepped out into the quiet hush of dawn, a cleansing breeze washed over her.

Axel was still and unmoving as his teammates carried him to the SUVs. He’ll be okay. He was tough and stubborn.

Nat chafed her arms. Where was the Minotaur? And what the hell did that other team want it for?

She climbed into the back of one of the SUVs, lifting Axel’s head into her lap. Smith and Lachlan slid into the front seats.

“Guys.” Ty’s voice came from the dash console. “Everyone okay?”

“Axel’s unconscious, but we’re all alive,” Lachlan said.

“Did you contain the Minotaur?”

Lachlan pulled in a breath. “No. There was another team.”

“What?” Ty’s voice sharpened.

“Mercs. They were well-organized and trained.”

“Definitely ex-military,” Smith added.

“They took the Minotaur,” Nat said.

“Fuck,” Ty said. “Okay, okay. I’m linking up with Brooks.”

A second later, Brooks’ voice came through the dash. “Hey, guys. Ty said things went FUBAR.”

Lachlan snorted. “That’s an understatement.”

“Well, let me see how I can help.”

Nat imagined him tapping away on his computer in his high-tech lab.

“Blair has a head shot of one of the downed mercs,” Lachlan said.

“She texted it. I’m running some searches now. Seeing who entered Greece, and more specifically Crete, and who clearly isn’t there to lie on the beach.”

“Find them, Brooks,” Lachlan growled. “We need to get the creature back.”

Nat shivered at the thought of the damage the Minotaur could do. Poor Dr. Kitchener.

“I’m on it,” Brooks answered. “Now, Kinsey worked her sweet magic and extended your stay at the villa.”

Smith growled.

“Big guy, I have my own gorgeous woman.” There was amusement in Brooks’ voice. “I’m not lusting after yours.”

Lachlan smiled briefly, and Smith scowled.

Nat stroked Axel’s hair. “You’re going to be okay.”

Lachlan straightened. “Let’s get back to the villa and regroup.”

AXEL WOKE ON A GROAN. Damn, his head was pounding.

“Take it easy.” Nat’s voice.

Relief flooded him. As long as she was okay, he was okay.

He opened his eyes and saw a white curtain flapping in the breeze. They were back at the villa. Nat sat beside him on the bed, her beautiful face lined with worry.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that again.” She slapped his arm, but there wasn’t much power behind it.

“Sorry.” He rubbed the center of his chest. God, he hated taking a bullet to the vest. “Everyone okay?”

She tucked some of her hair back behind her ear. “Yes, everyone’s fine.” She stroked his arm. “When I saw that man shoot you…when I saw you go down…” Her voice hitched.

Axel pulled her down, drawing her closer.

She sucked in a breath. Her gaze dropping to his lips. “Axel—”

He kissed her. She needed it. Hell, he needed it. He needed to feel this woman close to him.

The kiss started soft, but morphed quickly. Damn, she tasted like heaven.

She moaned, her hands sliding into his hair. “I love your hair. So thick and sexy.”

“I love your hair. So dark and shiny. And the way those sexy skirts of yours hug your ass.” He bit her plump bottom lip, and she shimmied against him. “I’m pretty sure I love everything about you.” He cupped one of her breasts.

“So stop fighting this. Us.” She kissed him harder, her tongue sliding against his.

He groaned. She was pure temptation. She was everything Axel wanted and didn’t deserve.

He pulled back and broke the kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers. Both of them were breathing heavily.

“Axel.” Frustration edged her voice.

“You deserve clean hands on you, Nat.” He pulled away from her.

She growled. “No. I am not letting you screw this up. I’m fighting for us, Axel Diaz. You think you’re stubborn?” She tossed her glorious black hair back. “You haven’t seen anything yet. I am going to make you fall in love with me. Until you beg to be mine.”

Axel felt a strange mix of emotions—frustration, awe, humor, and a damn warmth that filled him.

He’d had brothers in Delta. Men he’d trusted with his life, and who he’d fight beside any day. And he trusted every member of Team 52 to have his back. He also had a good family back in California who he didn’t see enough, but they were big, nosy, and loving. But he’d never had a woman say she’d fight for him.

Plenty wanted a good time, were happy to tear up the sheets, but none had been interested in his dented heart.

“Nat, I’m trying to protect you.”

She held up a palm. “Nope, not listening.” She rose and pulled the curtains open. She was wearing tiny shorts that showed off her legs, and, despite what he guessed was a concussion, looking at her made his cock twitch.

Damn, he was in so much trouble.

Sunlight streamed in, and she moved back to sit on the bed. “Now do you want to kiss again, or talk about the mission?”

Shit. He’d pick kiss every time, except he was trying to keep her safe from him. She smiled—and the satisfied curl of her gorgeous lips told him that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

“So, the mercs captured the Minotaur,” she said.

“Fuck.” He pushed himself up on the pillows and saw Nat’s gaze drift down his tattooed arm. Hmm, so the sexy archeologist liked his ink. He filed that away. “We know who these assholes are?”

She shook her head. “Brooks is working on it.”

“Lachlan must be pissed.”

“He is giving off a very dangerous aura right now.” Her mouth tightened. “They gassed his team, blew up the tunnel—which risked us all—and got away with the Minotaur. He’s not happy.”

“What the hell are they going to do with the monster?”

Nat plucked at the sheets. “I have no idea, but whatever it is, it won’t be good.” Her gaze dropped and Axel glanced down. An ugly purple bruise was forming on his chest. She leaned down and kissed it gently. He sucked in a breath.

“I’ll ask Ty to come work his magic with that laser he uses on bruises.”

Ty’s laser could heal a bruise in hours, instead of days.

Her lips moved over Axel’s skin, and he fought for some control. He had no defenses when it came to her. Her lips moved gently and he groaned, hand twisting in the sheets.

“You can’t win this battle,” she murmured.

“Nat.”

She sat up and smiled. “Don’t worry, Axel. I’ll make falling in love as painless as possible for you.”

Damn stubborn woman. “We have a Minotaur to find.”

She rose. “Then let’s get to work.” She sashayed out, giving him a killer view of her legs.

Axel blew out a breath and flopped back on his pillows. What Nat didn’t know was that it was too late.

He was already in love with her.

His cellphone rang and he grabbed it off the bedside table. When he saw the number, he rolled his eyes. He swore that his mother had some internal radar.

“Hey, Mamá.” He looked at the clock and did a quick calculation of the time in southern California. “It must be getting late for you.”

“Are you all right, mi hijo?”

He rubbed his chin, letting his mother’s familiar voice wash over him. “I’m fine.”

A moment of silence. “I’ve always known when you were lying, Axel Diaz.”

“I promise, I’m okay.”

“Always rushing into danger. Even as a child, setting things on fire, fighting with older kids, jumping off the garage roof.”

“Gabriela dared me.”

“Don’t blame your sister. I wish you’d grown out of it.” A sigh. “I wish you’d come home more. Your sisters miss you.”

Which meant his mother missed him. Axel fought off the bite of guilt. Since he’d left the Army, he didn’t get home much. He felt wrong sitting at his parents’ table, listening to his sisters laugh, holding cousins’ babies, eating food that made him think of home and family. He felt like he didn’t belong.

“How’s Dad?”

Maria Diaz laughed. “Busy with his woodworking. He tells me he’s making me some new things.” Her voice was filled with resignation coated in love.

After Gael Diaz had retired, he’d driven Axel’s mother crazy until she’d told him to build a shed. He had, invested in a bunch of power tools, and had dedicated himself to woodworking. Their little bungalow was now filled with his creations.

“I’ll try to get home soon, Mamá.”

“Te quiero, mi hijo. Maybe you’ll bring a pretty girl home next time you visit.”

“You know me, Mamá, there are lots of pretty girls.” But his head was filled with dark-brown eyes, high cheekbones, and lush, black hair.

CHAPTER TEN

Nat huddled with the team in their makeshift conference room at the villa.

She was poring over every Minoan document she could find. Including a few classified ones they kept in the archives at Area 52. Nearby, Ty was busy analyzing samples he’d taken from the pottery the virus had been held in.

Ty leaned back in his chair. “Okay, I’ve found something, but I have no idea if it helps. The virus appears to have elements of it that resemble snake venom.”

Nat frowned. “Snake venom?”

Ty nodded. “I think that’s what affects the brain functions of the infected. I’ve read papers on researchers using sea snake venom and the toxins in it to make treatments for diseases that target the brain, like Alzheimer’s.”

“Snake oil as some sort of cure has been peddled for decades,” Blair said.

Spinning, Nat tapped on her laptop. “Wait. Look at this.” She pulled up several images of statues of Minoan figurines.

“There’s one of those statues in the artifacts.” Ty carefully pulled it out. The woman had a full skirt, her breasts on display, and her arms held aloft. In each hand, she held a snake.

“The Minoan snake goddess,” Nat said. “British archeologist, Arthur Evans, found the first of the snake goddess figurines at Knossos. He was the man who first discovered the ruins.”

“What’s it mean?” Axel asked.

She glanced at him. He looked much better today, although his face was still pale.

“We aren’t entirely sure who she was or what she represented, but other cultures, like the Egyptians, also had a snake goddess. She usually symbolizes both the home and handicraft, but she had a flip side and also represented warfare.”

“Warfare,” Lachlan murmured.

Nat nodded. “The Minoan snake goddess is heavily linked to the Greek goddess, Athena. She was both the goddess of the home and wisdom, and a warrior.” Nat tapped her notebook. “I’m still combing through the texts, but what if this snake goddess is a representation of the advanced people who handed the virus down to the Minoans? Someone who survived the floods at the end of the ice age, and brought with them this snake-based virus that could create a warrior beast of horrific strength and power?”

“Ty, does this help you find a cure for it?” Lachlan asked.

Ty shoved his hands on his hips and blew out a breath. “Vaccines and cures for viruses can take years to develop and test. And they are prone to mutating and changing.”

“Is that a no?”

“I’ll do what I can, but no promises.”

A tablet on the table chimed.

“That’s Brooks,” Lachlan said.

They clustered around the screen. Brooks appeared looking rumpled, his T-shirt creased and stained with what looked like coffee. On the front of it was a cute Baby Yoda, and under the tiny alien was written, “No coffee, no workee.”

Nat swallowed her giggle. You could always count on Brooks and his shirts to brighten your day.

“Hey Axel, how are you feeling?” Brooks asked.

Axel grunted. “I’ll survive.”

“Lucky he has a very hard head.” Blair broke a piece off the cupcake she was holding and shoved it in her mouth.

Axel gave her the finger and she blew him a kiss.

“So, bad news,” Brooks said.

Lachlan made a sound that made Nat wince.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting good news,” Lachlan growled.

“I hacked into CCTV at Heraklion Airport.” Brooks pushed his glasses higher up on his nose. “Several hours before the attack in the labyrinth, these people entered Crete.”

Images of several unsmiling people popped up on the screen. Nat studied them. Not one of them looked like someone she wanted to meet on a well-lit street, let alone in a dark alley. One of them was the dead merc they’d found in the tunnels.

“Look ex-military,” Seth noted.

Brooks nodded. “Two Russians, both former Spetsnaz. A former Navy SEAL who was dishonorably discharged.”

Smith, a former SEAL himself, made an unhappy sound.

“A guy who’s worked his way through most of the private military contractors around the world. A woman who used to work for Mossad. Another woman who worked for British domestic counter-intelligence at MI5. And their leader.”

A final picture of a muscular man with a rugged face appeared. His features were dominated by a straight, large nose that made Nat think of images of Julius Caesar.

“This is Hugo Vernier. Former French Intelligence. They kicked him out for torturing suspects to death.”

Blair wrinkled her nose. “Nice.”

“Who do they work for?” Lachlan asked.

Brooks sighed. “A group called the Hannibal Syndicate.”

“Never heard of them,” Axel said.

“I’ve lost track of all the different assholes we deal with,” Smith grumbled.

River shook her head, her dark curls bouncing. “MI6 had a dossier on them. A very thin one. They are secretive as hell and bad news.”

“Bad news is right.” Brooks pushed his glasses up again. “They’re arms dealers. Expensive ones, specializing in providing very dangerous weapons to very dangerous clients.”

“Fuck.” Lachlan leaned back in his chair.

“Why take Kitchener?” Nat asked.

“They don’t want Kitchener,” Axel replied. “They want the virus.”

She stared at him in dawning horror. “No.”

He nodded. “They’ll try to weaponize it.”

Blair shook her head and reached for the pack of cupcakes. “Screw it, I’m having another cupcake.”

River pressed her hands to the table. “I know the Hannibal Syndicate was fingered for selling biological weapons to crime groups in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Local law enforcement could never pin anyone down in order to prosecute.”

“Where are Vernier and his team now?” Lachlan asked.

“I picked them up at the port of Rethymno.” Brooks tapped his screen. “That’s a smaller port on the north coast of Crete. One boat left in the right timeframe, destined for the island of Santorini.”

“They’ll have a jet waiting there,” Lachlan said. “We need to stop them before they leave Greece.”

The entire team rose.

“Brooks, we’ll take the X8 to Santorini. While we’re in the air, you find the Syndicate’s plane.”

Brooks nodded, his fingers flying across his keyboard. “Already on it.”

“Everyone, pack up,” Lachlan ordered. “We’re moving out.”

It didn’t take long. The entire team worked quickly and soon, they were in the SUVs racing toward Heraklion Airport.

Nat sat wedged in between Axel and Ty in the back seat. She pressed a hand to Axel’s thigh. “How are you feeling?”

“Head’s still thumping, but I want to stop these assholes.”

She nodded. “If the Minotaur gets loose…” She shuddered.

“Not gonna happen. We won’t let it.” He put his hand over hers, and she flipped hers over and tangled their fingers.

“Lachlan?” Brooks voice came from the SUV’s dash.

“Yeah,” Lachlan said.

“I found their jet. It’s at the Santorini Airport. Unmarked private jet at a small, private hangar at the southern end of the airport. Aircraft is showing as owned by a pharmaceutical company. Company’s bogus.”

“Good work,” Lachlan said. “We’re on our way.”

“Good luck, and be careful,” Brooks said.

Soon, they hit the outskirts of Heraklion, and not long later, pulled into the airport.

Nat settled into a seat on the X8 and stroked the leather. The mission wasn’t over, but she was damn glad to be leaving Crete. She’d always dreamed of visiting here, but this wasn’t how she’d envisioned it going. She crossed her legs, one leg bouncing. Now, they just had to stop the Hannibal Syndicate and get the Minotaur back.

Seth and Blair’s murmurs came from the cockpit, as the pair did their pre-flight checks.

“Buckle up,” Seth called. “We’re cleared for take-off.”

Minutes later, they were taking off over the jewel-blue waters of the Mediterranean toward another island steeped in history and linked to Atlantis.

Nat had always wanted to visit Santorini as well. She had found that wherever there were myths about Atlantis, she usually found signs of the advanced, ancient cultures who’d come before.

She just really wished this one hadn’t left a deadly virus that could mutate people into monsters.

A lean hand touched her bouncing leg. She looked across the aisle at Axel.

“We’re going to stop these assholes,” he growled.

She nodded. She just hoped that before they did that, no one else got hurt.

SANTORINI OFFERED a damn fine view from the air.

Axel looked out the window at the crescent-shaped island. The island’s history was stamped all over it. It was very clear that it was the remnant of a volcano. The steep cliffs on one side were dotted with the white buildings the island was known for.

When they landed, two SUVs were once again waiting for them.

“Kinsey is a goddess,” Axel said.

“Or a magician,” Nat suggested.

A tiny smile curled Smith’s lips.

“Here.” Lachlan moved to the back of the jet-copter. He opened a black bag filled with sleek, black masks. “The Hannibal Syndicate gassed us once, and since they specialize in biological weapons, we aren’t taking any chances.”

Axel clipped his mask onto his belt. He watched Nat examine hers, and it set Axel’s nerves on edge. He didn’t want her breathing the same air as these fuckers.

Blair strode out of the cockpit. Lachlan handed her a long tranquilizer gun, which she checked over. A small case was full of red-tipped darts.

“Veterinarian-grade tranqs,” Lachlan said. “Should bring down the Minotaur.”

Blair nodded.

“Guys,” Brooks’ voice came through Lachlan’s tablet. “The Hannibal Syndicate mercs are boarding their plane and prepping for takeoff.”

“Let’s move.” Lachlan leaped out of the X8 and strode for the SUVs. The team picked up their gear and followed.

“Ty and Nat,” Lachlan said. “You two need to stay in the SUV.”

Ty didn’t look thrilled.

Nat shook her head. “We could help—”

“No.” Lachlan’s tone said it wasn’t up for discussion.

Axel was damn glad Lachlan had made that decision. He turned to face her. “Here.”

She stared at the Glock in his hand. “You need it—”

“It’s my spare. Take it.”

She checked it over. Not professional, but she knew what she was doing. He’d seen her at the base firing range a few times.

Beside them, Ty yanked River into his arms and kissed her.

Nat sucked in a breath and looked at Axel. “Stay safe.”

He nodded. Something shifted in her eyes, and before he guessed what she was doing, she grabbed the front of his vest and tugged. Her lips hit his, her tongue darting inside.

Shit. Damn. He got a hit of her taste before she broke the kiss. Then she swiveled and headed to the second SUV, her hips swaying. Ty shot him an amused look and followed.

The rest of the team stared at him.

Axel fought the urge to hunch his shoulders. “I’m trying to stay away from her.” He stomped toward the first SUV. “She’s being stubborn.”

“You’re being an idiot,” Blair climbed into the vehicle.

Callie shook her head and followed.

Axel looked at his remaining teammates. “She deserves better than me.”

Lachlan just stared at him, Seth shook his head, River raised a brow, and Smith grunted.

Axel scowled. “She does.”

“She deserves you stepping up and giving her what she needs,” Lachlan said.

“It isn’t that easy.”

“We always think that,” Seth said. “Our demons tell us that.” He clapped a hand to Axel’s shoulder. “But it can be easy, trust me.”

Axel climbed into the back of the SUV. He didn’t want to talk about this. Soon, they were speeding toward the far end of the airport.

“Pull up behind that hangar,” Lachlan ordered.

The team slid out. They skirted the hangar, and around the other side, he saw the sleek, private jet.

A few of the mercs moved around the plane, but there was no sound, so he guessed the Minotaur was drugged, or well contained.

A man ducked out of the jet, pausing at the top of the steps. Vernier.

Yep, these were definitely the assholes Brooks had showed them. Vernier looked like a bruiser.

“Incoming,” Blair murmured.

A van pulled up beside the plane. Vernier opened the side door and waved at a man.

“Bring it,” the man ordered, his French accent clear.

Several mercs slid out of the van, then heaved the motionless Minotaur out.

“Fucker’s heavy,” someone muttered.

“Wait, 52,” Lachlan murmured.

Axel gripped his CXM tightly. He was itching to take these assholes down.

One man dropped the Minotaur’s legs, and the mercs all cursed.

“Now,” Lachlan said.

Team 52 sprinted out from behind the hangar. Axel fired on the mercs.

As bullets whizzed, he saw several mercs go down. Others dived for cover.

“Close in.” Lachlan’s steady voice. “Take them down.”

Axel saw a female merc pop up from behind some boxes and lob something into the air. Sunlight glinted off metal.

“Watch out, grenade!” Axel yelled.

It hit the ground and rolled. Axel slammed his mask into place.

The grenade exploded, but there was no gas. Instead, there was a burst of bright, disorienting light, followed by an earsplitting sound.

What the fuck? He’d never seen anything like it. The light speared into his eyes and he blinked, trying to see. His brain switched off, like it couldn’t process all the stimuli.

He blinked and saw dark shadows. Dammit, the mercs were advancing.

Where was his team? He looked down and heard Blair cursing steadily. Smith was on his knees, a gloved hand pressed to the side of his head.

“What’s wrong with us?” Seth barked.

Axel dropped to one knee. His heart throbbed and his eyes streamed. He fired his CXM in the general direction of the plane, hoping to stop the mercs dragging the Minotaur to the aircraft.

In the distance, he heard car doors slamming. Then, Nat and Ty ran into view.

Nat. God, no.

She was firing the Glock he’d given her. Ty fired a CXM. Mercs dived to the ground.

Nearby, a merc rose, blood streaming down the side of his head. He lifted a gun, aiming at Nat.

Axel growled and jump on the merc, tackling him to the tarmac.

The pair rolled several times. Axel elbowed the man and he grunted. Axel followed with a punch to the face.

The merc slumped, and Axel looked up. The rest of the team were fighting hand to hand. Nat and Ty were still firing on the mercs near the plane.

A merc ran toward Axel, and a second later, a bullet whizzed past. It almost clipped Axel’s arm.

“Hey!” Axel punched the merc.

“Sorry,” Nat yelled. “Not my best shot.”

Axel strode to her and took the Glock. He turned and fired. His shots missed, but several mercs ducked. Shit, his senses were still off.

A female merc appeared out of nowhere. She was almost as tall as Axel and her eyes were ice-cold. He shoved Nat back and the merc charged.

She swung out and Axel dodged. As he turned, she rammed her other fist into his gut. Pain exploded through him, the air rushing out of his chest. She was wearing metal knuckles on her hand.

The woman smiled. She clearly liked inflicting pain. Bitch. Axel swung out, and the woman ducked. He followed through by ramming his elbow into her stomach. She wheezed and doubled over.

Then he heard Nat.

“Fuck you!” she yelled.

Axel spun and his blood turned to ice.

Vernier had Nat, her back pressed to his front. He was holding a knife to her throat.

“Stop, or the woman dies,” Vernier drawled.

Team 52 all stilled.

“Get the asset on the plane.”

Several mercs shuffled to the lifeless Minotaur. They grunted and heaved, and carried the creature up the steps and aboard the jet.

Fuck. Fuck. Axel kept his gaze on Vernier.

The leader stepped back, using Nat as a shield. A trickle of blood seeped down her neck, and Axel took a step forward.

“Uh-uh.” Vernier dug the knife in, his gaze pinned to Axel.

Nat gasped and winced. A larger trickle of blood soaked into the neckline of her T-shirt.

The merc leader watched them with cold, impassive eyes.

“Let her go.” Axel was going crazy inside. He fought for some control.

“She’s a pretty thing.” Vernier reached the base of the plane’s steps. “I might keep her.”

Axel’s hand clenched.

“Yes,” Vernier said. “I think she’ll come with us.”

No. Axel took another step.

“Axel,” Lachlan warned.

All of a sudden, Nat rammed her head back and smashed into Vernier’s chin.

The man yelped, the knife jerking. Fear exploded through Axel. As Nat threw herself forward, he expected to see her throat slit open.

Vernier cursed and grabbed for her, but missed. As Nat ran toward Axel, Vernier cursed again, then swiveled and jogged up the steps.

Nat fell and hit the tarmac on her hands and knees.

Axel sprinted for her, just as the plane’s engines started up.

Ty fired as Vernier ducked through the door. Axel snatched up Nat and she threw her arms around him.

“Don’t ever do that again!” he roared over the jet’s engines.

Nat buried her face in his neck and Axel pulled her close, trying to calm his out-of-control pulse.

Nearby, Lachlan stood with his hands on his hips, glaring at the departing plane. “Fuck.”

Axel thought it was definitely worth a fuck or three.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Moments later, the team was back on the X8. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but unspoken rage filled the jet.

Nat could feel the anger throbbing off them all. Axel set her down gently in a seat, and she smiled weakly at him. He grabbed her palm, rubbing a finger over the abrasions there, then his gaze moved to her neck and something dark shifted in his gaze.

“Callie, gauze,” Axel barked.

The medic handed some over and he carefully pressed it against Nat’s neck.

“I’m okay,” she said.

His mouth tightened.

“Brooks, find that jet,” Lachlan snapped.

The team leader radiated fury, pacing the aisle between the seats.

“Working on it.” A somber-looking Brooks was on a screen set in the wall, a headset on and his brow furrowed. He swiped on his tablet.

“These Hannibal assholes are going down,” Smith grumbled.

A gray-haired man in black fatigues appeared on the screen behind Brooks. “Brooks said you guys got your asses handed to you. Twice.”

Axel growled and dropped into the seat beside Nat.

She cleared her throat. “Hi, Arlo. Yes, we’re all fine, thanks for asking. And the Hannibal Syndicate have some unexpected weapons.”

Arlo made a harrumphing sound. “You’re all badasses. Show these assholes you mean business.”

Lachlan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Thanks for the pep talk, Arlo.”

Arlo’s scowling gaze fell on the blood-stained fabric in Nat’s hand before shifting to Axel. “And if you don’t pull your head out of your ass and treat her right, I’ll make you regret it.”

Nat bit her lip and Axel scowled. Callie caught Nat’s gaze and winked.

“I’ve got them!” Brooks shouted.

Lachlan leaned forward. “Where are they?”

“In the air, headed northwest.”

“Seth, Blair, get us airborne.”

The X8’s engines rumbled to life.

“Everyone strap in,” Seth called out.

The jet-copter took off like a helicopter, sweeping out over the Santorini caldera. Once they hit the right altitude, the jet engines took over.

“Brooks, any way to tell exactly where they’re headed?” Lachlan asked.

“I’m working on it. I figured they’ve logged a flight plan under a false identity, so I’m running searches.” Brooks frowned. “I’ve got something else.”

“My man is good,” Callie murmured.

“There’s some chatter on the dark web. I accessed some chatrooms about weapons sales.”

Lachlan stilled. “What did you hear?”

“Talk about a new bioweapon coming onto the market soon. A weapon that turns people into raging animals with increased strength.”

“Fuck,” Smith breathed.

“So the Hannibal Syndicate will take the virus, find a way to isolate it, and then sell it.” Nat gripped the armrests of her seat. “What is wrong with these people?”

“There are bad people out there, Nat,” River said quietly.

“Why?” Nat insisted. She just couldn’t comprehend it. “Why are people looking for the worst things to do to others?”

Axel touched her cheek. “I don’t have an answer for you. Sometimes, they think they’re doing the right thing for whatever they’re fighting for.” Shadows shifted in his eyes. “Sometimes, they are just born assholes.”

She frowned and lowered her voice. “There is nothing similar between you and the Hannibal Syndicate. Not one thing.”

A muscle in his jaw worked, and his gaze dropped to her neck again. “How’s your cut?”

“Fine.” She pressed the gauze harder against her neck. “It’s really fine. It looks worse than it is.”

He reached out and stroked the skin on the side of her neck. “It’s one cut too many.”

She circled his wrist. “Axel.”

“Lachlan?” Brooks’ urgent voice. “I think I’ve found them.”

“Destination?”

“I found a flight plan lodged under the pharmaceutical company name used to register the plane. Renagen, Inc.”

“Where?”

“London. Due to land at London City Airport.”

“London,” Callie breathed.

“Bloody hell.” River shook her head. “London City Airport is just a few miles east of the city center. Not far from Canary Wharf. Millions of people in a high-density area. If the Minotaur got loose, it would be a disaster.”

“Worse if they manage to extract the virus, and that got loose,” Ty added.

Everyone turned to glare at the scientist.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Just telling the facts.”

Nat shivered and Axel gripped her hand.

“We’ll stop them,” he said.

“We have to, Axel.”

“Brooks, you need to track any known locations the Hannibal Syndicate has in London,” Lachlan said.

“Searches are running, but these guys are shady.” Brooks ran a hand through his dark hair, leaving it mussed. “They operate in the dark. Finding anything won’t be easy.”

“Lucky you like a challenge, then. Do what you can.” Lachlan’s gold gaze moved to River. “We need eyes on London City Airport.”

River nodded. “I can call some friends.”

Friends meant MI6.

Lachlan nodded. “Do it.”

River pulled out her sat phone and rose. She stalked to the back of the aircraft.

“We aren’t far behind them,” Callie said.

Nat swallowed. “Let’s hope we aren’t too late to stop more people from dying.”

THEY WERE COMING in over the south of England.

Axel looked out the window, taking in the green fields below, and ahead, the sprawl of London.

Lachlan turned in his seat. “Brooks said the Hannibal Syndicate has landed.”

River nodded. “My friend said a black van’s arrived to meet them. They’re preparing to load up.”

Lachlan cursed. “Tell your friend to stay on them.”

Nat chewed on her lip.

“I told you not to worry,” Axel said.

She rolled her eyes. “I can’t just turn it off, Axel.”

“We’ll stop them. It’s what we do.”

“I know, but I’ll worry about you guys.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I always worry when you’re out there risking your life to save the world.”

He felt a pang in his chest. Since he’d left Delta, he’d made it so no one worried about him. He kept his family in the dark about his work and life. He didn’t see his family as much as he should.

But here was Nat, telling him that she worried about him.

He cupped her chin and their gazes locked. Damn, she was going to make staying away from her damn hard.

River leaned forward. “My guy says the Syndicate are making a beeline straight for central London, and they’re moving fast.”

Fuck. Axel looked at the others. Tension filled the X8.

“We’ll be landing soon,” Blair called back.

The X8 dipped, and they flew in over London City Airport.

Axel resisted the urge to tap his boot. He wanted to be on the ground, stopping these mercs. And he wanted the damn Minotaur behind bars.

They landed and Lachlan wasted no time opening the side door. Outside, two SUVs waited for them.

“Let’s go.” Lachlan jerked his head.

Axel had just settled into the backseat with Nat, when Brooks’ voice came through the console. “Guys, we have a problem.”

Lachlan dragged in a breath. “What now?”

“Open your tablet,” Brooks said.

Lachlan pulled it out and tapped the Team 52 logo. Axel and Nat leaned forward from the backseat. Smith peered over from the driver’s seat.

A lanky male news reporter appeared, holding a microphone. “There are strange reports of a wild animal on the loose near St. Paul’s Cathedral. There was a car accident on the A1 near Barbican, and then eyewitnesses reported seeing some sort of animal tear a van open.”

A wide-eyed woman popped onto the screen. “It was huge and roaring.”

A young girl clung to the woman, tears rolling down her chubby cheeks. “It was the devil.”

“Fucking hell.” Lachlan slammed his palm against the dash.

Next, the news report showed shots of an overturned black van. The side looked like it had been ripped open with a blunt knife.

“Brooks, can you track the Minotaur?” Ty asked from beside Axel.

“Trying to hack traffic cams now.” Their tech guru sighed. “I’ll look, but it’s a fucking big city with a lot of hidey holes.”

Axel gritted his teeth. “We have to find it before it decides to eat some innocent people.”

“Hold on,” Smith said.

Their SUV picked up speed, the second vehicle keeping pace behind them.

Lachlan pressed his phone to his ear. “River? You guys see the news report?” A pause. “Does your friend still have eyes on the creature?” He thumbed the speaker button.

“He lost it.” River’s crisp, accented voice came through. “He’s tracking the Hannibal Syndicate, though. They’re regrouping at a warehouse in Spitalfields.”

“So no sign of the Minotaur?”

“Isaac said it ran.”

Where? Axel tapped the seat in front of him. Where the hell would it go?

“Brooks is trying to track it,” Lachlan said.

“Lachlan, we need a base of operations,” River said.

“I’ll have Kinsey find us somewhere.”

“I know a place. There’s an MI6 safe house in northwest London, near St. John’s Wood. Let me make a few calls.”

“Do it.”

Not long afterward, they found themselves following River’s SUV into the affluent, leafy suburb that was home to Lord’s Cricket Ground and the Abbey Road Studios made famous by the Beatles.

They pulled into a street lined by stately row houses. Beside Axel, Nat was studying her tablet, lost in whatever she was reading.

“What’s that?” he asked.

She looked up, blinked. “Minoan writings. I’m taking a look at anything that mentions the Minotaur. Maybe I can find a clue to where it might go, or if there’s a way to communicate with it, or to change Dr. Kitchener back.”

Axel stayed silent. He wanted the monster dead. As far as he was concerned, Kitchener died when he’d gotten infected and killed those women.

They pulled to a stop in front of an unassuming brick row house.

They waited for the first SUV to empty and unload. They didn’t want a large group of them drawing attention to themselves.

Finally, Lachlan nodded. “Let’s go.”

They followed the team leader through the front gate. Axel slung an arm around Nat’s shoulders so they’d look like a regular couple. Really, he just wanted an excuse to touch her. Her dark eyes met his.

For a second, he wondered how it would feel to have her belong to him.

Pure temptation.

She leaned into him. “Are you falling in love with me yet?”

His lips twitched. “Stubborn.”

“Yep.”

They jogged up the steps and entered the house. River closed the door behind them. Inside, it looked like a normal home. River lead them to a door in the kitchen and pressed a code into a discreet pin pad.

The door opened to reveal a set of stairs leading down.

They all filed down and lights flicked on.

“This is more like it,” Seth said.

The underground level was large, spacious, and high-tech. Screens lined one wall, with desks, and top-of-the-line computer terminals in front of it. It almost rivaled Team 52’s base at Area 52 in Nevada.

“Nice,” Blair drawled.

“Bedrooms.” River pointed down a corridor. “There is also a fully-stocked kitchen.”

A sharp whistle came from Lachlan’s tablet. Brooks was on-screen, studying the safehouse. “Nice digs.”

Lachlan set his large duffel bag down. “You find the Minotaur, Brooks?”

“Possible sighting of something strange near Tottenham Court Road.”

“It’s headed west,” River said. “Where’s it going?”

Brooks shrugged. “No way to tell yet.”

River activated one of the computers on the desk, and the screens on the walls flared to life. “Let’s link up and get to work, Brooks.”

Brooks cracked his knuckles. “You’re talking my language, MI6.”

“Find it,” Lachlan said. “Before the bad guys do.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Nat made coffee and handed mugs out to everyone.

“You’re a goddess,” Seth said with a smile.

She smiled. “Did you talk with January?”

“For a bit. She was busy studying some new Mayan Snake King artifacts.” His smile widened. Half his face was handsome perfection, while the other half was covered in terrible scars that only added to his appeal. “She said our peanut is behaving. Not kicking her too much.”

Except for his interaction with Team 52, Seth had been a loner until January had exploded into his life. He’d been haunted by his past, with no plans to ever fall in love or have a child. Now, love filled his voice as he talked about his pregnant wife, and Nat could see how excited he was to meet his baby.

She glanced at Axel. He could have that, too, if he let himself.

She thought of a dark-haired little boy with his father’s wide smile and she shivered. God.

Turning, she set down the last of the coffee mugs. Ty, River, and Blair were busy on the computers, their fingers flying.

“Another possible sighting near Russell Square,” Blair said. “Near the British Museum.”

“Confirm it and put it on the map,” Ty responded. One screen was filled with a map, covered in glowing dots.

Lachlan leaned a hip against one of the desks. “Where the hell is it going?”

Nat moved to Axel, who stood in the back corner, watching the action with a pensive face. “Hey.” She held a coffee out to him.

“Thanks.” He wrapped a hand around the mug.

“Milk with three sugars.”

He grinned. “I like it sweet.”

“I know.”

His smile faded, an intense look filling his face. He glanced at the rest of the team, but no one was looking at them. He slid his free hand into her hair and tugged her close. “You’re going to keep pushing, aren’t you?”

She lifted her chin. “You need a push.”

“I’m trying to do what’s best for you.”

“I know what’s best for me, not you.” She went up on her toes. “You’re afraid. You lost people. You did difficult things. You need to face those things and let yourself be loved, Axel.”

His face twisted, and the torment she saw hurt her heart.

“My parents don’t love me.”

His face hardened. “Nat—”

She shook her head. “I have no idea why they got married or had me. They weren’t interested in parenting or being a family. But that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve to be loved.”

“You deserve love. You deserve fucking everything.” His tone was biting.

“That’s why I’m going after what I want.”

She shifted and kissed him. He went still for a microsecond, then pulled her close, his tongue demanding entry. She gave a low moan, her hand digging into his side.

“Got something,” River cried out.

Nat pulled back, dragging in a breath. Axel let her go and stepped back, scowling.

She hid her smile. She was getting to him. But the most important thing right now was their mission, and they couldn’t afford a distraction.

Turning, she gathered around River’s screen with the others.

“CCTV picked up this.” An image appeared in black and white. It was a little blurry, but it showed a large man loping across a park.

“Can you zoom in?” Lachlan asked.

“Hang on,” River replied. “There.”

A large set of horns were visible.

“It’s him,” Nat breathed.

River tapped the keyboard. “I’m searching for where he went after this.”

“I’ve got something.” Ty’s fingers pounded his keyboard. “Breaking news coming in.”

Live footage appeared on another screen. The Minotaur was right in the center, with terrified, screaming people running from him, and a huge, arched ceiling above him.

“Shit, that’s King’s Cross Train Station,” River said.

As people screamed, sprinted away, and stumbled into each other, the Minotaur tensed. It looked around, clearly panicked.

“Team 52, let’s move.” Lachlan straightened. “Ty, Nat, you both stay here.”

Her stomach clenched. She hated being left behind, but one look at Lachlan’s face said he wouldn’t change his mind. She nodded, then turned to Axel. “Be careful, all of you.”

Axel stared at her for a moment, then jerked his head.

She wanted him to touch her, to kiss her, anything, but he spun away.

There were grunts and nods. A flurry of activity filled the space as the team grabbed weapons, vests, and then headed up the stairs.

She watched Axel’s back as he disappeared, then dropped into a chair beside Ty. “This is the bit I don’t like.” It sucked to sit and watch the team go into danger.

“Yeah,” Ty rumbled. “Especially when you’re in love with one of them.” He arched a brow at her.

“Don’t be a smartass,” Nat murmured.

One screen was filled with the feed from a small camera that Lachlan pinned to his vest. Ty and Nat watched the SUV race through London’s streets—down narrow lanes and traffic-clogged avenues.

“We’ll leave the SUVs here and continue on foot,” Lachlan announced.

Nat chewed on a nail as she watched the team exit the vehicles. They jogged down the sidewalk and, moments later, she heard sirens and saw people running from the train station.

The team pushed on, fighting the crowd and skirting two police officers futilely trying to calm the crowd.

Ahead, the brick-and-arched façade of the station appeared. The team pushed on, leaping over the ticket barriers. They entered the train station, the platforms stretching out ahead in long rows, the arched roof overhead.

People poured off one platform in a panicked mass.

“That way,” Lachlan said.

Nat caught a glimpse of Blair as she moved ahead, tranq gun held down by her thigh. A terrified, middle-aged man tripped over, and Callie stepped into view, helping the sobbing man up.

“Go,” Callie said. “Get out.”

“T-there’s a monster,” the man stammered.

“Go.”

The team sprinted down the platform. The Minotaur was right ahead.

“When you have a clean shot, open fire. Take it down.”

Team 52 lifted their weapons. A second later, the gunshots made Nat wince. The sound was deafening.

The Minotaur roared and leaped onto the top of the train parked beside the platform.

It threw out its arms and let out another roar.

“Blair, tranq,” Lachlan said.

“I’m trying to get a shot.”

As Lachlan turned, Nat glimpsed Blair on one knee, aiming the tranq gun. She fired, but at the same moment, the Minotaur leaped back onto the platform. It swiveled and ran.

“Don’t lose it,” Axel yelled.

The team sprinted after it.

“Come on.” Nat tapped her foot on the floor. Tension sang through her shoulders.

“They’ll be fine.” Ty’s gaze was glued to River.

Nat couldn’t see Axel, but he was all she was thinking about. Stay safe.

AXEL RAN, dodging some cowering people, then leaped over abandoned suitcases.

“Anyone else feel like we should be getting the train to Hogwarts?” he quipped.

Blair groaned and Lachlan shot him a look.

“Hey, trying to break the tension, here.”

Ahead, the Minotaur tore into some abandoned suitcases on the platform. Clothes flew everywhere and glass smashed. Axel switched his CXM to shotgun mode. The standard rifle fire barely slowed the creature down.

He turned, aimed, and fired.

Boom.

The bullet hit the creature and the Minotaur rocked back. It roared, its face twisted with rage.

“Keep it busy.” Blair aimed the tranq gun again.

Axel pumped his weapon and fired again, this time right beside the Minotaur. Boom.

Blair fired. The red dart hit the creature’s brawny arm.

With a bellow, the Minotaur gripped the dart and pulled it out.

Then it ran. Right at them.

Fuck.

Axel lunged to the side. The Minotaur came at him and he didn’t have time to fire his weapon. Instead, he shifted his grip and swung his CXM liked a bat. It crashed into the Minotaur’s head.

Dazed, it shook its head. Axel leaped up and kicked the creature.

Blair raced in from the side, trying to get another shot. Smith charged and slammed into the Minotaur, tackling it to the ground.

The pair struggled, rolling on the platform. Axel leaped on the Minotaur’s legs, trying to keep it pinned. It kicked and struggled, then managed to throw Smith off. The big man rolled across the platform and onto the empty tracks on the other side.

“Keep it down!” Lachlan jumped onto the Minotaur.

Axel and Lachlan strained. Damn, the thing was strong.

“P-put your weapons down,” a voice called out.

Axel turned his head and saw a young police officer in a fluorescent yellow coat aiming a taser at them.

Jesus.

“Release the…beast and all of you, on your knees.”

“Amigo, we’re the only thing holding this fucker down,” Axel bit out. “You want to come over here and subdue him?”

The young officer swallowed. “I—”

Gunshots echoed, and the officer jerked. He fell to the platform. Bullets hit concrete right beside Axel and Lachlan.

“Fuck, who’s firing?” Lachlan roared.

Axel rolled off the Minotaur. More shots peppered around them. He dived in behind a brick column with Callie.

Panting, he turned his head. “Shit.”

Black-clad mercs in balaclavas were running down the platform.

The Hannibal Syndicate had found them.

Axel pulled his Glock and Callie lifted her CXM.

“Ready?” he asked.

She nodded. Together, they spun out, aiming their fire on the mercs.

“Lachlan, we have company,” Axel said into his earpiece.

“I see them. Don’t let them get the Minotaur.”

“Cal, we need to circle around them,” Axel said.

She nodded. They darted to the next brick column. Someone had dropped a stack of newspaper and magazines on the ground. Axel dodged them as they rushed to the next column. They were now even with the incoming mercs.

Axel waited for the closest man to pass. Just a little bit more.

He darted out and punched the man in the lower back. He yanked the man down and punched him.

With a groan, the merc slumped.

Callie moved past them, firing on the mercs. They scattered, just as the Minotaur’s enraged roar echoed down the platform.

Ahead, Axel saw the creature lift a merc off his feet, then break his arm. The merc screamed. The Minotaur tossed the man aside like he weighed nothing. The merc slammed into a female merc, and they flew off the platform and onto the tracks.

The remaining Hannibal Syndicate members lifted their weapons and fired. One had a larger weapon that fired with a deeper boom. A net flew at the creature.

It rushed toward the Minotaur, but the creature dodged. The net slammed into the side of the parked train on the other side of the platform.

Axel advanced. Nearby, Seth and Blair were fighting hand-to-hand with two mercs. Beyond them, a tall merc closed in on the Minotaur.

No, you don’t. Axel ran toward the man and jumped on him.

They crashed to the ground and wrestled. Axel grunted, scrambling to keep the man down.

“You can’t stop us,” the man growled. “Our bosses want the monster. It’s too valuable.”

“Fuck you.” Axel punched him.

They continued to scuffle, and Axel took a fist to the gut. Damn. He ignored the pain, and hit back.

There was another earsplitting bellow. Axel lifted his head and saw the Minotaur rushing at them.

Shit. Axel rolled off the merc. The monster didn’t slow down, and it trampled the merc, who was too slow to get out of the way.

Rising up on one knee, Axel lifted his Glock. He met the Minotaur’s burning red gaze. He saw no sign of human thought or comprehension in that gaze.

Lowering its head, it charged.

Oh, hell. Axel threw himself to the side, but he wasn’t fast enough. One of the creature’s horns clipped him, tearing into his shoulder.

He groaned, burning pain tearing through him. He fell on his side, pressing one hand to his shoulder. Blood pumped from between his fingers.

“Axel!” Lachlan yelled.

The Minotaur met Axel’s gaze, and he tensed.

Then the creature turned and ran. It leaped an abandoned luggage trolley, then jumped down onto the tracks. It sprinted down the tracks until Axel lost sight of it.

Axel tried to push himself up, but pain made him hiss. He grimaced.

Then his team surrounded him, Smith and Blair still firing on the Hannibal Syndicate mercs.

Callie knelt and touched his shoulder. “Hang in there, Axel.” She ripped his vest to one side. “Nice little scrape you got yourself.”

He grunted.

She pressed gauze to his wound. “Can’t have you bleeding everywhere.”

“Minotaur’s gone,” Smith said.

“The mercs?” Axel said.

“Gone, as well.”

Lachlan’s mouth firmed into a line. “Let’s get back to the safe house.” He leaned down to help Axel up. “Time to move, 52.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Oh, God.

Nat paced the control room of the safe house, waiting for the team to return.

Axel was hurt.

She pressed her hand to her mouth. He’d been gored by the Minotaur. God, God, God.

He could have been killed. This made her more determined to get the hard-headed man to wake up to his feelings.

“This is a clusterfuck.” Ty scowled. “The Hannibal Syndicate is out there, the Minotaur is missing again, and Axel’s hurt.”

She swallowed, and then Ty touched her arm.

“Axel will be fine. Callie’s with him, and he’s been through worse.”

Nat raised a brow. “Worse?”

Ty winced. “Shit, that doesn’t help, does it?”

“No.”

The door upstairs opened, and Lachlan and Smith came into view on the stairs. They were carrying Axel between them, with his arms slung over their shoulders.

His dark gaze met hers. “I’m okay.”

His shirt was soaked with blood. She sucked in a sharp breath.

“This is not okay, Axel Diaz.”

“He’s lost some blood,” Callie said. “He needs rest and fluids. The wound isn’t too deep, and I pumped him full of meds and used some of Ty’s enhanced creams in the SUV.”

“This way.” Nat opened a bedroom door. The men set him down and he winced.

“Ty,” Lachlan said. “Brooks is already hacking transit cameras. We need to find the Minotaur before the Hannibal Syndicate does.”

Ty lifted his chin. “Assholes will be hot on the creature’s trail.”

“But they don’t have Brooks.” Blair crossed her arms. “Tranq didn’t even slow the Minotaur down.”

“Everyone out,” Nat ordered. “Axel needs rest. I’ll take care of him.”

She ignored everyone’s amused grins and shoved them out the door. Then she turned to Axel. “Shirt off.”

He opened his mouth.

“And no lame jokes or innuendos.”

He closed his mouth. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“You’re hurt. There is nothing fun about this.”

She helped him out of his ruined shirt and saw the white bandage on his shoulder. Blood stains streaked his bronze skin.

Tears pricked her eyes. A few inches lower, and the Minotaur could have hit his heart. She wadded the shirt in her hands.

“Hey.” Axel pulled her down to her knees in front of him, and cupped her jaw. “I’m fine. It looks far worse than it is. With some of Ty’s fancy potions, I’ll be almost better in the morning.”

She nodded. “I heard you were hurt, but I couldn’t see. I didn’t know how bad it was.”

“Nat.” He pulled her against his chest. “I felt the same when you called from the conference. I knew you were in danger, but had no idea if you were all right. I spent the worst hours of my life on the jet, wondering if you were still alive.”

“Oh, Axel.”

She tilted her head and their lips met. The kiss was slow, almost gentle.

“You smell so damn good,” he muttered.

“And you’re hurt.” She pulled back. She wanted to look after him. Rising, she headed into the small, adjoining bathroom. She found a cloth and ran it under the water, then rinsed it out.

She headed back to the bed. “Lie back.”

He obeyed, bracing himself on the pillows. Nat hesitated, taking in the picture he made—bare chest, muscled arms flexed, intriguing black ink on his skin. He sure made her ovaries sit up and take notice.

She shook her head and sat on the side of the bed. She wiped his skin, washing the blood away. As she worked, she noticed his breathing quicken.

Her finger traced over some of the designs on his left arm.

“Kraken,” he said. “Got it once I left Delta. In the Army, my team had to be able to blend in.”

So no identifying marks. “Why a kraken?”

He smiled, his white smile lighting up his handsome face. “It was the most badass thing I could think of at the time.” He shifted a shoulder. “I liked that this powerful creature stayed hidden, and only rose up to protect its territory, then afterward, it would slide back into the depths and disappear.”

He was describing himself. His work with Delta, and now with Team 52. He appeared out of nowhere to protect others, took no credit, then disappeared into the darkness again. Only, she didn’t think the kraken spent its time regretting the things it had done.

Once the blood was gone, she dropped the cloth on the bedside table. She let her fingers drift over his clean, brown skin. He had gorgeous skin. When she looked up, his dark eyes were burning. He stared at her.

Her breath hitched. “Axel—”

The door opened and she jerked back.

Callie and Lachlan came in.

“I want to check that wound.” The medic skirted the bed and knelt down on the other side.

Nat tried to shove her unruly desire away.

“Looks good,” Callie declared. “Keep it clean and dry.”

“Any news on the Minotaur?” Axel asked.

“Brooks is searching,” Lachlan said. “He thinks it made it into the Tube tunnels. Some have cameras.” Lachlan raked a hand through his dark-brown hair. “But he’s also told me that there are lots of abandoned tunnels and stations, as well. The creature has a lot of places where it could hole up.”

“It’ll turn up eventually,” Axel said.

Nat chewed her lip. How many people might it kill before then? What if the Hannibal Syndicate found it first?

“I want everyone to rest up.” Lachlan headed for the door. “Eat, sleep. I want everyone ready to move once it’s spotted.”

Axel and Nat nodded.

Callie hugged Nat, then left with Lachlan.

“I’ll get you something to eat.” Nat rose. “Don’t move.”

She hurried into the kitchen and warmed up some soup and bread. When she returned to his room, she found that he’d changed into soft, black shorts, but was still shirtless.

“I said, no moving.” She set the tray down on the bedside table.

“I told you that I’m fine.”

“The gouge on your shoulder says otherwise.”

He moved lightning fast, grabbed her and tumbled her into bed.

“Hey!”

“Relax.” He pinned her down. “Or I’ll have to find a way to make you relax.”

Her lips parted, her pulse running wild. Tension filled the space between them and the air heated.

“Axel,” she breathed.

“Fuck.” He fingered her hair, his gaze on her lips. “Why are you so beautiful?”

Then he kissed her—deep, hungry, and urgent—and desire exploded in her belly.

AXEL’S GUT WAS HARD, his cock even harder. It didn’t matter that he’d been injured—now all he felt was hot, overpowering arousal.

He had to stop this. He had to find a way to push her away.

She straddled him, pressing her palms to the bed on either side of his head.

“What are you doing?” He gripped her hips and swallowed a groan. She felt too damn good.

She nipped his lip, and this time, he did groan.

“If you can’t work it out, you’ve been doing this wrong,” she said breathlessly.

He slid his hands over her perfect ass, kneading her buttocks. She shimmied and made a husky sound.

“You’re taking advantage of me,” he growled.

She sat up, then stripped her T-shirt off over her head.

Oh, fuck. His cock jumped. Her gorgeous flesh was cupped by pretty, green lace, and his mouth went dry.

“This isn’t a game, Axel. You could have died today—”

He stilled and saw the fear lurking in her dark eyes.

He cupped her breasts and her eyelashes fluttered. He reached around and quickly removed her bra. As she spilled into his hands, a groan welled in his throat. She was the most beautiful thing he’d seen. He traced the contours of her.

“No, not a game.” He thumbed her nipples into sweet, little points.

“You want me, don’t you?” she asked.

The faint thread of uncertainty hit him like a blade. He realized that all the times he’d fought the pull of her had made her doubt just how much he wanted her. He might not deserve her, but she was the sexiest, smartest, hottest woman he’d ever seen.

And he’d damn well make her realize that.

He surged up. “I ache from wanting you.” He sucked one nipple in his mouth, working it until she cried out, voice husky. He licked her sweet skin. “I’ve gone to bed alone so many times, stroking my cock and thinking of you.” He switched to the other plump breast.

She shifted her hips, rubbing herself against his hard cock. “Axel.”

That flushed face, the hungry look in her eyes. It was everything.

He grabbed one of her hands and pressed a kiss to the palm. She had elegant hands, perfectly formed.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to let you go,” he said, voice gritty.

She growled. “I don’t want you to let me go.” She pressed her other hand to his face. “I told you that I’ll fight for you. However, long it takes.”

Churning emotion filled Axel. He couldn’t fight it, or her, or the incandescent desire anymore.

He kissed her and she kissed him back. It was hard, hot, and perfect.

He rolled until she was under him.

“Your shoulder—”

“Is fine.” Adrenaline, desire, need all coursed through him in a wild rush. Now, he wanted the rest of her naked.

“I wish you had one of your skirts on,” he murmured. “You don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed of pushing one of them up and tearing your panties off.”

She licked her lips, her face flushed. “Sometimes, I’m not wearing any panties.”

His cock surged against his shorts. “What?”

“It would ruin the line of my skirt.”

He ran a hand down her hip, then gripped her slim, denim-clad thigh. “You’re telling me, that at base, sitting there so prim and proper and gorgeous, you had no panties on?”

She nodded.

He growled and kissed her hard.

Her hands slid into his hair and she kissed him back with a fire that made him groan. He felt the edge of her teeth on his lip. Her breasts—lush and full—pressed against his bare chest. Then one of her hands travelled down and gripped the waistband of his shorts. Their eyes met for a humming second, and Axel knew he couldn’t move if his life depended on it.

Nat shoved his shorts down and her fingers closed around his cock.

Fuck. His body jerked.

She licked her lips. “I want to—”

He didn’t let her finish. Instead, he pulled back, fighting for any shred of control. Her gaze dropped to his cock where it rose—hard and proud.

“I really want your cock in my mouth,” she murmured.

His stomach clenched. Fuck. Natalie Blackwell, of the stunning face and librarian skirts, talked dirty in bed. “Nat—”

“I want to taste you, suck you, drive you wild.”

That slimmest thread of control snapped. He shoved her back on the bed, making her gasp. He opened her jeans and yanked them down her legs.

“Yes.” Her voice was a husky promise.

Axel gripped the lace and satin covering her, and with one twist, he tore them off her.

The dark curls at the apex of her thighs were neatly trimmed to a tiny strip that didn’t hide her pretty folds. Perfection.

His cock throbbed so hard it hurt. Shit, if he didn’t get a grip, he’d embarrass himself and blow like an untried boy.

She held out a hand. “Axel, I want to—”

He shook his head, leaning over her. He gripped one of her thighs and pushed it wide. “I’m going to taste you first.”

Her breath hitched.

“I’m going to make you scream, Nat, then I’m going to do it again.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

She was burning up.

Nat looked up at the big, sexy, naked man looming over her. His brown gaze never moved off her, like if he looked away, she’d disappear.

Axel’s head lowered between her legs and she sucked in a breath, her belly filled with butterflies. At the first touch of his mouth, her back arched, and she made a strangled sound. His big hands slid beneath her buttocks, that clever tongue licking in exactly the right spot.

She moaned, the growing pleasure almost painful. “Axel.” She lifted her hips, riding his face. He tongued her, making a hungry sound that told her that he was enjoying devouring her.

“God, I’ve wondered what you tasted like for so long.” He buried his face against her and inhaled. She bucked in his hold. “So wet, so sweet.” Then his mouth was on her again, licking and sucking.

Nat fought off her climax as long as she could. His tongue plunged into her before moving up to lick her swollen clit. “Oh… Oh… Don’t stop, Axel.” She twisted beneath him.

“Fuck, you taste so good, mi cielo.” He slid a thick finger inside her, then another one. “I could do this every day and still be hungry for you.”

She felt a taut stretch, even as his tongue kept licking her clit. Sensations swelled, and she was riding the sharp edge of her climax.

“Don’t fight it, Nat. I want you to come. Come all over my mouth.”

A cry ripped from her. She came hard, her body shaking. He held her and she whimpered his name. So good. White heat licked through her.

Limp, she collapsed on the bed. Axel rose over her and she drank him in, her hungry gaze drifting over his perfect body. “I love looking at you.”

“Believe me, I feel the same way.”

His gorgeous cock rose against his hard abs. She watched him grab a foil packet from the bedside table—she had no idea when he’d grabbed it—and tear it open. She didn’t look away as he rolled the condom over his rock-hard cock.

Her belly spasmed. She wanted him, needed him inside her.

Then that big, muscled body was covering hers. She spread her legs and wrapped them around his lean hips.

The blunt head of his cock brushed against her and she moaned. He lowered his head and kissed her, his tongue stroking hers as he pushed into her.

Nat gripped his sides and suddenly realized that no man had kissed her right at this moment before. It was so sexy, intimate, and stole her breath away.

“Nat.” He thrust into her, filling her up.

Nat screamed his name, her nails scraping his skin.

Both of them froze, locked in the moment. Their gazes met. He was deep inside her. There was nothing between them, no place where she ended and he began, instead they were joined.

Her heart pounded hard. His body trembled above hers.

“Do it,” she whispered. “Take me.’’

Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “Mine.” With that one growled word, he moved. He drew back, then thrust forward again.

Sensations exploded in Nat. As Axel’s big body surged in and out of her, she clung to him. She clawed at his back, chanting his name. His plunges were fast, hard, deep, and she loved it.

Every muscle in her body tightened, pleasure growing inside her. “Axel!”

He pinned her to the bed, hips hammering as his cock filled her. “Come, Nat. Your orgasm is mine.”

Another thrust, and she splintered apart.

As she screamed his name, Axel plunged again, all finesse gone.

Then his body shuddered, his hands holding her tight as he let go and groaned her name.

AXEL OPENED his eyes to Nat’s silky, black hair. He buried his nose in it and drew in the scent of her and sex.

Fuck. She’d blown his head off. She’d been hot, sexy, and perfect.

He stroked a hand down her side. Sex could be fun and pleasurable, and it was easy to use it as a distraction. Whatever the hell he and Nat had done had been none of those things. It had been in a different stratosphere.

“Be right back,” he murmured. “Going to take care of this condom.”

When he came back to the bed, she was on her side, watching him. He had a hell of a view of that lush body, and her flushed cheeks and swollen lips.

“You okay?” she asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” He pulled her close.

“I feel great.” She pressed her hands to his chest. “I’m just waiting to see if you were going to have a crisis about sleeping with me.”

He pinched her butt.

“Ow.”

In apology, he smoothed his hand over her sweet curves. “I still think you can do better than me.”

She made the cutest growl, her nails pricking into his chest. “If you say that again, I’m going to…”

“Going to do what?”

She leaned forward and bit his pec.

He laughed and then she pushed him onto his back. She leaned over him, peppering kisses down his abs.

His cock swelled. Oh, fuck. As Nat moved lower, he tensed. She looked up, her eyelids hooded. His own temptress and siren. He was only a mere mortal, unable to resist her. But more than that, this beautiful woman, this gorgeous creature, wanted to be his.

She licked the head of his cock. It jumped and she smiled. He felt like he was going to spill then and there. Her tongue skated over the tip, then down his thick length.

“Nat… Jesus…”

“Are you ready?”

“Mi cielo.” He’d sell his soul to have her touch him. To have that sexy mouth he dreamed about wrapped around him.

“Hold on,” she murmured.

His abs clenched, then she sucked his cock into her mouth.

Axel bit off a curse. Sensation skated down his spine. Fuck.

Her mouth was warm and wet. She sucked hard and he felt himself get harder, swelling in her sweet mouth.

She made a humming sound, bobbing up and down. He felt his cock brush the back of her throat, but she kept working him. Electricity hit his nerves, and he felt a freight train of an orgasm building. But he didn’t want to come in that tempting mouth. He shifted, pushing her back on the bed. He ignored the twinge in his shoulder, shoved her legs apart, and covered her. A second later, he drove into her with a savage thrust.

She gripped his biceps and made a strangled cry.

Shit. “Nat. Did I hurt you?”

“No. Don’t stop.”

He drove deep. Shit, each second he was inside her felt like the best thing ever. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

“Give it all to me,” she panted. “No holding back.”

“Mine.” He growled the word, torn from the darkest part of his battered soul.

“Yes. And you’re mine.” She clung to him as he set a brutal pace, their bodies slapping together.

He wanted her to come again and changed the angle of his thrusts.

She cried out, and he knew he was hitting the right spot. “My sexy little archeologist likes it hard and sweaty.”

“I like it however you give it, Diaz.’’

He growled. On the next thrust, she screamed his name and came. Her body shook, her inner muscles clenching on his cock.

Oh, fuck. His vision blurred, raging pain-pleasure hitting him like a punch. “Nat.” He clung to her, pouring himself inside her.

Afterward, he was left sucking in air as he pulled her warm body close.

She made a humming noise. “I need to clean up.”

Axel froze, disbelief hitting him. Shit, he hadn’t used a condom.

“Shit, Nat. I didn’t suit up.” He thrust a hand through his hair. He’d never, ever forgotten before.

Nat touched his jaw. “It’s okay, I’m on birth control.”

He hadn’t protected her. “I’ve always used a condom. And since my last test at base, which was clean, I haven’t slept with anyone.”

She cocked her head. “You haven’t?”

He swallowed. “There was only one woman I wanted.”

Both her hands pressed to his cheeks. “Axel.”

He kissed her. A part of him was still afraid to touch her, have her, worried he’d ruin her. But another part of him never wanted to let go.

On the bedside table, his cellphone beeped. With one last kiss, he pulled back and grabbed his phone. When he saw the screen, he grinned.

“One of your admirers.” Nat’s voice was tart.

“Yeah, she’s my biggest fan,” he said.

Nat started to pull away, but he wrapped his arm around her and laughed.

“Let me go,” she snapped.

“It’s a message from my mom.”

Nat stilled. “Oh.”

“She wanted to let me know that there are cheap flights from Vegas to San Diego. My parents live just south of the city. An unsubtle way of telling me to visit.”

“You’re close with them?”

He nodded. “Yes, and I have two sisters. I don’t go home as much as my mamá would like…”

Nat’s piercing gaze cut into him. “You’re holding yourself back.”

He blew out a breath, discomfort making him feel twitchy.

“If I had a family that loved me,” she said quietly, “I’d spend as much time with them as possible.”

His hands flexed on her. “Nat…” Anger made his throat tight. “Your parents abused you?”

She shook her head. “God, no. They were never around.” She shrugged a slim shoulder. “They’re both ambitious workaholics. They divorced when I hit my teens and I was shuffled between households. I knew my nannies better.” She tucked her hair back behind her ear. “I was luckier than most. I had plenty of food, designer clothes, spending money, the best schooling. Expensive presents every birthday from my parents’ assistants.” Her smile was forced.

Maybe she hadn’t been abused, but she’d suffered. He heard the old pain in her voice.

He sank a hand into her hair. “Nat, you deserved more than that.”

“I just can’t seem to make people want to stay,” she whispered, “or want to love me.”

Fuck. Her words were like a spear through his heart. He dropped his mouth to hers. He kissed her, nipping at her lips, taking his time. She slowly melted against him and sighed. He deepened the kiss.

The bedroom door opened and Seth walked in. “Diaz, time to— Oh shit, my eyes.” Seth turned to look at the wall.

Axel whipped the sheet over Nat. “You look at her and I’ll kick your ass.”

“All I have burned in my brain is your bare ass.” Seth edged toward the door. “Brooks found the Minotaur. Get some clothes on. And I do feel compelled to add that Nat does have a spectacular set of—”

Axel growled and Nat laughed. She tossed a pillow at Seth. The other man smiled as he closed the door.

“Real life calls,” Axel said.

Her eyes narrowed. “This here is real life, too, Axel. You and I aren’t just fun, or pretend, or a fantasy.”

He just stared at her.

She stroked a thumb across his lips. “It’ll start to sink in soon. Now, we need to get dressed because we have a mission to finish.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Nat finished dressing. She kind of rocked the cargo pants and fitted tee look, if she did say so herself. She pulled her hair into a neat ponytail.

She had a small hickey on her neck, and the sight of it made a shiver run through her. Her body still tingled from her wild loving with Axel. Her breasts were tender, and between her legs…well, she’d be feeling it for a while.

He’d been everything she’d imagined—a wild, skilled, and passionate lover. But she hadn’t expected the way he kissed her. How he held her. Like she was precious. Oh, yeah, Axel Diaz was going down.

Then she glanced down at her bare feet, and the sight made her think of the labyrinth. Of the women who hadn’t made it.

They’d never have a chance to go back to their loved ones, or to fall in love. The Minotaur had to be stopped. There was no way they could let the Hannibal Syndicate get their hands on the Minotaur virus and turn it into a weapon.

Shoulders set, she headed into the main control room. Every member of the team looked at her.

She glanced at Seth. “You have a big mouth.”

He winked.

Nat tossed her head back. “Yes, I slept with Axel. Actually, there wasn’t much sleeping involved. And it was phenomenal.”

Lachlan looked at the ceiling, Blair and Callie grinned. Ty rolled his eyes and pulled a smiling River closer against him.

Smith groaned. “Thank fuck the walls are soundproof.”

A screen on the wall winked on. Brooks’ tired face appeared, his glasses askew. His white T-shirt had a lightsaber on the front, with the words “Pretty fly for a Jedi” under it.

“What did I miss?” Axel sauntered in with that loose-hipped stride she loved.

Nat’s heart skipped a beat. She smiled, and he gave her a wide, sexy smile back.

“God, did you two finally do the nasty?” Brooks asked.

“No more sex talk,” Lachlan ordered. “I’m going to add a no fraternizing rule around here.”

Nat raised a brow. “You met Rowan on a mission. Same thing happened with Seth and January. Blair’s man is our police contact. Everyone else is paired up with another team member.”

Lachlan held up a hand. “Mission.”

The smiles quickly turned serious.

Lachlan turned to the screen. “Brooks?”

“I spotted the Minotaur not far from King’s Cross Station. It went into an old, abandoned Tube station at Euston. While Euston Station is still an operating station, part of the tube station and underground tunnels were abandoned in the 60s. The London Transport Museum ran some tours through them a few years back, but they are mostly untouched, except for where the new HS2 construction has touched them.”

“HS2?” Seth asked.

“High speed rail project,” River said.

“All right, let’s move,” Lachlan said. “We’ll access the tunnels at Euston.”

“I’m coming,” Nat said.

“Oh, no, you’re not,” Axel countered.

She crossed her arms. “Just because you’ve had your cock inside me, doesn’t mean you get to boss me around.”

Lachlan, Seth, and Smith groaned.

“It does,” Axel said.

She glared at him. “It does not. I still have a perfectly functioning brain, in spite of your very energetic cock.”

“Next person who says cock, I’ll shoot them,” Lachlan bit out. His golden gaze zeroed in on Nat. “Why do you think you should come? And driving Axel crazy with worry isn’t a good enough reason.”

She glanced at Axel. He did look worried, and she softened a little. “I’ve been studying all Minoan and Greek texts with references to the Minotaur. I might be able to communicate with it.”

“Might?” Axel shook his head. “That monster is out of control, with no rational thought.”

“We have no idea what it’s thinking,” she said. “I think Daedalus managed to alter the virus and make the Minotaur seek out the tunnels they designed to entrap it.”

“How?” Lachlan asked.

“I don’t know. I’m slowly combing through his writings and piecing things together.” She blew out a breath. “I might be able to help, that’s all I can tell you right now.”

Lachlan nodded once. “Okay. You can come.”

“Goddammit,” Axel muttered. He followed up with an impressive barrage of Spanish.

Nat strode to him, grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and kissed him.

“I’ll be okay because I’ll be with you badasses.” She lowered her voice. “Including my badass.”

“Shit, you’re totally going to get your way all the time.”

“Get used to it,” Smith grumbled.

Nat winked at Axel. “Sometimes I’ll let you be the boss.”

Lachlan held up a hand. “No more sex talk. Everyone get in the SUVs.”

Not long afterward, they were all in the SUVs, following River’s directions to Euston Station. Nat fiddled with her vest. Ty’s design was sleek, but it still felt heavy to her.

A part of her was a little nervous about heading into more underground tunnels after the Minotaur, but she didn’t want to mention it in case Axel tried to stop her from coming.

They pulled up at Euston Station.

“You need to head into the existing Tube tunnels for the Northern Line,” Brooks said, taking over the directions.

As they headed inside, they all tried to look inconspicuous. They all wore light jackets to hide their rifles.

“Head down the escalators, and along the Northern Line platform. There’ll be a door you’ll need to get through to get into the tunnels. I’ll block any cameras.”

Nat tried to look natural as they walked out onto the Tube platform. There were a couple of dozen, bored-looking people waiting for the next train. She smelled that distinctive, musty scent underground train systems had, and quickly followed the team.

Smith stopped beside the unremarkable door set into the wall. With Lachlan turning to block anyone’s view, Smith quickly dealt with the lock.

As a train pulled up to the platform, people turned and straightened. While the commuters were distracted with boarding the train, the team quickly slipped through the doorway.

The space on the other side of the door was pitch black. Everyone clicked on flashlights, and Nat shivered. It was spooky as hell.

The tunnels had been stripped down in places. Old tile still showed, but in some places, the tunnels were just bare concrete, with electrical lines and pipes running along them.

“This way.” Lachlan started down the tunnel, weapon drawn from under his jacket.

Their boots echoed on the concrete floor. Gear was stacked along one wall.

“This must have been where they cleaned the tunnels to let people tour down here,” Callie murmured.

“Oh, my God, look.” Nat turned to eye the walls. There were torn, peeling advertisement posters on the curved walls. “These are all from the 1960s.” It was like walking into a time capsule. There was a poster for West Side Story playing in the West End, and another for the original Psycho movie.

But as they continued on, the tunnels became less well kept, with water dripping down the walls in places.

Ahead, she saw movement and gasped. The team tensed, but it was a homeless man wearing a ripped jacket, with a heavy, graying beard and wild hair. He pulled back into the shadows, watching them warily as they passed.

Then she felt vibrations under her feet, and heard a rattling noise.

“The Northern Line,” River said. “Or construction for the HS2.”

They turned down another tunnel, with lots of pipes and wires running along its walls.

“Keep an eye out for any sign the Minotaur’s been here,” Lachlan said.

Nat waved a curtain of spider webs out of her way.

Suddenly, a terrified scream echoed down the tunnel.

Oh, God. Nat’s chest locked.

As one, the team swiveled, bringing their weapons up.

“Come on.” Lachlan moved into a jog.

They followed, Axel pushing Nat to the back of their group. They moved through some wider tunnels, and she saw an old ticket window, set into the wall with beautiful tiling around it. They continued onto an abandoned platform.

“There!” Seth said.

Hunched over at the end of the platform, the Minotaur froze at the sound of their approach, and looked up. It was chewing on the neck of another homeless man.

Gorge rose in Nat’s throat. They were too late.

The team rushed forward.

“Stay back,” Axel warned her.

She nodded and she watched the Minotaur run into a tunnel, Team 52 in pursuit.

That left Nat alone, with only her flashlight giving off a small circle of illumination. Great. She’d spent plenty of time in underground tombs and tunnels as an archeologist, but knowing a dangerous creature was lurking nearby really made her nerves stretch tight.

Slowly, she followed after the team. She heard the Minotaur bellow, then more shots fired.

She pressed against the wall. It would all be over soon. Then a shadowed form stepped out of the tunnel.

“Axel? Is everything—?”

The man stepped closer, and she spotted the black balaclava covering his face.

Her stomach dropped to her toes. The Hannibal Syndicate.

Her eyes went wide, then she leaped on the man and screamed.

AXEL HEARD Nat scream and spun.

Where the hell was she? Ignoring the hunt for the Minotaur, he charged back. The need to yell her name welled in his chest, and he bit his tongue.

He’d told her to stay back. He should have kept her by his side.

Lachlan brushed past him. Then they heard the sounds of a scuffle.

The two of them rushed ahead, running out onto the platform, their CXMs aimed. Two mercs charged at them.

Fucking Hannibal Syndicate.

Axel fired, taking one down. The other one leaped at Lachlan, knife in hand.

Lachlan ducked, then rammed his fist into the man’s side. When he grunted, Lachlan whirled and came up with a hard chop.

Axel heard the sound of bone snapping, before the knife clattered on the ground. The merc gave a strangled cry, but Lachlan hit him again. The man hit the wall and slid down it, to lie, unmoving, on the ground.

Nat. Axel had to get to Nat.

He heard her shout, and pivoted. He barreled down another tunnel into a central area of the old station.

She was fighting off an attacker. Axel sprinted toward them.

The merc saw him coming and let Nat go. The man took a step back, but Axel didn’t slow down. He leaped into the air and slammed into the man. They hit the abandoned platform, skidding across the tiles.

Axel punched the man, raining lethal, anger-fueled blows on him. The asshole had touched Nat.

Suddenly, she crouched beside them. “Quiet,” she hissed.

Axel paused mid-punch and frowned. When he raised his head, he saw the glow of red eyes in the darkness.

Both Axel and the Hannibal Syndicate merc froze.

The Minotaur shifted closer, its muscular body sliding out of the shadows. Axel realized it was staring at Nat, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

“Hey, there,” Nat said slowly and softly.

A light flared to life. Her tablet. She held it out, showing some symbols on it.

“You’re just trying to get home, aren’t you?” She pointed at the symbol for the labyrinth.

The monster snorted, staring at the symbol like it was hypnotized.

“Labyrinth,” she said.

“Lab-rinth.” The Minotaur’s voice sounded like gravel.

“Yes,” she said. “We want to help you.”

It tilted its head. “He-lp.”

Axel stiffened at the guttural sound.

Nat sucked in a breath. “Yes, we want to help. Mark. That’s your name. I really want to help you, Mark.”

Running boots. Two mercs barreled out of a tunnel and fired on the Minotaur.

“No!” Nat cried.

Axel jumped on her. As bullets flew, he shielded her. The Minotaur roared, and a merc’s body flew past, hitting the wall.

Nat whimpered and Axel held her tighter.

“Hey, you guys partying without me?” Blair sprinted in.

The rest of Team 52 was right behind her. Axel watched Blair dash toward the closest merc.

The man drew a knife and Blair grinned. “Ooh, goodie.”

Lunging, the man swiped out with the blade and Blair snapped into action.

Two kicks and three deadly blows later, the man curled up on the ground, groaning. Blair studied her newly acquired knife before tucking it into her belt.

The rest of Team 52 was all fighting.

A snort made Axel turn and he saw the Minotaur sliding back into the shadows.

“No.” Nat held up a hand. “Let us help you.”

But the creature turned and ran. A second later, it was gone.

Several remaining mercs backed up along the platform.

“Where are you going, assholes?” Seth clipped out.

The mercs retreated. As they ran, they fired several shots. Then the sound of gunfire stopped.

The only noises remaining were the groans of injured Hannibal Syndicate mercs.

“River, I have some zip ties.” Blair held up the plastic restraints. “Want to help me restrain some asswipes?”

“Sure. You’re a fun date, Mason.”

As the women worked to tie up the mercs, Axel rose and helped Nat up.

Her hair was a mess and dirt streaked her face.

“Did you see?” she said excitedly. “The Minotaur listened to me. I think it responded to the symbols.”

Axel met Lachlan’s gaze. “I saw.”

“He’s afraid, Lachlan,” she said. “It just wants to get back to the labyrinth.”

“So it’s searching for old tunnels?” Lachlan said.

She nodded. “I need to work on the symbols a bit more, but I might be able to convince it to come with us.”

Lachlan nodded. “That’s more than we’ve had up until now. The tranqs don’t slow it down, so capturing it will be difficult.”

“And we need to shut down these assholes.” Smith toed one of the unconscious mercs.

Nat nodded. “If they keep scaring Kitchener, he’ll fight and hurt someone.”

“All right, 52, let’s regroup.” Lachlan slung his rifle over his shoulder. “River, can your friends do clean up?” He nodded at the restrained mercs.

“Sure.”

“I want this mission put to bed,” Lachlan said, “We can’t leave this monster on the loose in London.”

Axel gripped Nat’s arm.

She’d been in danger. Again. It felt like a rock settled in his gut, a part of him agitated beyond control. He wanted this mission over. He wanted her safe.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

On the drive back to the safe house, Nat stared out the window at the passing city.

She’d talked with the Minotaur, communicated with it.

It wasn’t just a mindless monster.

She needed to study more of the Minoan glyphs and come up with a message. She needed to convince it to come with them.

Axel was quiet beside her, radiating an intensity that made her look at his face. He didn’t seem angry, but he was definitely something.

They reached the safe house. Inside, everyone dispersed to stow their gear and change clothes.

“I want to get my notebook and—”

Axel grabbed her arm and dragged her into his room. He slammed the door behind them, and locked it.

“Axel—”

He set his CXM on the table. His Glock and knife followed. Then he pulled off his vest and gloves.

Nat’s nerves twitched. When he turned, he advanced on her, heat flickering in his eyes.

Her belly contracted. “Axel.”

He pulled her vest off, then yanked her close.

He smelled like Axel, mixed with the healthy scent of sweat. Before she could say anything, his mouth was on hers.

She moaned. He lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her back hit the wall.

His tongue was in her mouth, forceful and demanding.

“Need to fuck you.” His voice was guttural. “Need to see you take my cock.”

The blunt, possessive words made her quiver.

He set her down long enough to yank her pants off, leaving her in just her T-shirt. Then he lifted her again and his lips were rough, the kiss deep and wild.

And so much need. Nat had never been needed like this before. She moaned, her hands buried in his hair.

He moved a hand between her legs and found her clit. She bucked against his fingers.

“All this wetness for me?” he murmured.

“Yes,” she panted.

He played her like an instrument, and as sensation scorched through her, she looked up into his glittering eyes. She undulated, biting her lip, the edge of her climax skating closer.

“Uh-uh,” he said.

His hand disappeared and she moaned her complaint. Then his hips pushed between her legs.

“You’re going to come on my cock, not my fingers.”

“Axel.”

He fumbled with his trousers and she heard the click of his belt. “You need my cock, baby?”

“Yes. Now.”

He shifted and the head of his cock nudged her folds. Then with one hard thrust, he was inside her.

Oh, God. God. The back of her head hit the wall.

He hammered into her. “Fuck, nothing feels as tight as you.”

Nat clung to him as he drove into her. “Don’t stop.”

“Never.”

She felt it coming. Her orgasm hit in a blinding rush. She cried out his name and his mouth took hers, swallowing her scream. God. It was hard and fast, but it felt so right.

There was no separation between them. Right here, right now, there was no Axel, no Nat. Just the pair of them joined together. One.

A second later, he lodged deep and groaned in her ear.

She held his shuddering body as he came. Afterward, he still pinned her to the wall and the room was filled with the sound of their fast breathing. She nuzzled his stubbled cheek.

“I’ve never had sex against the wall.” To be honest, she wasn’t sure she’d ever dated a guy she’d trust enough to hold her against the wall.

Velvet-brown eyes met hers. “You are so damn beautiful.”

She flushed.

“And I have a few other positions that’ll rock your world,” he added.

She laughed. “I bet you do.”

His face turned serious. “Nat, nothing has ever felt like this.”

Her heart swelled and did a little dance. “For me, too.”

His fingers tightened on her hips, then he let her feet drop to the floor.

“Come on, let’s clean up.”

They took a quick shower and changed. Fresh and clean, Nat was eager to get back to her research and notes.

Leaving Axel to finish getting dressed, she headed for the main room and commandeered a desk. She spread notes across the surface, and woke her tablet up.

Right, she needed to find a way to convince the Minotaur that they wanted to help.

It only took moments for her to get lost in her work. The glyphs were so fascinating. She ran her finger over the image of a tree, a lily, and a bird.

Someone set a mug of coffee down beside her, and she smelled hazelnut syrup. Yum. She looked up at Axel and smiled. “Thank you.”

He dropped a quick kiss to her lips. “I love watching you work.” His gaze dropped. “I wish you were wearing one of your skirts.”

Grinning, she shook her head and turned back to the glyphs on her tablet. “I think I have a message worked out. Maybe.”

“Never doubted you. You hungry?”

She nodded.

“I’ll whip you up something.”

“I thought you didn’t cook?”

He shot her a wide smile. “I didn’t say I was going to cook, but I can make a sandwich.”

She smiled at him, watching his hard, muscled ass as he walked to the kitchen. Mine. She planned to bite that firm ass cheek later.

A beeping sound came from a nearby computer terminal, and she frowned. She leaned over and saw the screen showed CCTV from outside the safehouse.

She stiffened. Two people were in the back garden. They were dressed all in black.

She turned. “Axel, I—”

An explosion ripped through the safehouse.

Her ears rang as metal crunched and glass shattered. Nat screamed, and was thrown to the floor by the blast.

AXEL PUSHED up on his hands and knees. His ears were ringing, and his nose was bleeding. He swiped his arm across it, and tried to clear his head.

What the hell had happened? Blinking, he looked up.

Half of the ceiling above and the door at the top of the stairs were blown out. He heard shouts.

He staggered to his feet. Nat. Where was Nat? She’d been sitting right in the center of the room.

Then he saw a screen on the wall, hanging askew but still functioning. He saw mercs step into the rubble upstairs, guns in hand.

Fuck. Axel slid along the wall. He needed to warn his team and he needed a damn weapon.

Lachlan appeared in the corridor, his head bleeding.

“Hannibal Syndicate,” Axel said.

Lachlan’s gold eyes flashed.

“I need a weapon. Now.” Every second that ticked by, he was aware that Nat was alone, maybe hurt. “Nat’s out there, somewhere.”

Lachlan jerked his head. They slid into Lachlan’s room and his team leader ripped open a duffel bag.

He handed a SIG and a spare CXM to Axel.

Nice. Axel preferred a Glock to a SIG, but he’d take anything right now. He tucked the handgun into his waistband, then he checked the rifle. “Let’s do this.”

They met Blair and Seth in the hall.

“The rest of the team?” Lachlan asked.

“River and Ty are trapped in their room,” Blair said. “Explosion warped the door, but they’re safe. No sign of Callie or Smith.” Blair’s voice was tight.

“Nat was in the main room,” Axel said. “I couldn’t see her anywhere after the blast. I clocked three Hannibal Syndicate mercs heading inside.”

Blair lifted her CXM. “Fuckers.”

“Take them down,” Lachlan said. “Our priority is our people.”

They all nodded. Axel turned, itching to find Nat. Hold on, mi cielo.

As the team moved into the room, a spray of automatic fire sent Axel diving to the floor. He rose up, firing.

“Two mercs coming down the stairs,” Blair murmured. “Anyone see the third one?”

“Not yet,” Axel answered.

He crawled through the rubble, moving toward where he’d last seen Nat. Gunfire echoed in the room, and he ducked. He popped up and fired toward the stairs. He saw the two mercs dive behind an overturned table.

Then he saw movement from above.

The third merc leaned down through the gaping ceiling and threw something.

“Grenade,” Axel roared.

He ducked, and saw it hit and roll. Who knew what this damn grenade did, with the things the Hannibal Syndicate cooked up?

Axel grabbed the grenade and lobbed it back, praying he was quick enough that it didn’t blow his hand off.

It sailed across the room and exploded in the air. He ducked, hearing more breaking glass and a scream.

“Everyone okay?’’ Lachlan yelled.

“Yeah,” Axel said.

“Okay,” Blair called out.

“We’re fine,” Seth said.

Axel blew out a breath. More gunfire cut up the room, keeping him pinned.

Then he heard a woman cry out. Shit, Nat.

He crawled through the debris, ignoring the gunfire. He ducked behind a desk and then looked up.

A merc was herding a struggling Nat up the stairs.

No! Axel darted out, leaped, and dived behind another desk.

Gunfire tore up the room behind him.

He didn’t give a fuck. Nat was worth every risk. He’d die for her, and these assholes were not taking her.

In the next break in the barrage of bullets, he ran and rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

“Axel, wait for backup!” Lachlan roared.

“They have Nat.”

Through the unhinged front door, he saw her ahead. She was kicking at the man holding her arm. He turned and slapped her face.

Axel growled, whipped his CXM up, and fired. The man was quick. He yanked Nat sideways, pulling her down behind a brick fence.

Shit. Damn. Fuck.

Axel charged ahead, sprinting through a small garden. He aimed for where he’d seen Nat.

Something tackled him hard from the left. He crashed onto the concrete path and turned. A female merc straddled him and punched him in the face.

Hell. Black splotches danced in front of his eyes.

Then the woman wrapped her hands around his neck, and pushed down.

He choked. Not today. Growling, he bucked his body up. She clung, but tilted sideways and they rolled.

As she jabbed her fingers into his side, he winced. But he wasn’t squeamish about fighting a woman. In a life-or-death fight, she was just another enemy to be taken down.

Axel shoved her hard. She flew to the side and Axel leaped, trying to pin her.

“Axel!” Nat screamed.

He looked up to see the merc shoving her into the back of a silver van.

No.

The female merc took advantage of his distraction. She got a boot to his chest and shoved.

He flew back, his head hitting the ground. Damn. He didn’t have time for this.

He threw himself up, ramming his head into the woman’s gut. She grunted in pain and Axel grabbed her, slamming her into the fence.

She spun to attack, and he chopped his arm down on hers.

Her bone snapped and the woman screamed.

An engine gunned on the street, and he saw the van pulling out.

Shit.

Leaving the merc, he leaped over the fence. The van was picking up speed.

Axel ran, pumping his arms and legs. He could just make out Nat through the back window, struggling with the merc.

He gained on the vehicle, took a deep breath, and leaped.

He hit the back of the van, got his boots on the rear bumper, and clung tight. He ducked down out of sight.

As the van turned onto a larger road, it picked up speed. Axel focused on holding on. I’m here, Nat.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

She was pissed.

Nat glared at the merc beside her.

They’d blown up the safehouse. Her anger had claws, but beneath it twisted sharper worry. Was the team okay? Was anyone hurt?

She glanced out the back window. She knew Axel had survived the blast. She’d seen him chasing after her, right down the middle of the street. Then she’d heard a thump on the back of the van and he was gone.

God, had the van hit him? A rock lodged in her throat.

She twisted her hands together and tried to focus. It looked like they were heading north. There were two more mercs in the front seat, murmuring quietly to each other.

“My team will take you down,” she said.

The merc beside her laughed. “Your team is dead.” He smirked. “Is this where you tell me that we’ll never get away with this?”

She crossed her arms. “You’re an ass who works for an arms dealer. You’re scum.”

He shrugged. “Paycheck’s a paycheck.”

She glared at him. God, she hoped the team was okay.

The van pulled up at an unassuming park somewhere in the northern part of London.

Mr. Ass rose and shoved open the back doors. He reached in and yanked her out. She spat at him.

“Feisty,” he said. “You won’t be when we use you as bait for the monster.”

A group of four mercs came out of the park.

Vernier was in the lead. He nodded at them. “Last sighting of the beast was here.”

“Do you have a plan, Vernier?” Nat asked. “Or are you just going to wait for the Minotaur or my team to kill you?”

His cold gaze landed on her and she fought a shiver.

“You know my name,” he said quietly.

She sniffed. “We knew who you were about five minutes after we first saw you on Crete.”

“Well, I do have a plan. The Minotaur took you once, Dr. Blackwell, and I heard you talked with it in the train tunnels. You’re going to draw it out for us.”

She lifted her chin. She wouldn’t let him see her fear. “My team is going to make you regret your crummy choice of occupation.” She looked at them all. “Do you all wake up in the morning and think, ‘Oh yes, what a great day to aid arms dealers, and make life hell for innocent people?’”

Vernier ignored her. “Bring her.” He jerked his head and spun.

Her personal goon shoved her forward. She shot him an acid-laced stare as they moved into the park. Actually, she wasn’t sure if it was a park, but the open space was spotted with trees. It was probably pretty, but she was too scared to appreciate it. She swallowed. It looked like she was going to be staked out for the Minotaur. What if she couldn’t communicate with Kitchener?

Then she spotted a shadow darting through the bushes. She sucked in a breath. None of the mercs noticed. Her pulse raced. Was the Minotaur here already?

She spotted the form again and her chest hitched. She’d recognize that muscled body anywhere. She’d spent the last two years studying it, and most of last night exploring it in great detail.

Axel was here. Her chest warmed. She wasn’t alone.

“Here,” Vernier said.

Mr. Ass jerked her around.

“You think the Minotaur will just appear out of thin air?” she said.

“No.” Vernier stepped forward and punched Nat in the belly. Hard.

She groaned and bent over. Shit, that really hurt. She bit her tongue. She knew Axel would go crazy, and she didn’t want him to reveal himself.

Nausea rose up and she fought it back. You’re okay. You’re okay. Then Mr. Ass grabbed her hair and her fury ignited.

She swiveled and kneed him between the legs. He made a strangled sound and dropped to his knees. His furious stare promised retribution.

Vernier grabbed her, swung her around, and gripped her chin hard enough to make her wince.

“Don’t make me kill you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t put the blame on me. You’re a killer, and we all know it.”

He leaned closer and she smelled his nice cologne. It seemed wrong that a bad guy smelled good. Then she felt the hysterical need to laugh at her crazy thought.

“Don’t push your luck, Dr. Blackwell.”

A bellow—angry and harsh—echoed through the trees.

Goosebumps broke out on her skin, and Vernier smiled.

“I saw something over there,” one merc said, gripping his gun.

They swiveled and lifted their weapons.

“No, there,” another one barked.

They swiveled again. The bushes rustled, but then a bellow sounded from another direction.

“What the fuck is going on?” Vernier snapped.

Agitation wafted off them. Nat straightened, rubbing her aching stomach. God, a group of twitchy bad guys with guns was almost as scary as the Minotaur.

Then the beast came charging out of the trees.

Her heart lodged in her throat. Vernier shoved her forward. “Get the net and ropes ready.”

The Minotaur looked at Nat, then its red gaze shifted to the mercs.

Where the hell was Axel?

With another roar, the Minotaur moved forward. Somehow, it looked bigger and more muscular than before. It charged, picked up a merc, and tossed him into the air.

The man hit a tree trunk.

The beast tore through the other mercs. They fired shots wildly and with a small cry, Nat ducked.

“Fire the net!” Vernier yelled.

Thwap.

A black net flew out of a launcher held by one merc. The Minotaur dodged. The net hit another merc, tangling around the man. The Minotaur roared, and Vernier stumbled back.

Ha, not so tough now. Nat fought a smile. Then the creature looked at her.

Uh-oh.

It strode toward her. She threw her arms up, but it gripped her waist and snatched her off her feet.

“No, put me down!”

It flung her over its brawny shoulder, then it turned and ran.

Shit.

She had to do something so Axel could find her. But what?

AXEL RAN through the trees heading in the same direction the Minotaur had gone. Where the hell had the Minotaur taken her? The damn thing had moved too fast for him to keep up.

He couldn’t see them anywhere and he stumbled to a stop. Fuck. He pulled on his hair.

Then he saw something sparkle on the ground.

He snatched the tiny object up and turned it over. Nat’s earring. It was the same one he’d watched her put in her ear that morning. He tucked the diamond into his pocket and kept walking.

Come on, mi cielo.

He spotted another glimmer and grabbed her second earring off the grass.

He came out of the greenspace and onto a sidewalk. Cars drove past, drivers oblivious to what was going on in their little part of London.

Scanning the buildings, he searched for any sign of her. How hard could it be to spot a gray-skinned man-bull, dammit?

Across the road, Axel saw what looked like affordable housing—simple apartment blocks and bland row houses. Shit, where did they go? He walked down the sidewalk, his gut tight. He had to find her. That damn monster was fixated on her.

If it hurt her…

Axel gritted his teeth. Then he spotted something in the center of the road.

A shoe.

He darted out between the cars and picked up the shoe. It was the same one that Nat had been wearing.

He smiled. That was his girl. He crossed the road and spotted her other shoe.

He walked a bit farther. No more clues. He looked up at the houses lining the road, and one squat, brick building that looked like a utility building of some sort.

Shit. Where are you, Nat? Suddenly, a noise crackled in his ear.

“Axel?”

“Brooks?” The man’s voice wasn’t clear, but Axel could hear the tech geek.

“Where are you? The team is trying to find you and Nat.”

“Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah. A little battered, a lot pissed.”

“The Hannibal Syndicate took Nat. I trailed them and they headed north.”

“How did you follow them?”

“Clung to the outside of their van.”

“Hell,” Brooks breathed.

“I wasn’t letting those bastards take her.”

“Where is she? She all right?”

Axel blew out breath. “The Minotaur grabbed her.”

“No,” Brooks breathed.

“I followed. She dropped clues for me to track. Her earrings and shoes.”

Brooks barked out a short laugh. “Our Nat, a regular little Gretel.”

“But I lost them. I’m on some street corner, and I have no idea where they went.”

“Where are you?”

Axel glanced at the street sign. “Brook Road. Across from some parkland.”

“Brook Road. Shit, you’re in Dollis Hill.”

Axel heard excitement in the man’s voice. “That mean something to you, Brooks?”

“Maybe. Hang on.”

Axel imagined him tapping on his keyboard. “Brooks—”

“Give me a sec. I’ve relayed your location to Lachlan. Team’s on the way.”

Axel swallowed. That was good, but until he had Nat back in his arms…

He’d never told her that he loved her. He might be broken, but she wanted his love, and she fucking deserved everything she wanted.

If he lost her…

His gut was as tight as hell.

“Yes!” Brooks yelled.

“What?”

“During the Second World War, Churchill built Cabinet War Rooms under the Treasury building in Westminster, so the government could continue through any bombings.”

Axel frowned. They were nowhere near Westminster. “So?”

“In secret, he also had an alternate cabinet war rooms bunker built. A backup outside the center of the city. It was codenamed the Paddock. Apparently, Churchill hated it, and only used it once.”

“Brooks, get to the point,” Axel said.

“It was built under the Post Office Research Station…on Brook Road in Dollis Hill.”

Axel’s pulse leaped. “There’s no Post Office building here.”

“It was demolished to make way for affordable housing—”

Heart pumping, Axel’s gaze fell on the squat brick building. “There’s an unmarked brick building here.”

“That’s it. The Paddock’s been abandoned for years, but it was a couple of levels of tunnels and rooms.”

“I need a way in, Brooks.”

“Okay, hang on…”

“Nat might not have any time.”

“Circle the building, you should see a door.”

Axel jogged around the ugly building and spotted a reinforced steel door. The door was ajar, the lock torn off.

“Found it. Door’s open.” He pulled out his borrowed SIG and flashlight.

Inside was plain concrete, and he started down the stairs.

The thin beam of light lit up the space. Water was dripping somewhere, and everything smelled old, damp, and decaying. He moved quietly and passed through an open steel door.

“I’m in.”

“Signal…not…can’t.”

Shit, he could barely hear Brooks. Axel moved into the corridor. Water glimmered on the floor, and the ceiling panels hung down in places. Several overturned chairs were propped against the wall.

He moved down the corridor. He peered into one room. It was filled with rusted equipment. The next room was lined with old cabinets, moldy papers spilling out of them.

He stepped over a puddle of water.

No wonder Churchill had hated the place. The bunker was creepy. Axel expected a rambling horde of zombies to appear at any moment.

He turned a corner and spotted footprints on the mucky floor. A large, bare one—definitely the Minotaur. Beside it was a smaller, daintier one. Nat.

“Axel?” The crackle of Lachlan’s voice.

Axel touched his ear. “I can hear you. Just.”

“En route…don’t…Hannibal Syndicate.”

“You’re breaking up, Lachlan. I’m underground in the old war room bunker. The Minotaur has Nat. I repeat, the Minotaur has Nat. And the Hannibal Syndicate was above ground. Get here fast, Lachlan.”

More crackling. “…on our way.”

Axel released a breath. Now, he needed to find Nat.

He heard several loud grunts and swiveled. He carefully picked his way down the corridor.

“Mark, I know you’re in there, somewhere.”

Nat’s pleading voice.

A low growl raised the hairs on Axel’s neck. He moved faster.

“Please. You’re Mark Kitchener. I can help you. Please.”

Axel crept closer and peered into a room. Nat was standing across from the Minotaur, holding out a hand to the damn thing.

She grabbed something off the floor, a long bit of metal, and moved it across the dirty floor. “Here, look.”

Axel frowned, then his eyebrows rose. She was drawing Minoan symbols on the floor, trying to communicate with the Minotaur.

A loud bang sounded down the corridor. “Spread out,” a French-accented voice said. “Find the asset.”

Faint emergency lighting flickered on in the corridors. Inside the room, the Minotaur growled.

“And the woman?” someone asked.

“Once the asset is secured, we don’t need her. Kill her.”

The Hannibal Syndicate was back. Axel ground his teeth together. And they’d just signed their own death warrants.

But first, Axel needed to get Nat away from the Minotaur.

And he couldn’t let these assholes take the Minotaur, either. He lifted his SIG.

Time to make a little mess.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

She really didn’t want to die today. Nat edged across the room.

Kitchener watched her with an intense, predatory stare, his red eyes never looking away. She swallowed. He was panting, his clawed hands clenching and unclenching.

“Mark, do you understand me? I’m Natalie. An archeologist, like you.”

He didn’t even blink.

Nat crouched and swiped the metal bar she held through the muck on the floor again.

“We were at a conference in Greece.” She wrote some of the Minoan glyphs. “You were looking at Minoan artifacts.”

He crouched, staring at the symbols.

She wrote the symbol for bull, and the one for labyrinth, and he made a sound in his throat.

“Let me help you, Mark.”

“Ma-rk.”

She nodded. “Yes. Dr. Mark Kitchener.”

“Hun-ger.”

God. The muscles in his neck were straining, bulging under his dark skin. “I can help you. My team will help you.”

He shook his head, those massive horns catching her gaze.

“Hun-ger. Con-sume. Sur-vive.”

Uh, that didn’t sound good. “Please let me help you—”

The door crashed open and Axel rushed inside.

The Minotaur rose and growled.

Axel grabbed her hand and fired at the creature. As the Minotaur roared, Axel yanked her out the door.

“Run,” he said.

Ignoring the pain on her bare feet, she matched his pace. He fired behind them. She heard the crash of wood and plaster.

“Faster, Nat.”

Huffing, she sprinted around a corner. When she glanced back, she saw the Minotaur barreling down the corridor after them. It looked wild, and out-of-control.

“In here.” Axel pulled her into a room.

They ducked down and pressed against the wall. A large, sagging table dominated the space, with several overturned chairs on the floor around it.

“Axel—”

“Shh.” He wrapped an arm around her.

She burrowed against him. He felt so good, so strong. She fought to keep her breathing quiet.

Then she heard the thud of heavy footsteps, followed by several deep grunts. The Minotaur slowed, right outside where they were hiding.

Oh. God. Her lungs locked and Axel gave her a comforting squeeze. He was calm, focused. She wondered how many times he’d been in a situation like this, behind enemy lines, his life hanging in the balance as he fought for his country.

There were more snorts right near the doorway to their room, then a crunching sound as the Minotaur stepped on something. Then it bellowed and headed down the corridor.

Nat slumped against Axel, and he held her close. His mouth landed on hers—the kiss hot and hard.

An angry, frustrated roar echoed off the walls.

The Minotaur was still close and not happy.

“The Hannibal Syndicate is down here as well,” Axel whispered. “I want to get you out, right now.”

She nodded. She was so done with the Syndicate.

“I’ll get you to the stairs. You head up. The team’s on their way. I’m going to keep the Minotaur busy so it doesn’t come after you—”

She shook her head. “No.”

He frowned. “Nat—”

“No, I’m not leaving you. I’m in love with you, Axel Eduardo Diaz. Just as you are. I don’t care what happened before, or what you did, except that it made you the brave, heroic man you are today.” She kissed his jaw. “You mean the world to me, so I can’t leave you.”

His face changed. “Fuck.” He yanked her closer and gave her another intense kiss that, despite the crappy circumstances, she felt everywhere.

“I love you.” His voice was shaky.

She sucked in a breath. “Axel…” Tears welled in her eyes and her chest was so tight.

“Thought that would make you happy.”

“It does.” A tear slid down her cheek. “It’s just, no one’s ever said that to me before.”

“What?” he breathed.

“No one,” she whispered.

He yanked her close. “Your fucking parents—”

She clutched him tighter.

“You own my heart, Natalie,” he said. “And what’s left of my soul. I’ve never given them to anyone before.”

“Oh, Axel. I want them. I want all of you.” She cupped his cheeks. “But I’m still not leaving you down here.”

“Fuck.”

“So, we need a plan to trap the Minotaur,” she said.

Axel dragged in a breath. “I saw a room back in the other hall with a blast door on it. If we can lure it in, it might hold it.”

She nodded. “And I can be the bait.”

“Hell, no.” His voice turned furious. “If you think I’m going to finally find the woman of my dreams, then let an ancient monster take her, forget it.”

She smiled. “Woman of your dreams, huh?”

He sank a hand into her hair. “Yes. Now, let’s get to that room and think up a better plan.”

They crept out of their hiding place and down the corridor. The place was so damp and filled with decay that she had trouble imagining it in its heyday, with Churchill striding the corridors.

Axel pulled her around a corner. From somewhere close by, she heard the murmur of voices. Damn, the Syndicate were close.

Axel jerked his head and she saw the room. It had a sturdy, metal door and some sort of rusted equipment inside.

“Looks like some sort of utility room,” he said.

She nodded. “This might work.”

“Now, we need—”

The loud sound of gunfire echoed down the corridor.

Axel tensed and stepped in front of her.

“Is it our team?” she whispered.

He touched his ear. “Lachlan, you receiving?”

No response.

The Minotaur’s roar mingled with deeper shouts in Russian and French.

“Dammit, sounds like our friends are close,” Axel muttered.

“I hate those guys.”

“Come on, we can’t stay here.”

He peeked out, then pulled her back into the corridor.

“We can’t let them take the Minotaur,” she said.

“I know, but the new plan is to keep everyone busy until Lachlan and the others arrive.” He rounded another corner…and almost ran into a merc.

Nat screamed and Axel charged. The two men slammed into each other. The hard thuds of punches and blows made her wince, but damn, watching Axel fight was something. He slammed the man into the wall, and the merc grabbed his throat, slumping to the floor.

An angry roar echoed off the walls. The creature was close.

“It’s coming!” she cried.

AXEL SNATCHED up the merc’s dropped rifle, grabbed Nat’s hand, and ran down the corridor. They were lost in a maze of rooms and corridors.

Dammit, he needed Nat safe.

Shouts and another roar from the Minotaur reverberated behind them. He glanced back. Hannibal Syndicate mercs were firing on the beast. The Minotaur charged through a wall, plaster flying everywhere. It grabbed a merc and snapped him like a twig.

“Come on.” Axel barreled through a room. He needed to stash Nat somewhere, but didn’t want her trapped. Bullets hit the wall beside them. Axel ducked and heard her make a strangled sound. He threw himself over her, doing his best to shield her.

He felt a burning sear on his arm. He grunted.

“Are you hit?” Her dark eyes were wide and panicked.

“Just my arm.”

“Oh, my God, you’ve been shot!”

“I’ve had worse, Nat.”

She glared. “Why do you guys always say that and expect it will make me feel any better?”

Hannibal Syndicate mercs came into view, fighting the Minotaur. Vernier spotted Nat and Axel, and lifted a rifle.

Fuck. Axel aimed his borrowed rifle—a modified HK416—and fired. He saw more mercs thundering down the corridor.

He shoved Nat into another room. “Go, go.”

She crawled across the dirty floor. Her face was set, and she was fighting back her fear. Damn, he loved this woman.

Axel turned and slammed the wooden door closed. He blocked it with an old filing cabinet and chair.

The door handle rattled.

“Here.” He handed his spare SIG Sauer to her.

“Axel…” She swallowed and then rose to kiss him.

Her gaze dropped to his bleeding arm, and he saw her face go white.

“Here.” She gripped the bottom of his sleeve and with a few grunts, managed to rip it off. She tied it around the wound.

“I was hoping you’d take your shirt off to tend my wound.”

She rolled her eyes. “Trust you to be making sexual innuendos at a time like this.”

“With you around, I’m always thinking about sex.”

There was color in her cheeks now. “After we get out of here, and all of this is over, I’ll let you do whatever you want.”

The door rattled on its hinges, and despite the dire circumstances, his cock hardened. He groaned. “You’re so mean.” He cocked his head. “Anything?”

“Anything.”

He smiled. “In addition to my sexy librarian fantasy, I’ve always imagined you in a tiny French maid’s outfit—”

Bullets slammed through the door.

Shit. Axel dragged her down, pressing her to the floor with his body. He scanned around. “We need to get behind that table.”

They scrambled over to it and Axel tipped it over. A second later, the damaged door flew open.

Axel popped up and fired his weapon. The first merc through slammed to the floor.

“Your team never arrived,” Vernier shouted from the hall.

“I’d watch your six, Vernier,” Axel yelled.

“Don’t warn them,” Nat growled.

“We will take the Minotaur and Dr. Blackwell. She’ll be our means to control it.”

“Fuck you,” Nat yelled.

Axel couldn’t stop his smile. “The lady said no. Besides, she’s mine. No one else can have her.”

“That’s so alpha male and sexist.” She smiled. “And sexy.”

Another hero with a shotgun raced through the door. Boom.

The shotgun bullet tore part of the table away and Nat screamed. Axel shoved her down and waited as the man cocked the shotgun again. He rose and fired his rifle. Bam. A head shot took the merc down.

“We already have the Minotaur,” Vernier yelled.

Damn. Axel looked at Nat.

“If Dr. Blackwell walks out, we’ll let her live, and you as well.”

Axel snorted. Yeah, right.

Nat chewed her lip. “Maybe I should—”

“Over my dead body. You’re mine. End of story.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears. “I don’t want you to die here.”

“Not on today’s agenda.”

Suddenly, deafening roars filled the corridor. It was followed by several curses. The Minotaur charged into the doorway. It grabbed a merc and tossed him against the wall. Then it entered the room, its gaze falling on Nat.

Axel ran through every curse he knew in every language. The beast stepped closer.

Damn thing had fixated on her.

“Hold up, big guy.” Axel edged closer to Nat and she gripped his arm.

The Minotaur growled.

“Sorry, she’s mine, buddy.”

“Mark,” she said softly. “Let us help you.”

All of a sudden, Vernier ran through the door with a huge, machete-type knife in his hands. Several more mercs followed behind him.

“Watch out!” Nat screamed.

The Minotaur whirled. Vernier attacked, and the machete slid into the beast’s gut. Its roar shook the walls.

With a vicious swing, the Minotaur backhanded Vernier. The merc leader slammed into the wall at a bad angle, and his spine snapped audibly.

Nat gasped and looked away.

The mercs all froze, uncertain what to do now that their leader was down.

The Minotaur turned to face Nat and Axel.

Axel pulled her into his arms. “I love her. I’ll protect her with everything I have.”

She tilted her head up. “Axel.”

“You’re the most important thing in my world. I’ll be your shield from anything that wants to hurt you. Your parents, bad guys, and that includes mythical monsters.”

The Minotaur made a strangled sound, then dropped to one knee. It touched its bleeding gut wound. Then it grabbed the machete and with a roar, yanked it out. More blood flowed down its abdomen.

“It’s hurt,” she whispered.

Axel didn’t give a fuck, but he reminded himself that this had once been a man who’d never asked for this.

All of a sudden, more gunfire sounded out in the hall.

Hell. Axel spun Nat behind him. He couldn’t fight off more mercs and stop the Minotaur if it attacked.

“Axel? Nat? Where are you?” Lachlan’s voice called from the hall.

Nat’s shoulders sagged in relief.

“Damn glad you guys finally showed up,” Axel yelled.

“Hate to miss a party,” Blair replied.

There was the sound of vicious fighting out in the hall. Axel itched to go and help his team, but with the injured Minotaur focused on him and Nat, he didn’t dare move.

The mercs in the room with them shifted, looking undecided. The Minotaur’s head turned to look at them and they froze again.

Then there was silence from the corridor.

Lachlan stepped through the doorway, CXM raised. The rest of the team followed him in.

“Well,” Axel said. “You’re in luck, Blair. There are several more Hannibal Syndicate mercs right here and ready to party.”

“Oh, goodie.” Blair eyed the frozen men, then her gaze hit the Minotaur, and she stiffened.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Nat was so damn glad to see Team 52.

She watched Smith kick a merc and swat the weapon out of the man’s hands. The merc went down under a hail of blows.

Blair leaped on another merc, and with some blinding-fast moves, sent the man crashing to the ground.

“Badass,” Nat murmured.

“They sure are,” Axel said.

A deep, pained groan made her turn to the Minotaur. It was still kneeling on the floor, the knife wound bleeding badly. It turned its head and its gaze met Nat’s.

Its eyes were filled with pain.

Nat crawled across the floor.

“Nat.” Axel bit out.

She stopped by the Minotaur, Axel right beside her.

“He’s really hurt.” A pool of blood was forming under the creature.

“Don’t touch the blood,” Axel warned. “It might contain the virus.”

The Minotaur’s big chest shuddered. More mercs suddenly appeared at the door, and Callie and Seth swiveled to fire on them.

“They’re like rats,” Seth spat. “They just keep coming out of the shadows.”

Suddenly, the Minotaur tipped to the side, falling to the floor.

Nat shifted closer, and Axel tensed.

She gingerly touched the Minotaur’s chest.

“Nat—”

But the beast didn’t attack. Instead, at her touch, air shuddered out of it with a sigh.

Lachlan stepped into view, CXM aimed at the Minotaur.

“It’s okay,” Nat said. “He’s not trying to hurt us.”

The Minotaur’s hand searched the floor, then closed around the machete. It lifted the large blade until it was pressed to its throat. It tried to move, but was too weak to use it.

Oh, no. Nat’s stomach curdled. It wanted to die.

She grabbed its thick wrist. “No. We’ll help you.”

Smith stepped through the door. “Guys, we have a problem. A big one.”

“More mercs?” Lachlan asked.

“Nope,” Smith said. “They’ve rigged the place to blow. They’ve put a bunch of some experimental explosive, that looks like it has more juice than C4, everywhere.”

Lachlan cursed. “How long?”

“Probably not long. I can’t be sure.”

“We have to move,” Lachlan said.

“We need to help him.” Nat squeezed Kitchener’s hand. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. To everyone.”

There was a flare in the beast’s eyes and sympathy flooded her.

Then, the Minotaur’s big hand snapped out. It grabbed the butt of Axel’s SIG out of her hand and pulled.

Axel cursed. The beast ripped the gun free and Axel leaped on top of Nat.

“Get down,” someone yelled.

He pinned her down and there was a single gunshot.

“Axel?” she said.

“It’s okay, mi cielo.” He slowly rose off her.

Nat looked over and bit her lip. The Minotaur had shot himself in the head.

Tears welled. “He never asked for this. Maybe we could have turned him back…”

“I think he knew, Nat. He knew that he couldn’t come back from this. That he couldn’t live with the things he’d done.”

Her gaze flew to his. “Did you ever think of…?” She looked at the Minotaur.

“Maybe, in my darkest moments.” He cupped her cheek. “But I knew that was one way to make sure I never got the chance to make things better. I was lucky, this team gave me purpose. And a smart, sexy, gorgeous woman lit a flame of hope inside me that I wasn’t aware of for a long time. And now, I can live with the past because it led me to you, to our future.”

“I’m going to cry.” Tears welled in her eyes.

“Can you cry once we get out of here?” Smith sounded annoyed. “Remember I mentioned the explosives? Lots of them?”

All of a sudden, a distant boom rattled the floor beneath them.

“Move!” Lachlan roared.

Axel grabbed her hand. With her heart pounding like a drum, she sprinted into the hall. The team was right with them.

Together, they all ran toward the stairs.

More booms. Each one was getting closer.

“Hurry,” Lachlan yelled.

They turned a corner. The floor shook wildly, and ahead, a wall blew inward.

“Fuck!” Callie yelled.

“Back it up,” Lachlan ordered.

They backed up and turned down another corridor. Axel was practically towing Nat after him. Another explosion hit, chunks of plaster raining down.

“Keep going,” Blair shouted.

They were all running hard. Nat pulled in some shaky breaths.

A merc staggered out of a doorway holding a gun.

Axel whipped his rifle up and fired. The merc jerked and spun into the wall, before collapsing.

Another explosion almost knocked Nat off her feet. She slammed into Axel.

And then she saw a wall of flame pouring down the corridor right at them.

“Look out!” someone yelled.

The team all dove into the adjacent rooms.

Axel picked Nat up and half tossed her. She hit the floor, just as his big body landed on hers. Flames roared past the doorway.

The inferno died down, and Axel cautiously rose. “Come on.” He pulled her up.

Lachlan appeared. “Everyone okay?”

The rest of the team emerged into the charred hall. Everyone nodded.

More distant booms.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Lachlan ground out.

They took off running again and finally reached the stairs. They pounded upward and moments later, raced outside.

Nat almost cried out with joy at seeing the murky London sky. Gray clouds had never looked so good. Her knees gave out and she nearly collapsed, but Axel scooped her into his arms.

His mouth hit hers. She cupped his cheeks and kissed him back with everything she had.

“Everyone, back it up,” Lachlan said.

The ground rumbled, and the squat building started to collapse in on itself. The houses behind it started to tumble as well.

“Oh, my God, what if there are people in there?” Nat said.

“Brooks was evacuating them,” Lachlan told her. “As a precaution.”

Nat clung to Axel as they pulled back to the other side of the road. With the team, they watched as the buildings collapsed into the exploded tunnels with a deafening crash. All that was left behind was a large crater of rubble.

The Minotaur was gone. Team 52 was silent for a moment, and sirens sounded in the distance.

“Well, at least we didn’t destroy half of London,” Blair said.

Lachlan turned his head. “I’d like to be there when you tell Jonah that.”

“Oh, no.” Blair shook her head. “That’s your job, bossman.”

With a laugh, Nat buried her face against Axel’s warm neck.

KINSEY HAD FOUND them rooms at a nice hotel near Heathrow Airport. Lachlan and River had dealt with the British authorities.

Axel sat on the hotel bed. He’d been patched up, but he hadn’t cleaned the grime of the mission away yet.

The Minotaur had been blown up in the explosion. Kitchener’s final resting place would be in an old bunker in north-west London.

Off-key singing from the shower reached him and Axel smiled.

Nat was singing some catchy tune that was all over the radio at the moment. He headed for the bathroom, stripping off his clothes as he went. He glimpsed her naked body through the glass, and his body tightened.

Fuck. She was his. He’d never, ever get tired of knowing that.

He opened the shower stall and she turned, her hair—like dark, midnight silk—slicked back against her head.

“Did Callie say you could get that arm wound wet?” she asked.

Since her gaze was busy travelling down his body to his swollen cock, he fought back a smile.

“Querida, my arm is not down there.”

She smiled and pressed against him. She touched the bandage on his arm and kissed it lightly.

“I’m not supposed to get it wet.”

She gasped. “Then we need to—”

He kissed her, pulling her up on her toes. His cock pressed into her soft belly.

“It’s a flesh wound. After, you can change the bandage.”

Her eyes were dark and heavy. “After what?”

He bit her lip and curled his hands around her bottom. “After I make love to you against the shower wall.”

Her breath hitched. He lifted her and pressed her against the tiles. Her legs wrapped around his waist.

Their next kiss was deep, with a hungry edge. She kissed him like she was starving, like she was desperate to breathe, and he was air.

He curled a hand around the base of her neck. “Natalie?”

“We could have died today.” She kissed him again until they both moaned. “And a part of me worries that this is all a dream. That I’ll wake up, and you’ll be ignoring me again.”

His gut clenched. By pushing her away, he’d hurt her. “Never again, Nat.” He pulled her leg up higher on his hip. With a single thrust, he was inside her.

She cried out.

“You’re mine now.” He pumped into her tight warmth. “Not letting you go. For better or worse, I’m yours.”

“Yes.” Her nails bit into his skin.

“God, you feel so good.” He groaned, moving faster.

As the warm water cascaded over them, Axel slid one hand between their straining bodies. He found her clit, thumbing it as he kept thrusting.

“Yes, God, yes.” She cried out, her body shuddering.

Damn, he loved watching her come.

His own release crashed into him. He groaned, pulsing deep inside her. She held him tight as he went over the edge.

Axel was breathing hard when he could finally get his brain thinking coherent thoughts again. He flicked the water off and she made a cute sound of protest.

He carried her out of the shower and snagged two towels off the rack. Beside the bed, he set her down, and wrapped a towel around his hips. Then he started drying her off. He knelt, drying her legs.

“You are so pretty,” she murmured.

He raised a brow.

“In a sexy, manly way, of course.”

“And you’re gorgeous.” He dropped the towel and skated his hands up her shapely thighs.

“Axel?”

Emotion was like a rock in his chest. He felt so damn much for this woman. “Thank you for fighting for me.”

Her face softened.

“I’ve had some of the best men and women fight alongside me. I always knew they’d protect my body, but no one has fought for me like you.”

A tear tracked down her cheek. “I love you, Axel.”

He shuddered under the impact of those words. “I don’t deserve it.” Anger flared on her face, but he gripped her legs, holding her in place. “But I’ll take it. I’ll spend my lifetime trying to deserve you.”

“You don’t earn love, Axel. You just have to be you.”

God, she split him wide open. “Never stop loving me, Nat.”

She dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around him. “Never.”

He kissed her once more, and his cock throbbed. He needed her again.

“Nat.” A guttural plea.

The bed was too far away. She pushed him down to the floor, and ripped his towel away. Then she straddled him. She lifted her hips, then sank down on his cock. They both groaned.

She rose and fell, riding him.

He gripped her hips, helping her move. He couldn’t look away from her. “Love you, Nat.”

Her gaze met his, love reflected in them. He reared up and kissed her.

They moved against each other, and her hips moved faster.

“Oh, oh, Axel…”

They exploded together. Axel groaned her name as she cried out his.

They collapsed together on the floor.

She snuggled against him. “I feel very sinful right now.”

He caressed her arm. “Good. That’s the only word I can manage right now. Pretty sure you fried my brain.”

She grinned, and it was wide and bright. It lit up dark places inside him.

Axel promised to do everything he could to keep that smile on her face every day of their lives.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Nat pressed her nose to the window as the X8 swooped in to land at McCarran Airport.

Damn, it was so good to be home. She let her gaze run over the city below her, never happier to see the gaudy, in-your-face buildings of the Strip.

But she could also see the destruction caused by the team’s previous mission—when a very bad person had gotten hold of a very powerful piece of ancient technology. The sight of the damage made her heart clench. Vicious storms and tornadoes had ripped through Vegas until Team 52—especially Brooks and Callie—had stopped it.

But even now, barely a week later, cranes speared into the sky, and construction was underway as the city rebuilt.

She smiled. Las Vegas would heal and continue on.

They landed in a quiet corner of the airport, in front of an ugly concrete building the team called the Bunker.

Lips pressed to her temple and Axel’s warmth pressed into her side.

“Happy?” he murmured.

Axel loved her. Joy spread through her body. She was beyond happy. “I’m so glad we’re home.”

He nodded, and once the jet-copter touched down, the engines shut off. Lachlan opened the side door.

A small crowd was waiting for them.

Smith pushed past Lachlan and leaped off the aircraft. A second later, Kinsey’s blonde hair flew out behind her as she ran toward the big man. A giant Great Dane loped beside her. She leaped into Smith’s brawny arms and as he kissed her, their dog ran circles around them.

Waiting for the rest of the team was Rowan, January, Brooks, and Jonah.

Seth strode forward and embraced his pregnant wife, his hands pressing over January’s growing belly. Lachlan pulled Rowan close, her red hair spilling over his arm as he touched his mouth to hers.

Axel helped Nat off the X8. Ty and River walked past them, and Blair leaped off the jet-copter, a duffel bag on her shoulder.

At that moment, a tall man exited the Bunker, his long legs clad in jeans and a shiny badge clipped to his belt. He wore dark sunglasses to guard against the bright morning sun.

A smile broke out on Blair’s face. She dropped her bag and jogged towards MacKade.

Callie sauntered toward Brooks and he grinned, watching her come to him with happiness stamped all over his handsome features.

The entire team was so damn happy. Nat smiled. It filled her heart to bursting.

Axel slid an arm across her shoulders.

Jonah spotted them, a faint smile tipping the director’s lips. He wore a deep-blue suit, and his hair was so black that it looked like it absorbed the sunlight. He was an extremely handsome man, with some Native American heritage.

He was the only spot of aloneness among all the couples.

“Well done,” the director said. “All of you. I didn’t even have much of a mess to clean up with the Greek and British authorities.” He paused. “It could be a record.”

Lachlan lifted his chin. “The Minotaur didn’t survive the explosion, but the broken pot that held the virus is in a containment box.” He jerked a thumb toward the jet-copter.

Jonah nodded. “I’ll transport it to the base myself.”

The door to the bunker slammed open and Arlo, dressed in black fatigues, strode out.

“I see everyone’s back. Alive.” He didn’t sound that thrilled about it.

Nat stifled a giggle at the man’s grumpy tone. It was so familiar and strangely comforting. “We’re all okay, Arlo.”

The man eyed Axel’s arm around her. “I see you finally extracted your head from your ass, Diaz.”

“Ew,” Blair said. “Thanks for that imagery, Arlo.”

Axel pressed a kiss to Nat’s head. “She’s all mine, Arlo. You can’t have her.”

Nat elbowed him good-naturedly.

Arlo shoved his hands on his hips. “And you couldn’t bring me back the Minotaur?” Arlo grunted. “Not even a small bit of it?”

“He’s gone,” Nat said. And hopefully at peace.

With a harrumph, Arlo stomped back inside.

“A joy, as always,” Ty murmured.

River snorted. “Like you can talk, Mr. Cheerful.”

“So,” Axel murmured to Nat. “My place or yours?”

Her heart thumped. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead, but she knew she didn’t want to be apart from him.

“What do you want?” She didn’t want to risk scaring him off.

He shrugged. “My condo isn’t anything special.”

She smiled. “I love my condo.”

“I love your condo too.”

The team had been to her place plenty of times for dinner or a movie night.

Axel tapped her nose. “Let’s go home, mi cielo.”

“TILT,” Axel growled. “Take me deeper.”

She moaned, pushing back against him.

He had Nat bent over the back of her couch as he pumped into her from behind. Her sexy skirt was pushed up to her waist and he had a killer view of where he thrust into her sweet body.

“Dios… So tight.” He gripped her hips. “I could fuck you like this all day.”

He looked blindly out the floor-to-ceiling windows. She lived at the MGM Grand Casino and had an awesome view of the Vegas Strip. But as he looked back at her—his woman—her dark hair spilling over the couch, her fingers gripping the suede, her sexy body offered up to him, he’d never, ever seen a better view in all the world.

“Axel,” she moaned.

He felt her body tightening, and he reached beneath her, stroking her clit.

A second later, she screamed, and he pumped deep, groaning through his own release.

He leaned over her quivering body. “Mouth.”

She tilted her head, and he kissed her, plunging his tongue deep. He drew in the taste of her—the taste of Nat, the taste of love, the taste of home.

She made a humming sound. “What will we do now?”

“Baby, you put on that sexy skirt for me, so I figure it’s your turn to choose now.”

She blinked. “Hmm, we could watch a movie, or—”

“I was thinking I’d eat you on your shiny kitchen counter, then fuck you again.”

She gave a helpless moan. “Axel, we’ve been having sex all day.”

“So?” He straightened, and pulled out of her, his jeans still undone, sagging a little. He smoothed her skirt down over her ass.

She laughed. Dios, he loved that sound.

“Axel?” Her face turned serious. “Will you move in with me? Not just for today.” She took a deep breath. “For always.”

He gripped her chin and pulled her close. Love burned through his chest. He still saw the tiniest hint of uncertainty in her eyes, like she expected him to leave.

Like everyone had left before in her life.

“I am never leaving you, mi cielo. So, yes.”

Her smile was blinding. “You’re moving in.”

“I’m moving in. Will you come to Southern California with me? Meet my family?”

“Yes.”

“My mamá will fucking love you. She’ll feed you more food than you could eat in a year, and then she’ll ask when you’ll give her grandbabies.”

A pretty blush filled Nat’s cheeks.

He stroked her cheekbone, not able to believe what he was about to ask. “You want babies, Nat?”

She nodded. “One day.”

Damn, it didn’t even make him break out in a sweat. “I want little girls.”

She arched a brow. “It’s your sperm that decides, amigo, so that’s up to you.” Then her nose wrinkled. “You’ll probably meet my mother and father at some stage. They won’t care enough to give their approval one way or another.”

Fuck her parents. “Your approval is all I care about.”

“You have it, Axel, and so much more.”

He dragged her onto her toes and kissed her again.

All of a sudden, the front door opened.

“God, Diaz. Your bare ass again?” Seth’s disgruntled voice.

It was followed by January’s deep laugh. “It’s a mighty fine one.”

Axel pulled his jeans up. They turned to see the team all coming through the front door. Seth was balancing a stack of pizza boxes in his arms. Blair was pressed up against MacKade, holding some cupcake boxes from her favorite bakery.

“I’ve got the beer.” Smith held a box of beer aloft. He eyed the couch, then Axel and Nat. “I’m not sitting on the couch.”

Brooks barged in, carrying an arm load of board games. “Old school tonight. I’ve got Pictionary, Risk, Catan, Cards Against Humanity…”

Axel looked at his friends as they filled the apartment, then glanced down at a smiling Nat.

He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve this, to deserve her, but he’d damn well do his best to take care of her every second that he was breathing.

Jonah

JONAH GRAYSON LISTENED to the sirens echo off the walls as the doors to the large warehouse slid closed.

All the files and artifacts related to the Minoan Minotaur virus were now safely locked away in the underground warehouse deep in the heart of the Area 52 base.

He slid his hands into the pockets of his suit pants, nodded at Arlo standing by the door, then headed back toward his office.

The team had enjoyed a few days off, but were now back at base and busy with training.

He passed the gym, and through the glass window, he saw Blair kick Lachlan. The team leader blocked the hit with his prosthetic arm.

“No fair.” Blair landed on the mats in a crouch, rubbing her shin.

“Everything’s fair in a fight, Mason,” Lachlan replied.

The rest of the team was on the treadmills or lifting weights.

Jonah kept walking, a faint smile forming. He remembered when he’d first formed the team and recruited them.

Their military careers had been over for lots of different reasons, and they’d all been angry, unhappy, lost. His smile faded. He remembered how that felt all too well.

He’d given them all a purpose, and now, the entire team was in love, contentment shining off them.

That wasn’t a feeling Jonah was very familiar with.

In his office, he walked past the fish tank set in the wall in lieu of a window. Then he sat behind his desk and grabbed a file off the shiny surface. There were always people in Washington wanting updates, and other business to attend to before the next mission arose. It was his job to keep Team 52 safe and functioning smoothly.

Movement in the corner of the office caught his gaze and Jonah tensed.

A woman pushed away from the wall and he shot to his feet. He’d never seen her before. If he had, he’d remember.

Copper-red hair brushed her shoulders, and she had smooth, pale skin, high cheekbones, and brilliant hazel eyes. She was stunning.

And there was no way she should be in his highly secure office.

She shot him a direct look, like it was her office not his.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

“That’s not important.” Her voice was liquid, like the smoothest liqueur.

“How did you get in here?”

“I’m here to give you a warning. Watch your back, Director Grayson.”

Jonah scowled and skirted his desk. He didn’t take his eyes off her. She was dressed in fitted black leggings and a black shirt.

“Who are you?” He stressed each word.

He already knew that she had no intention of answering him.

But Jonah wanted answers. Her identity, how the hell she’d snuck into his office in the middle of a secret, underground military base.

He lunged for her.

The woman moved like water, she flowed. She struck his arm, ducked, then punched him in the stomach.

Jonah grunted. He lunged for her again.

Together, they danced across his office until he pinned her to the wall.

Her breasts pushed against his chest and the scent of her hit him—something bold and woody. She touched her tongue to her top lip. Her lips were painted bright red.

“So, you aren’t just a desk jockey who wears a suit well,” she murmured. “You have some moves.” Then she smiled. “So do I.”

She whirled, slipping out from between him and the wall. She darted around him and landed a jab to his ribs, then another to his lower back. Cursing, he shifted and followed her.

He blocked her next hit, then tried to grab her shirt.

She leaped up and landed a huge roundhouse kick to his head.

Fuck. His ears ringing, he stumbled back and hit his desk.

Before Jonah could move, she whipped out a small length of rope from her pocket, and wrapped it around his wrists.

He went to roll, but she wrapped the rope around the desk leg and pulled tight.

Fuck.

He was now half lying on his desk and tied to the damn thing.

Her lips quirked. “You almost had me.”

“I won’t let you get away with this.” He kept his gaze locked on hers. “I will find out who you are, and I will track you down.” Jonah had the pleasure of seeing her hesitate, then she set her shoulders back.

“I’m actually on your side, Grayson. Trouble is coming. I’m warning you so you can protect your team.”

“I need more information than that.” He jerked on the rope.

He watched her gaze fall to his throat, where the top two buttons of his shirt were open. She looked distracted for a second, then she shook her head.

“I can’t tell you anything else. I shouldn’t even be here.” She pushed away from him. “Be prepared.”

“Wait,” he growled.

She sauntered to the door. He jerked on the rope again, and he heard the wood of his desk creak.

But she was already gone, slipping out the door.

Dammit.

Jonah lifted his leg. He always had a knife strapped to his ankle. He bent his leg, and gripped the blade awkwardly between his tied hands. He maneuvered the knife and sawed through the rope. It felt like it took forever, but finally the rope dropped to the carpet.

He shoved out of his office and prowled down the corridor. There was no sign of the redhead.

Dammit to hell, where had she gone? She couldn’t have gone too far.

He turned a corner and passed the rec room. Through the windows, he saw Nat perched on a stool, Axel beside her, his hand stroking the hem of her skirt. The man had a wide smile on his face.

Jonah stepped into the doorway. “Did you two see a woman come past here? Red hair?”

They both looked surprised.

“No.” Axel raised a brow. “You got woman trouble, Director?”

With a scowl, Jonah pivoted and headed out. He continued down the corridor and yanked out his cellphone.

“Edwards, lock down the base. We have an intruder inside. A woman, red hair, black clothing. She’s about five foot seven, and was in my office.”

“Sir,” the head of base security said. “That’s impossible.”

“I know it should be, but she was there. Pull up the security footage.”

“I already am.” The man cursed. “It’s all blurry. It’s still running, so it didn’t trip any alarms, but it’s impossible to make out any details.”

Jonah cursed. “Get Brooks on it. See if he can clean it up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jonah jammed his phone back into his pocket and stopped, hands on his hips.

Who the hell was she? And what was the trouble that would put his team at risk?

He drew in a deep breath. Whoever his mystery redhead was, he would find her.

Jonah Grayson was a man who always kept his word.

I hope you enjoyed Axel and Nat’s story!

Team 52 will continue with Director Jonah Grayson’s story, Mission: Her Justice. Coming 1st Dec 2020.

For more action-packed romance, and for a peek at Treasure Hunter Security owner Declan Ward’s action-packed story, read on for a preview of Undiscovered.

Don’t miss out! For updates about new releases, free books, and other fun stuff, sign up for my VIP mailing list and get your free box set containing three action-packed romances.

Visit here to get started: www.annahackett.com

PREVIEW: UNDISCOVERED

She was hot, dusty, and she’d never felt better.

Dr. Layne Rush walked across her dig, her boots sinking into the hot Egyptian sand. Ahead, she saw her team of archeologists and students kneeling over the new section of the dig, dusting sand away with brushes and small spades, methodically uncovering a recently discovered burial ground.

To her left, the yawning hole in the ground where they’d started the dig was like a large mouth, ringed on one side by a wooden scaffold.

In there, below the sands, was a fantastic tomb, and Layne was only beginning to unravel its secrets.

She paused and drew in a breath of warm desert air. To the east lay the Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt. She swiveled and watched the red-orange orb of the sun sinking into the Western Desert sands. All around, the dunes glowed. It made her think of gold.

Excitement was a hit to her bloodstream. Only days ago, they’d discovered some stunning golden artifacts down in the excavation. She’d found the first one—a small ushabti funerary figurine that would have been placed there to serve the tomb’s as-yet-unknown occupant in the afterlife. After that, her team had discovered jewelry, a golden scarab, and a small amulet of a dog-like animal.

Stars started appearing in the sky, like tiny pinpricks of light through velvet. She breathed in again. The most exciting thing was the strange inscriptions carved into the dog amulet.

They had mentioned Zerzura.

Oh, Layne really wanted to believe Zerzura existed—a fabulous lost oasis in the desert, filled with treasure. She smiled as she watched the night darkness shroud the dunes. Her parents had read her bedtime stories of Zerzura as a child.

Thoughts of her parents, and the hard punch of grief that followed, made Layne’s smile disappear. Unfortunately, life had taught her that fairytales didn’t exist.

She shook off the melancholy. She’d made a life for herself, a career, and spent most of her time off on adventures on remote dig sites. She’d held treasures in her hands. She shared her love of history with anyone who’d listen. She hoped that if her mom and dad were still alive, they’d be proud of what she’d achieved.

Layne made her way toward the large square tents set up for dealing with the artifacts. One was for storage and one for study.

“Hey, Dr. Rush.”

Layne spotted her assistant, Piper Ross, trudging up the dune toward her. The young woman was smart, opinionated, and not afraid to speak her mind. Her dark hair was cut short, the tips colored purple.

“Hi, Piper.”

The young woman grinned. “Give you a whip and you’d look like something out of a movie.” Piper swept a palm through the air. “Dr. Rush, dashing female adventurer.”

Layne rolled her eyes. “Don’t start. I still haven’t lived down that last interview I did.” What Layne had thought was a serious article on archeology had morphed into a story that turned her into a damned movie character. They’d even Photoshopped a whip in her hand and a hat on her head. “How’s that new eastern quadrant coming along?”

“Excellent.” Piper stopped, swiping her arm across her sweaty forehead. “I’ve got it all documented and photographed, and the tape laid out. We’re ready to start digging tomorrow morning.”

“Well done.” Layne was hoping the new area would yield some excellent finds.

“Well, I am insanely good at my job—that’s why you hired me, remember?” Piper grinned.

Layne tapped her chin. “Was that it? I thought it was because you kept me in a constant supply of Diet Coke and chocolate.”

Piper snorted. “Here they call it Coke Light, remember?”

Layne screwed up her nose. “I remember. The damn stuff doesn’t taste the same.”

“Yes, you really have to suffer out here on these remote digs.”

“Can the sarcasm, Ross. Or I might forget why I keep you around.”

Piper laughed. “A few of us are heading into Dakhla for the evening. Want to come?”

Dakhla Oasis was a two-hour drive north-east of the dig site. A group of communities, including the main town of Mut, were centered on the oasis. It was also where most of their local workers came from, and where they got their supplies.

Layne shook her head. “No, but thanks for the offer. I want to spend a bit more time on the artifacts we found, and take another look at the tomb plans. The main burial chamber and sarcophagus have to be in there somewhere.”

“Unless grave robbers got to it,” Piper suggested.

Layne shook her head. “When that local boy discovered this place it was clearly undisturbed.” In between the discovery that had made headlines and her university being awarded the right to dig, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities had kept tight security on the place. She knew the Ministry would have preferred to run the dig themselves, but they just didn’t have the funding to run every dig in the country. “I’m going to find out who’s buried here, Piper.”

The younger woman shook her head. “Well, just remember, all work and no play makes Dr. Rush very boring and in need of getting laid.”

Layne rolled her eyes. “I’ll worry about my personal life, thanks for your concern.”

Piper stuck her hand on her hip. “You haven’t dated since Dr. Stevens.”

Ugh. Just hearing her colleague’s name made Layne’s stomach turn over. Dr. Evan Stevens had been a colossal mistake. He was tall and handsome, in a clean-cut way that suited his academic career as a professor of the Classics and History.

He’d been nice, intelligent. They’d liked the same restaurants. The sex hadn’t been stellar, but it was fine. Layne had honestly thought he was someone she could come to love. More than anything, Layne wanted it all—a career, to travel, a husband who loved her, and most importantly, a family of her own. She wanted the love she remembered her parents sharing. She wanted the career they’d only dreamed of for her.

Maybe that had blinded her to the fact that Evan was an asshole hiding in an expensive suit.

Layne waved a hand dismissively. “I’ve told you before, I don’t want to hear that man’s name.”

“I know you guys had a bad breakup…”

Ha. Piper didn’t know half of it. Evan had stolen some of Layne’s research and passed it off as his own. And he’d had the gall to tell her she was bad in bed. Moron.

“Look, go,” Layne said. “Head into the oasis, soak in the springs, relax. You’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow in the hot sun.”

Piper groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

But Layne could see the twinkle of excitement in the young woman’s eye. Layne saw it in her own every day. Being on a dig was always like that. Uncovering a piece of history…she could never truly describe how it made her feel. To touch something that someone had made, used, and cherished thousands of years ago. To uncover its secrets and try to piece together where it fit into the story of the world. To see what they could learn from it that might help them understand more about humanity.

She found it endlessly fascinating. Best job in the world.

After waving Piper off, Layne headed to the storage tent. The canvas door was still rolled up and secured at the top. As she stepped inside, the temperature dropped a little. Now that the sun had set, the temperature would drop even more. Nights in the desert, even in spring, could be chilly. She’d need to get to the portable shower they had set up and rinse off before it got too cold.

She’d lost count of the number of digs she’d been on. In the jungle, in the desert, under cities, by the ocean. She didn’t care where they were, she just loved the challenge and thrill of uncovering the past.

Layne flicked on the battery-powered lantern hanging on the side of the tent. Makeshift shelves lined the space. Most were bare, waiting for the treasures they had yet to discover. But the first shelf was lined with shards of pottery, faience amulets, and stone carvings. But it was the locked box at the base of the shelf she was most interested in.

She quickly dialed in the code on the tumbler-style lock and lifted the lid.

God. She stroked the ushabti reverently, its gold surface glowing in the lantern-light. Her parents would have loved to have seen this. To know their daughter had been the one to find it.

The necklace was still in pieces, but back in their lab in Cairo, someone would piece it back together. The chunky golden scarab would fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. She carefully lifted the small, dog-like amulet. It was slightly smaller than the scarab, and the canine had a slender body like a greyhound, and a long, stiff tail that was forked at the end. She was sure this was a set-animal, the symbol of the Egyptian god, Seth. She stroked the hieroglyphs on the animal’s body and the symbols that spelled Zerzura.

Unfortunately, none of the hieroglyphs here made sense. She’d spent hours working on them. They were gibberish.

There was a noise behind her. A scrape of a boot in sand.

She turned, wondering who else had stayed behind.

A fist collided with her face in a vicious blow.

Pain exploded through Layne’s cheek and she tasted blood. The blow sent her sprawling into the sand, the set-animal carving falling from her fingers.

Layne couldn’t seem to focus. She lay there, her cheek to the sand, trying to clear her head. Her face throbbed and she heard voices talking in Arabic.

A black boot appeared in her line of sight.

A hand reached down and picked up the set-animal.

She swallowed, trying to get her brain working. Then she heard another voice. Deep, cool tones with a clipped British accent that made her blood run cold.

“Move it. I want it done. Fast.”

She saw more people come into view. They were all wearing black balaclavas.

They started grabbing the artifacts and stuffing them into canvas bags.

“No.” In her head her cry came out loud and outraged. In reality, it was a hoarse whisper.

“Bag everything,” the cold voice behind her said.

No. She wasn’t letting these thieves steal the artifacts. This was her dig and these were her antiquities to safeguard.

She pushed up onto her hands and knees. “Stop.” She swung around and kicked at the knee of the man closest to her.

He tipped sideways with a cry.

“Uh-uh.” The man with the cold voice stepped into her view. All she saw were his shiny black boots. Before she could do anything else, a hand grabbed her hair and yanked her head back.

The pain made her grit her teeth. Tears stung her eyes. She twisted, trying to pull away from him.

“A spitfire. I do like a feisty woman. Shame I don’t have time to play with you.”

He was behind her and she couldn’t see his face. She tried to jerk away but a hard fist slammed into her head again.

No, no, no. Her vision dimmed, the sound of the thieves’ voices receded.

Everything went black.

Declan Ward strode into the warehouse, his boots echoing on the scarred concrete. Colorado sunlight streamed through the large windows which offered a fantastic view of downtown Denver.

He was gritty-eyed from lack of sleep, and he was still adjusting to being back on Mountain Time.

He’d gotten in from finishing a job in South East Asia sometime around midnight. He’d unlocked his apartment, stumbled in and stripped, and fallen facedown on his bed.

Now, he was headed to work.

Lucky for him, it paid to be one of the owners. He lived above the warehouse that housed the main offices of Treasure Hunter Security.

Most of the open-plan space that had been a flour mill in a previous life was empty. But at the far end it was a different story.

Flat screens covered the brick wall, all displaying different images and scrolling feeds. Some sleek desks were set up, all covered in high-end computers.

There was a small kitchenette tucked into one corner, and next to that sat some sagging couches that looked like they’d come from a charity shop or some college student’s house. Just beyond those, near the large windows, were a pool table and an air hockey table.

“Dec? What are you doing here?”

A small, dark-haired woman popped up from her seat at one of the computers. As always, she was dressed stylishly in dark jeans, a soft red sweater the color of raspberries, and impossibly high heels.

“I work here,” he said. “Actually, I own the place. Have the mortgage to prove it.”

His sister came right up to him and threw her arms around him. He did the same and absorbed the non-stop energy that Darcy always seemed to emit. She’d never been able to sit still, even as a little girl.

“You just got back. You’re supposed to have a week off.” She patted his arms and frowned. She had the same gray eyes he did, but hers always seemed to look bluer than his.

“Finished the job, ready for the next one.”

Her frown deepened, her hands landing on her hips. “You work too hard.”

“Darce, I’m tired, and not really up for this rant this morning.” She had this spiel down to a fine art.

She huffed out a breath. “Okay. But I’m not done. Expect an earful later.”

Great. He tweaked her nose. He’d done it ever since she was a cute little girl in pigtails and dirt-stained clothes tagging around after him and their brother Callum. Dec knew she hated it.

“Hey, Dec. When did you get back?”

Dec clasped hands with one of his team. Hale Carter was a big man, topping Dec’s six-foot-two by a couple of inches. He’d been a hell of a soldier, was a bit of a genius with anything mechanical, and a guy who managed to smile through it all. He had a wide smile and dark skin courtesy of his African American mother, and a handsome face that drew the ladies like flies.

But Dec knew the man had secrets too, dark ones. Hell, they all did. They’d all been to some terrible places with the SEAL teams. All had seen and done some things that left scars—both physical and mental.

Dec never pried. He offered jobs to the former soldiers who wanted to work—ones where they normally wouldn’t get shot at while doing them—and he didn’t ask them to reveal all their demons.

Some demons could never be vanquished. He felt his gut tighten. Dec had accepted that long ago.

“Got in last night. Nice to be home.” But even as he said the words, Dec knew it wasn’t true. He was already feeling the itch to be out, moving, doing something.

It had been two and a half years since he’d left the Navy and stopped heading into the world’s worst war zones. Hell, he didn’t leave—they’d booted him out. He’d just barely avoided a dishonorable discharge, but they’d wanted him gone anyway, and he didn’t blame them.

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. In those two and a half years, he’d put together Treasure Hunter Security with his brother and sister, and he’d never looked back. Or at least, he tried not to.

Hale was one of their newest recruits and had fit right in.

Dec made his way to the kitchenette and poured a cup of coffee from the pot. Darcy would have made it, which meant it was barely drinkable, but it was black and strong and had caffeine, so it ticked the boxes.

He saw his best friend slouched on one of the couches, his boots on the scarred coffee table and his long legs cased in well-worn jeans. He was flicking a switchblade open and closed.

“Logan.”

“Dec.”

Logan O’Connor was another SEAL buddy, and the best friend Dec had ever had. They hadn’t liked each other at first, but after a particularly brutal mission—followed by an equally brutal bar fight in the seedy backstreets of Bangkok where they had saved each other’s backs—they’d formed a bond.

Logan was big as well, the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt showing off his muscled arms and tattoos. From the day they’d left the military, Logan had let his brown hair grow long and shaggy, and his cheeks were covered in scruff. He looked exactly how he was—dangerous and just a little wild.

His friend eyed Dec up and down, then raised a brow. “How was the job?”

“The usual.”

Actually, the jobs were never the same, and you were never sure what was going to happen. Providing security to archeological digs, retrieving stolen artifacts, occasionally turning some bad guys over to the authorities, doing museum security, or running remote expeditions for crazy treasure hunters…it kept things interesting.

“Anyone shoot at you?”

The female voice came from over by the computers. Morgan Kincaid sat cross-legged on top of a table. She was one of the few females to pass the rigorous BUD/S training for the Navy SEALs. But when the Navy had refused to let her serve on the teams, she’d left.

The Navy’s loss was Dec’s gain. Morgan was tough, mean, and hell in a firefight. She was tall, kept her dark hair short, and had a scar down the left side of her face from a knife fight.

“Not this trip,” Dec answered.

“Too bad,” Morgan murmured.

“All right everyone, listen up.” Darcy’s voice echoed in the warehouse.

They all headed over to where Darcy stood in front of her screens. Logan and Hale dropped into chairs, Morgan stayed sitting on top of the table, and Dec pressed a hip to a desk and sipped his coffee.

“Where’s Cal?” he asked.

“He flew out a few days ago on another job. An anthropologist got snatched by a local tribe in Brazil.”

“Hate the jungle,” Logan said, his voice a growl.

“And Ronin?” Dec asked.

Ronin Cooper was another full-time Treasure Hunter Security employee. Dec kept a small full-time team and hired on trusted contractors when he needed more muscle.

“Coop’s in northern Canada on an expedition.”

Dec raised his brows, trying to imagine Ronin in the snow.

Hale hooted with laughter. “Shit, not too many shadows to hide in when you’re in the snow.”

Dec sipped his coffee again. Ronin Cooper was good at blending into the shadows. You didn’t see him coming unless he wanted you to. Another former SEAL, Ronin had gotten out earlier than Dec, and had done some work for the CIA. Lean and intense, Ronin was the scary danger no one saw coming.

Dec settled back against the desk. “What’s this new job?”

“An archeological dig in Egypt got attacked yesterday.” Darcy pointed a small remote at her screens. A map of Egypt appeared with a red dot out in the Western Desert. “It’s being run by the Rhodes University out of Massachusetts.”

Dec raised a brow. Rhodes had a hell of an archeological department. They had their fingers in digs all over the world and prided themselves on some of the biggest finds in recent times. Every kid with dreams of being the next Indiana Jones wanted to study at Rhodes.

“The dig is excavating a newly-discovered tomb and surrounding necropolis,” Darcy continued. “They’d recently found some artifacts.” She pointed again and some images of artifacts appeared. “All gold.”

Hale whistled. “Nice.”

Dec’s muscles tensed. He knew what was coming.

“And now the artifacts are gone.” Darcy leaned back on the desk. “The head of the dig was working on the artifacts at the time and was attacked. She survived. And now, we’re hired. One, to ensure no more artifacts are stolen, two to ensure the safety of the dig’s workers, and three—” Darcy’s blue-gray gaze met Dec’s “—to recover the stolen artifacts.”

Dec felt a muscle tick in his jaw. “It’s Anders.”

“Ah, hell.” Logan tipped his head back. “This is not good.”

Hale was frowning. “Who’s Anders?”

“Dec has a hard-on for the guy,” Morgan muttered.

Dec ignored Logan and Morgan. “Ian Anders. A former British Special Air Service soldier.”

Hale’s frown deepened. “Heard those SAS guys are hard-core.”

“They are,” Dec confirmed.

Darcy stepped forward. “Declan and Logan’s SEAL team was working a joint mission with Anders’ team in the Middle East.”

“Caught the sadistic fucker torturing locals.” Even now, the screams and moans of those people came back to Dec. A nightmare he couldn’t seem to outrun. “He kept them hidden, visited them every few days. Men, women…children.” Dec let out a breath. “No idea how long he’d had them there.”

“You saved them?” Hale said.

“No.” Dec stood and took his mug to the sink. He tipped the coffee he could no longer stomach down the drain.

“You did the right thing, Dec,” Logan growled.

Silence fell. Dec was not going to talk about this.

Darcy cleared her throat. “The British Military gave Anders a slap on the wrist.”

“Shit,” Hale said. “So what’s he got to do with stolen artifacts?”

“When he left the SAS, he got into black-market antiquities,” Declan said. “We’ve run into him a few times on jobs.”

“The guy is whacked,” Logan added. “He likes to hurt and kill. And he likes the pretty cash he gets for selling artifacts.”

“And you think this is his work?” Hale looked at the screens.

Dec had learned to trust his gut. Sometimes despite the facts or evidence, despite the fact you had nothing else to go on. “Yeah, it’s Anders.”

“Logan, Morgan, and Hale, this is your assignment,” Darcy said. “You’ll head to Egypt to meet Dr. Layne Rush.”

Another screen filled with a photo of a woman.

Dec blinked, feeling his belly clench, even though he’d never seen this woman before.

He wasn’t even sure what warranted the gut-deep response. She was attractive, but not the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. In the photo, she had sunglasses pushed up on her dark hair. Her hair was chocolate brown and straight as a ruler. It brushed her shoulders, except for the bangs cut bluntly just across her eyes. Her skin was so incredibly clear, not a blemish on it, and her eyes were hazel.

She had smart stamped all over her. Hell. Dec had a thing for smart women.

But he usually steered well clear. He wasn’t made for hearts and rainbows. He’d just seen too much and done too much. His relationships generally lasted one night, and he enjoyed women who wanted the same as him—uncomplicated, no-strings sex.

“I’m going.” Dec’s voice echoed in the warehouse.

Darcy’s beautiful face got a pinched look. “Declan—”

“No arguments, Darce. I’m going.”

“You’re going because of Anders,” she said.

Dec glanced at the photo of Dr. Rush. “I’m going to pack.”

His sister sighed and looked at Dec. “You’re sure you won’t change your mind.”

“Nope.”

Another sigh. “The jet’s fueled and waiting. Logan, please keep him out of trouble.”

Logan snorted. “I’m good, but I’m not that good.”

Darcy shook her head. “All of you, have a good trip…and stay safe. Please.”

Dec smiled, trying to break the tension. “You know me.”

A resigned look crossed her face. “Yes. Unfortunately, I do. So when the trouble hits, call me.”

Treasure Hunter Security

Undiscovered

Uncharted

Unexplored

Unfathomed

Untraveled

Unmapped

Unidentified

Undetected

Also Available as Audiobooks!

PREVIEW: THS AND NORCROSS SECURITY

Want to learn more about Treasure Hunter Security? Check out the first book in the series, Undiscovered, Declan Ward’s action-packed story.

One former Navy SEAL. One dedicated archeologist. One secret map to a fabulous lost oasis.

Finding undiscovered treasures is always daring, dangerous, and deadly. Perfect for the men of Treasure Hunter Security. Former Navy SEAL Declan Ward is haunted by the demons of his past and throws everything he has into his security business—Treasure Hunter Security. Dangerous archeological digs – no problem. Daring expeditions – sure thing. Museum security for invaluable exhibits – easy. But on a simple dig in the Egyptian desert, he collides with a stubborn, smart archeologist, Dr. Layne Rush, and together they get swept into a deadly treasure hunt for a mythical lost oasis. When an evil from his past reappears, Declan vows to do anything to protect Layne.

Dr. Layne Rush is dedicated to building a successful career—a promise to the parents she lost far too young. But when her dig is plagued by strange accidents, targeted by a lethal black market antiquities ring, and artifacts are stolen, she is forced to turn to Treasure Hunter Security, and to the tough, sexy, and too-used-to-giving-orders Declan. Soon her organized dig morphs into a wild treasure hunt across the desert dunes.

Danger is hunting them every step of the way, and Layne and Declan must find a way to work together…to not only find the treasure but to survive.

Treasure Hunter Security

Undiscovered

Uncharted

Unexplored

Unfathomed

Untraveled

Unmapped

Unidentified

Undetected

Also Available as Audiobooks!

For some sexy, action-packed contemporary romance, don’t miss the Norcross Security series. Check out the first book, The Investigator.

The only man who can keep her safe is her boss’ gorgeous brother.

Museum curator Haven McKinney has sworn off men. All of them. Totally. She’s recently escaped a bad ex and started a new life for herself in San Francisco. She loves her job at the Hutton Museum, likes her new boss, and has made best friends with his feisty sister. Haven’s also desperately trying not to notice their brother: hotshot investigator Rhys Norcross. And she’s really trying not to notice his muscular body, sexy tattoos, and charming smile.

Nope, Rhys is off limits. But then Haven finds herself in the middle of a deadly situation…

Investigator Rhys Norcross is good at finding his targets. After leaving an elite Ghost Ops military team, the former Delta Force soldier thrives on his job at his brother’s security firm, Norcross Security. He’s had his eye on smart, sexy Haven for a while, but the pretty curator with her eyes full of secrets is proving far harder to chase down than he anticipated.

Luckily, Rhys never, ever gives up.

When thieves target the museum and steal a multi-million-dollar painting in a daring theft, Haven finds herself in trouble, and dangers from her past rising. Rhys vows to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, and Haven finds herself risking the one thing she was trying so hard to protect—her heart.

Norcross Security

The Investigator

The Troubleshooter

ALSO BY ANNA HACKETT

Norcross Security

The Investigator

The Troubleshooter

Team 52

Mission: Her Protection

Mission: Her Rescue

Mission: Her Security

Mission: Her Defense

Mission: Her Safety

Mission: Her Freedom

Mission: Her Shield

Also Available as Audiobooks!

Treasure Hunter Security

Undiscovered

Uncharted

Unexplored

Unfathomed

Untraveled

Unmapped

Unidentified

Undetected

Also Available as Audiobooks!

Eon Warriors

Edge of Eon

Touch of Eon

Heart of Eon

Kiss of Eon

Mark of Eon

Claim of Eon

Also Available as Audiobooks!

Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone

Sentinel

Defender

Centurion

Paladin

Guard

Weapons Master

Also Available as Audiobooks!

Galactic Gladiators

Gladiator

Warrior

Hero

Protector

Champion

Barbarian

Beast

Rogue

Guardian

Cyborg

Imperator

Hunter

Also Available as Audiobooks!

Hell Squad

Marcus

Cruz

Gabe

Reed

Roth

Noah

Shaw

Holmes

Niko

Finn

Theron

Hemi

Ash

Levi

Manu

Griff

Dom

Survivors

Tane

Also Available as Audiobooks!

The Anomaly Series

Time Thief

Mind Raider

Soul Stealer

Salvation

Anomaly Series Box Set

The Phoenix Adventures

Among Galactic Ruins

At Star’s End

In the Devil’s Nebula

On a Rogue Planet

Beneath a Trojan Moon

Beyond Galaxy’s Edge

On a Cyborg Planet

Return to Dark Earth

On a Barbarian World

Lost in Barbarian Space

Through Uncharted Space

Crashed on an Ice World

Perma Series

Winter Fusion

A Galactic Holiday

Warriors of the Wind

Tempest

Storm & Seduction

Fury & Darkness

Standalone Titles

Savage Dragon

Hunter’s Surrender

One Night with the Wolf

For more information visit www.annahackett.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I’m a USA Today bestselling romance author who’s passionate about fast-paced, emotion-filled contemporary and science fiction romance. I love writing about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals. I like to believe it’s possible for all of us to do the same.

I live in Australia with my own personal hero and two very busy, always-on-the-move sons.

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Website: www.annahackett.com