Marcus (14 page)

Marcus swung out of the lab and headed
straight for the infirmary. She’d be all right. She
had
to
be.

“Exhaustion,” Emerson pronounced, checking
Elle’s eyes with a tiny light.

“I’m fine,” Elle protested from where she
lay on a bunk.

“She needs rest and something to eat.
Something packed with calories.”

Elle tried to get up. “I said—”

“Be quiet.” He scooped her back into his
arms. “I’ll take care of her.”

They were silent as he strode toward her
quarters. At her door, she pressed her palm to the lock and the
door released.

Her room was almost identical to his, but of
course Elle had added small touches that made hers seem more
homely. A small carving of a bird sat on a shelf along with a small
collection of old-fashioned books. A blanket that was a swirl of
blues and green sat folded on the end of her bunk. And on the
bedside table was a framed picture of Hell Squad with Cruz, Zeke
and Shaw holding Elle up sideways. She was grinning and glancing up
at Marcus where he stood beside them, his arms crossed.

They were his family now and he’d let them
down. Again.

He had to make things right. Starting with
taking are of Elle.

“Shower,” he said.

Her eyes flashed. “I’m fine now. You can
go.”

“Elle, get in the shower, or I’ll strip you
myself and put you in there.”

She pressed her lips together, then stomped
into her bathroom. Once he heard the water running, he hurried next
door to ask the teenage girl he’d spoken to last time to grab some
food from the dining room.

Once Elle reappeared, wrapped in a fluffy
towel, he directed her to the bed and sat behind her. He picked up
the brush he’d found in the bathroom. It felt far too small for his
big hand but he was determined to take care of her. His
carelessness had brought her to this.

When the hell would he quit screwing up and
hurting people?

He started stroking the brush through her
damp hair.

“I’m sorry about Zeke,” she said softly.

Marcus paused, then resumed stroking. “He
was a good soldier, a good man.”

“Is Gabe okay?”

“No. But he’s tough. He’ll pull through.”
Marcus gripped her hair. “I’m sorry I haven’t been to see you.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m
tired.”

His jaw tightened but he let it go for now.
After a few more strokes, her head fell forward and she made a
small moan. Partway through, her neighbor knocked on the door with
a tray of food.

Marcus thanked the teenager before closing
the door in her curious face.

He forced Elle to eat some bread, soup and
fruit. He also managed to get half a cup of tea into her. Then he
went back to the rhythmic strokes of brushing her hair. Damned if
he didn’t find it almost hypnotic and her hair was so soft, like
silk. His mind was quiet for the first time in days.

Elle’s breathing slowed and her shoulders
drooped. She slowly relaxed back against him and dropped into sleep
like a child.

Marcus stayed there a long time, not wanting
to disturb her. He just watched her sleep, the delicate rise and
fall of her chest. Eventually, he settled back on the bed, pulling
her with him. He thought she was still asleep but he felt her
muscles tense.

“Shit, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he
said.

“I’m feeling much better.” Her words were
stiff.

He dragged in a breath. “I’m sorry I ignored
you.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay, you—”

“No, baby. It isn’t. I was messed up. I was
angry and grieving, and I took part of it out on you.”

“You shut me out,” she said, her tone
blank.

“I know. I shut everyone out.”

“When you’re with someone, you’re supposed
to lean on them. Share how you feel. In the good times and the
bad.”

“Never been good at that.” He stroked a
thumb over her lips. “Never wanted to be.”

“Unless this is just sex. Just fuck—”

He shook her. “No.”

She watched him for a moment. “You hurt
me.”

Those softly spoken words speared into him
and hurt worse than any bullet or laser burn. He tightened his arms
around her. “I know. I’m sorry.” He shifted, rolling until she was
tucked beneath him. “Whatever you want me to do to make it up to
you, I will.”

Her eyes were closed and he hated that.
Hated being shut out.

“Look at me, Elle.”

Her eyelids lifted and those luminous blue
eyes seemed to see all the way inside him.

“I can’t promise I won’t hurt you again. I’m
a man and not one who’s easy with his feelings. But I want to
protect you, I don’t want to hurt you. I’ll try my best not to do
it again.”

Her lips trembled and her face softened.
“Okay.”

“We okay?”

She nodded.

Then he moved his hips until he knew she’d
feel the hard bulge of his cock against her thigh. “Let me make it
up to you.

Her tongue darted out to lick her lips and
heat flared to life in her eyes. “You’ll have to work pretty
hard.”

A laugh escaped him, everything inside of
him easing. “Well, baby, you’re in luck. Marines have excellent
stamina.”

She helped him tear open his pants. As he
stood to shuck off his boots and trousers, she cupped his cock,
teasing him.

With a groan, he pushed her back on the bed
and covered her with his body. Keeping his gaze locked with hers,
he pushed inside her, slowly. Inch by tortuous inch. She moaned,
her hands clutching at his back.

Damn, she was so hot and tight. But he was
going to go slow this time if it killed him. Which it just might.
“Now I’ll say sorry the best way I know.”

Elle woke in the darkness, disoriented. Had
she fallen asleep at the computer again?

Then she felt the big, hard body surrounding
her and heard quiet breathing by her ear.

Marcus
. She relaxed into him. He was
so warm.

God, the last two days had been horrible.
The way he’d backed away from her and shut her out. It had dented
her heart a little. She turned onto her side and she could just
make out his face in the dim light.

Even in sleep he didn’t look relaxed or
softer. He was hard and tough and his scar made it so he’d always
look a little scary.

But not to her. Never to her. The way he’d
taken care of her this evening…she shivered. It had her wanting
more. Much, much more.

He was her anchor. Her sanctuary. A center
in the storm.

Center.

The word triggered something in her
head.

She blinked. God, that was it!

She slid out of the bed. She needed a tablet
and the raptor map symbols. Damn, all her stuff was in the lab. And
she was naked. She nabbed one of Marcus’ T-shirts off the floor and
yanked it on.

It was huge on her, hanging almost to her
knees, and it smelled like him. She paused for a moment, lifting
the fabric to her nose and breathing him in. Then she spotted his
tablet lying on the table.

She nabbed it. She felt a tiny twinge of
guilt as she did it, but it took her about two minutes to break his
password. She’d picked up some useful tips from Noah.

She curled up in the armchair, then paused.
There was a picture of her on the background. A canid shot of her
smiling, one she’d never noticed him taking. She pulled in a
breath. “Oh, Marcus.”

Shaking herself, she linked to her directory
on the network and pulled up the raptor map. This had to be it! She
tapped out notes, muttering to herself as she erased some things
and added others.

“Elle.”

Marcus’ deep voice made her look up.

He stood a meter away, watching her, and all
thoughts of the map evaporated in a puff of visceral lust. He was
naked. Every heavily-muscled inch of him on display.

“What are you doing?” He came closer and
cupped her shoulder, massaging the joint.

She blinked. “Doing?”

“Yes, you’re sitting here in the dark
muttering to yourself when you should be sleeping. From now on, if
you have a nightmare or can’t sleep, you wake me. I’ll make sure
you can get to sleep.”

She felt heat rush into her cheeks,
picturing exactly what he’d do to help her. “I didn’t have a
nightmare.” Marcus’ arms seemed enough to ward off the dark dreams.
“I think I’ve worked out the raptor map!”

“Come back to bed. You need more rest.”

She glanced down at the tablet. “I
think…wait, that’s the final bit.” She grinned as she tapped the
screen. She was right! Now it made sense why she couldn’t narrow
down the location past a general area. “A modulating
encryption.”

“What?”

“They’re using a hidden modulating
encryption. It changes, mixes everything on the map around. The
hub’s somewhere in the old airport, Marcus. You have to be close to
it, within a certain radius, for it to give the final part of the
encryption and show the exact location. But now we know where to go
to find it.”

He smiled. “See, you just needed some sleep
and rest to work it out.”

Elle felt heat in her cheeks. “I just needed
you.”

He knelt and moved between her legs. “Do you
need me to say I’m sorry again?”

She shook her head. “I know Zeke’s death was
a terrible blow…”

“Yeah. But it didn’t give me the right to
hurt you.” Marcus fingered the hem of her…
his
shirt. His
fingers brushed her skin, making her tremble.

“We’re okay,” she murmured. “Just don’t do
it again.”

He tugged the shirt up an inch. “You look
good in this.”

“Marcus.” She grabbed his hand. “We can find
the comms hub.”

He nodded. “I never doubted you’d work it
out.”

His simple, honest confidence in her made
her glow. Then she realized the full implications of the modulating
encryption. Her stomach cramped. Oh, God, Marcus was not going to
be happy.

She fiddled with the tablet. Best just to
get it out there and get past the fallout as soon as possible.

“Marcus, I’m the only one who can read the
final encryption. I need to get close to the hub.” She swallowed
and lifted her gaze. “I need to be on the mission to destroy the
comms hub.”

He froze. “No.”

She pressed a hand atop his, where it rested
on her thigh. “I have to. There’s no other way.”

He shot to his feet, oblivious to the fact
he was naked. “I told you, no more missions for you. And after this
last fuck-up…”

She stood and walked to him. She pressed her
hand to his back and the muscles tensed so tight they felt like
they’d snap. “That just makes finding this hub and destroying it
more important. Now we have to do it for Zeke.”

Marcus’ hands squeezed into fists.
“Dammit!”

She slid around in front of him and curled
her hands over his fists. “I’ll be with you. And Hell Squad will be
watching our backs. We can do this, Marcus. In and out.”

He dropped his head until his forehead hit
hers. “You don’t get hurt. Not
one
hair on your head.”

She swallowed. “Okay.”

“Not one hair, Elle. I mean it. Or you will
get that spanking.”

She felt her shoulders relax. He was going
to let her go. She lightened her tone. “Promises, promises.”

He gripped the neck of her T-shirt. “I want
this back now.” With a flick of his wrist, he tore the shirt down
the middle.

Elle gasped. “You have to stop doing
that.”

When he picked her up and dropped her on the
bed, all she could do was hold on and enjoy the ride.

***

Marcus stood at the edge of the trees, hands
shoved in his pockets. He stared down at the simple marker set on
the ground under a large gum tree.

“He liked sitting out here. Watching the
stars.” Gabe’s murmured comment was toneless, his gaze turned up to
the night sky.

Marcus had spent the day planning the hub
mission and then this time with the team. He wanted to believe Gabe
was doing okay, but the man had lost his twin, his best friend. He
was going to need a hell of a lot of time for that open wound to
scab over.

“He was good man.”
Sorry I let you down,
Zeke. I promise to watch over Gabe for you
. “And a hell of a
soldier.”

The rest of Hell Squad and Elle stood behind
them. Grief pulsed off them all.

“And the best brother I could have asked
for,” Gabe added quietly.

Elle sniffled and Marcus moved back toward
her. She stepped forward, squeezed his hand and moved up beside
Gabe. “We’re all here for you, Gabriel. Whatever you need, you just
have to ask.”

Gabe, always the loner, brushed his knuckles
across her cheek.

“Zeke had a hell of a smile,” Claudia said.
“It was no wonder the ladies loved him.”

“And he had a mean right hook.” Shaw slung
an arm over Claudia’s shoulders. And for once, she let him.

Cruz stepped closer. “I envied his focus,
the way he threw himself into every battle without blinking. He
always told me we were fighting for those who weren’t as strong as
us and that was a worthy cause.” Cruz smiled. “Zeke told me he
liked being a hero.”

“And a hero he was,” Elle murmured.

“To Zeke,” Marcus said.

They stood there for a while, lost in their
memories, just the wind rustling the leaves in the trees.

“Now, it’s time to go and make those
bastards pay for taking Zeke from us,” Marcus said. “We don’t go in
half-cocked, looking for revenge.” He caught Gabe’s gaze. “We go in
and follow the plan. Destroying the hub will hurt them way more
than killing a few alien soldiers.”

He looked at each one of them, assessing. He
needed to know they had their heads screwed on right.

“Ready to go to hell?”

“Hell, yeah,” they all yelled. “The devil
needs an ass-kicking!”

“All right. Let’s get suited up and to the
quadcopter.”