Indy made a small sound. When Arden glanced her way, her friend rolled her eyes back in her head.
Holmes nodded. “We’ll keep in communication about the search, and with the other bases. We’ll keep you updated.”
“Good hunting, Adam,” the Groom Lake leader said.
As the screen blinked off, Holmes rose. “We need to get to the Garden for the update meeting.”
Arden nodded. The general had called a gathering of all the Enclave residents to update them on the situation.
Everyone was well aware their survival hung in the balance.
Arden and Indy followed Holmes out of the Command Center.
“Did you hear that man’s voice?” Indy made a humming sound.
“You have a man,” Arden reminded her.
“And I’ve loved Griff practically all my life, but Dak Vaughn’s voice…it’s like being dipped naked in melted chocolate and then having it licked off you.”
Arden giggled.
Indy glanced at her and smiled. “That’s the sweetest sound, Ard. I’m so glad that your hunky Italian is making you happy.”
In front of them, Holmes made a choked sound. “You know I can hear you.”
Arden bit her lip and Indy’s smile simply widened.
“Yep,” Indy replied unrepentantly. “You might be the boss man, but I’m pretty sure you know exactly how Liberty ended up with your baby in her belly.”
Holmes just held up a hand and kept walking.
Arden and Indy shared another glance, then burst into laughter.
When they finally reached the Garden, they found the space crowded. Sunshine filtered in from the open roof, and the grass was lush and green. Remembering sleeping on that grass in the arms of her very own dark knight, Arden scanned the crowd.
She saw Levi and Chrissy tossing a ball with a young boy. Arden knew Chrissy had helped rescue the boy from Gizzida captivity. The trio were smiling.
Nearby, several kids had made the bad decision to throw mud at each other. One boy scooped it out of a garden bed and tossed it at his friends. Arden shook her head, imagining that her Emmett would be right in there for an impromptu mud fight. Another boy scooped up a handful of mud and tossed it. But his aim was way off.
It hit the back of Marcus Steele’s T-shirt.
As the squad leader slowly turned, the boys froze in horror. Beside Marcus, Elle was trying to hide her smile behind her hand. Marcus’ gaze zeroed in on the perpetrators. Then, in a fast move for a man his size, Marcus scooped up some mud and swung his arm.
The mud splattered the boy’s shirt. His eyes went wide, then he saw the smile on Marcus’ face. The boy started laughing and his friends joined in.
Light in the darkness. Arden watched the mud fight escalate. That’s what kept all the survivors going. Even when the shadows surrounded them, they found the glimmer of light that kept them going. Her lips curved. Or they found their own dark knight to guide them through the darkness.
Shaw and Claudia had joined in the fun, although, it looked like the lovers were more interested in getting each other than the kids. Arden watched Claudia shove a handful of mud down the back of her man’s shirt with a gleeful laugh.
Shaw arched his back and grabbed Claudia’s long ponytail. “You’ll pay for that, Frost.”
Shaking her head, Arden turned. She spotted Alyssa from Mount Wilson and her smile faded. The woman stood a little apart from the people around her, her face blank, her eyes downcast. Grief covered her like a cloud. She couldn’t see the light yet.
Arden pressed her lips together. The woman would need time, and Arden prayed that sooner, rather than later, she would find some peace. In her heart, she sent up a small message. Jason, Beth, and Emmett, if you spot two kids up there, Annie and Mickey, give them a hug from their mama.
Next, Arden spotted her squad. Taylor, Cam, and Sienna waved at her and she waved back. Beside Squad Nine stood the berserkers, all looking rough and sexy.
Arden’s gaze fell on Dom as he stood talking with Griff. Her chest swelled with warmth. Looking at him was a reminder that she was very much alive. She started in his direction.
Suddenly, something brushed her ankle, almost tripping her over. She looked down and saw a crawling baby grinning at her, showing off a small collection of tiny teeth.
“Hey, there.”
The baby gurgled.
“Sorry. She’s quick.” Cruz appeared, scooping his baby up with one muscled, tattooed arm. He kissed the little girl’s neck, making her giggle. “Escape artist in the making.” With a smile, he turned, tucked baby Kari into the curve of his arm, and headed toward his woman, Santha.
“There go my ovaries,” Indy muttered. “I want to see Griff cuddling our baby now.”
Arden watched Cruz. “I don’t think I want any more kids.”
Indy reached out and grabbed her hand.
Arden smiled, bittersweet pain piercing her heart. “I raised my kids.” She’d have to talk about it with Dom, but until the Gizzida bombs were destroyed, there was no way she could bring a child into this world.
“You deserve whatever you want,” Indy said.
“For the moment, I just want to have hot sex with my hunky Italian.”
Indy broke out in wild laughter.
“What’s this about hunky Italians?” Griff appeared, a mock scowl on his face.
A hard arm circled Arden’s waist and Dom pressed a kiss to her temple. She leaned into him, breathing in his cologne. She spun, sliding her arms around his lean waist.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.” His face was as dark and intense as always.
Holmes stepped up on the bench of one of the picnic tables in the front of the crowd, his woman Liberty standing nearby. He cleared his throat.
Everyone quieted.
“By now, you’ll all have heard that our squads walked into a trap in the Blue Mountains.”
You could have heard a pin drop.
“The bomb wasn’t there.”
Now, there were a few unhappy murmurs.
“But despite a vicious fight, our people made it back safely. We’re continuing the search for the bomb, as well as staying in regular
