Like a bloom, Arden was slowly flowering. Slowly. Maybe Indy had something to do with that. She bullied the woman relentlessly into hanging out at the rec room, or joining her for a meal, or the two of them sitting quietly scribbling in their sketchbooks.
Indy looked at the screen again, and felt another shot of the fear she’d felt when she’d thought Griff had been hurt. Screw this. As she always did, Indy was going to embrace life and have some damn fun. “I need a drink. And you’re coming with me.”
Arden’s nose wrinkled.
Indy held up a hand. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
The other woman heaved out a sigh, but smiled briefly.
Soon, both of them strode into the rec room. At the self-service bar, Indy wasted no time lining up a couple of tequila shots.
Arden grimaced. “I don’t really like tequila.”
“You do today.” Yeah, the elegant, composed Arden was more a crisp, white wine kind of lady.
Indy was not.
With a laugh, Indy clinked her shot glass against Arden’s, then tossed the liquor back. She watched Arden down hers with another grimace and a shiver.
Taking pity on her friend, Indy poured her a glass of white wine. She grabbed herself a homebrewed beer.
“Gah, I hate this song.” Sickly-sweet pop was not Indy’s thing. One silver lining of the alien invasion was that there wasn’t a new crowd of pop divas and boy bands to suffer through.
She headed for the comp that controlled the music, and dialed up something more her speed. The rock song made the speakers thump, the drumbeat pounding through the rec room. For a second, she was back in her old, pre-invasion job. She’d managed a trendy nightclub back in Phoenix. She’d been damn good at it, even if her parents had thought she’d been wasting her life.
Letting the music take over, she wiggled her hips, and Arden gave her a small smile.
“You just let loose, don’t you?”
“Yep.” Indy took a sip of her beer. “Life’s too short, Ard. It was before, and it especially is now.”
Arden’s smile faded. “Yes. Yes, it is.”
Damn, Indy hadn’t meant to remind the woman of her loss. “Come on, let’s play some pool.”
“Do we have to?”
They headed for the pool tables, and Indy had barely chalked her cue when a young guy appeared.
“I’d be up for a game,” he said, with a smile.
He was cute. Probably a few years younger than Indy, with thick, blond hair and a hard bod that said he worked out at the gym. Although he was no soldier, by the look of him.
Arden waved a hand in a “go ahead” gesture and sat on a nearby stool.
Indy cocked her hip at the man. “I’d be up for accepting your offer. How about we bet a month’s worth of clothing credits?”
Everyone in the Enclave was given a strict credit allowance at the clothing store. Indy was always desperate for more.
The man’s smile widened. “You’re on. I’m Mike, by the way.”
They weren’t far into the game when she heard the berserkers arrive. They were only silent when they had to sneak up on the Gizzida. She looked over, and when Hemi caught her gaze, she blew him a kiss.
The others were already at the bar, and she surreptitiously looked at Griff.
Damn him. Damn him for being so handsome and lickable. He might annoy her, but he sure floated her boat. He had ever since her hormones kicked in and she’d grown breasts. His hair was an oak-brown colour and was cut short, and his face was classically handsome. He had sexy gray eyes that could be serious one second, and teasing the next. He was all rock-hard muscle with honey skin.
He’d always been a little straight, a good guy, the one who followed the rules and did the right thing. He’d done well at school and been star quarterback of the football team. The perfect kind of guy to become a cop. She’d always enjoyed teasing him when they were kids, telling him to live a little. He’d give her a slow grin that used to light up her insides.
Now he rarely smiled. She realized she’d give anything to see that grin again.
Then she snorted, shutting the thought down. She looked up and saw her cute opponent grinning at her.
She shoved Griffin Callan out of her head. With a wide smile at Mike, she bent over the pool table to take her next shot.
Hell Squad
Marcus
Cruz
Gabe
Reed
Roth
Noah
Shaw
Holmes
Niko
Finn
Thero
Hemi
Ash
Levi
Manu
Griff
Dom
Survivors
Also Available as Audiobooks!
Preview: Among Galactic Ruins
When astro-archeologist and museum curator Dr. Lexa Carter discovers a secret map to a lost old Earth treasure—a priceless Fabergé egg—she’s excited at the prospect of a treasure hunt to the dangerous desert planet of Zerzura. What she’s not so happy about is being saddled with a bodyguard—the museum’s mysterious new head of security, Damon Malik.
After many dangerous years as a galactic spy, Damon Malik just wanted a quiet job where no one tried to kill him. Instead of easy work in a museum full of artifacts, he finds himself on a backwater planet babysitting the most infuriating woman he’s ever met.
She thinks he’s arrogant. He thinks she’s a trouble-magnet. But among the desert sands and ruins, adventure led by a young, brash treasure hunter named Dathan Phoenix, takes a deadly turn. As it becomes clear that someone doesn’t want them to find the treasure, Lexa and Damon will have to trust each other just to survive.
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
Also by Anna Hackett
Team 52
Mission: Her Protection
Mission: Her Rescue
Mission: Her Security
Mission: Her Defense
Mission: Her Safety
Mission: Her Freedom
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
Mark of Eon
Also Available as Audiobooks!
* * *
Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone
Sentinel
Defender
Centurion
Paladin
Guard
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
He
mi
Ash
Levi
Manu
Griff
Dom
Survivors
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