Cheers exploded around the room.
The general nodded. “All squads, please report to the Command Center.”
Dom turned to Arden. “I need to go.”
“Me too.” She swallowed. “Dom…” She wasn’t sure what to say, but she wanted to say something.
He touched her jaw. “I won’t let the Gizzida turn us into scaly aliens.”
She smiled. “Are you going to stop them all by yourself?”
“No. We’ll all need to work together. But I won’t stop fighting.” He stroked the underside of her jaw, making her tremble. “I will not let this soft skin be sullied by the Gizzida.”
His thumb brushed her lips, and then he turned and left, pushing through the crowd.
Dom strode toward the small conference room assigned to the berserkers.
He paused as he eyed the sketch taped on the door. It showed a muscle-bound, bearded berserker, with a tall, female soldier beside him, threatening to hit him with a frypan.
His lips quirked and he stepped into the room.
“Nice of you to show up, Santora,” Levi called out.
Tane nodded at him.
Hemi pointed. “You see that picture?” Hemi grinned. “Gotta make a copy for Cam. Wish I knew who our mystery artist was.”
Griff straightened, his brow creasing. “You sleep in those clothes, Santora?”
Spotting a pot of coffee on the side table, Dom stayed quiet and focused on pouring himself a mug. When he turned, he saw the speculation in his friend’s eyes.
“Listen up,” Tane said. “We got our assignment.”
“Yeah, we need to save the world,” Levi said.
“Fuck yeah,” Hemi added. “I got a gorgeous woman, and I want to still be sleeping beside her when we’re both old, gray, and wrinkly.”
For a second, Dom imagined Arden as an elegant, silver-haired woman. She’d be just as beautiful, just as tempting. He knew he’d still want her, however old they were.
“I’ve seen your ass, Rahia.” Levi winked. “You aren’t far away from old, gray, and wrinkly.”
Hemi shot the man the finger.
Tane ignored the banter. “There are three bombs. Our squad has been tasked with focusing on searching for the large octagon bomb that we saw in Katoomba.”
“What about the other two bombs?” Ash asked. “Are they even in Australia?”
“We don’t know yet. Other teams are working on locating them, and the general is liaising with the other bases around the world. We’ll find ‘em.”
“So, what’s our plan?” Levi asked.
Tane waved at the portable comps resting on the table. “We’ll start by searching drone footage.”
Groans filled the room. Dom knew how everyone felt. They were soldiers, men of action, and sitting at computer screens for hours on end was not their idea of fun.
Tane held up a hand. “If we can narrow down some particular search areas, we’ll do some recon missions into the mountains.” He raised a dark brow. “Recon only. We do not engage the aliens. The bomb is our priority.”
The grumbles settled down. The berserkers poured more coffee and got to work. Soon, they were all sitting, searching the footage.
Dom combed through footage from the Gizzida graveyard at Lake Lyell. Memories of the suckers made his lip curl.
“So, is no one going to mention that Dom is wearing last night’s clothes?” Hemi said.
Dom raised his head. Hemi was leaning back in his chair, his boots resting on the table.
Griff nodded. “I knocked on his door this morning before Holmes’ meeting. He wasn’t in.”
“So, whose bed did you sleep in, Santora?” Levi asked.
“No one’s.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.
“Wherever you were, I think you were wrapped up with some pretty, young thing.” Hemi gave him a knowing wink.
“What will it take for you to drop this?” Dom asked.
“I’m not open to bribes,” Hemi lied. “Take your teasing like a man. You guys gave me hell when I was courting Cam.”
“Courting?” Levi broke out in laughter.
“Hey, I won her over.”
“It took you months,” Ash said. “Most of the time, you just drove her crazy.”
Hemi grinned unrepentantly. “She still fell head over heels for me. Now—” his gaze locked on Dom “—I want details, my man.”
Dom looked back at the comp screen. “I worked for the Mafia. There’s nothing you can do to me that’ll make me talk.”
Hemi let out a sigh. “Damn, you’re probably right.”
There were good-natured laughs all around, and finally they all got back to work.
But a minute later, Griff leaned in close. “You be careful with her. She’s been through a lot. She and Indy are close.”
Dom looked at his friend, unsurprised that the former cop had worked it out. “Does Indy—?”
Griff shook his head. “But it won’t take my girl long to connect the dots, and I won’t lie to her.”
“Arden’s tougher than she looks,” Dom murmured.
Griff gave him a faint smile. “Women always are.”
“I’d die for her.”
Griff blinked. “Shit, Dom. I didn’t realize it was that serious.”
“I should never have gone near her, but I wouldn’t have without it being serious. I’ve watched her for a long time.”
Griff leaned back in his chair.
“I want to protect her from everything,” Dom said. “I want to make her happy, give her pleasure, see her smile.”
“That’s good. You both deserve it.”
Dom shook his head. “I should stay away from her.”
Griff cursed. “Why?”
“You know better than anyone what I am.” Griff had been a cop once.
Griff gripped Dom’s shoulder. “Yeah, I do. You are a man who was born into a shitty life. A man who survived the best he could, and then found a way out. You’re a man who fights to protect, who risks his life for others. You’re also a good friend and a good man.”
Blinking, Dom stared at his friend’s face, not quite believing what he’d said. He realized that Griff was pissed. For him.
A strange sensation moved through Dom, and he pulled in a breath. “I—”
“I’m not finished,” Griff said. “It’s time you quit using your past like a barrier between you and life.”
Dom blinked again. “You finished now?”
“Yep, so get back to work.” Griff swiped at his comp screen. “We have a bomb to find.”
Chapter Nine
Arden looked at the footage. Again. She rubbed
