Why does the world have to start ending when I finally found something worth fighting for? It’s enough to drive a man nuts.
—Hugh Johnson, Brigade Notes
Hugh’s body finally began to relax as Deke drove the car through town and toward the Pennsylvania nuclear power plant.
The plane ride from Missouri had been stifling, with Connor and Deke arguing about who got to shoot him as soon as Ellie proved he was a terrorist. Finally, Connor had challenged Deke to a rousing game of rock-paper-scissors.
As of nine out of ten, Connor got to shoot Hugh.
It put the soldier in a good enough mood that he hummed all the way from the airport to the plant in the dark SUV. It was nice to make a soldier happy.
Ellie had ignored them all on the plane and had buried herself in some book about masters and mercenaries. Hugh had skimmed the back cover, and whoever author Lexi Blake was, she’d probably spent some real-life time as a soldier. Perhaps she was undercover with Homeland Security as well.
Ivan and Nora had stayed behind in Missouri to work on compiling other crucial threats.
Now, looking around the parking area, Hugh sat in the middle seat with Ellie at one side and Connor at the other. He reached for her hand and took it, surprised again at how small she was. She kept sending him worried glances, so he winked at her.
She blinked twice and then fidgeted in her seat.
“They actually like me a lot,” Hugh stage-whispered to her. “All of this posturing is just to stay loose for the op to come.”
“Nope,” Deke said cheerfully, meeting his gaze in the rearview mirror. “I really want to shoot you. If Connor misses, I get the second chance.”
“I never miss,” Connor said absently, keeping point out the window.
Hugh grinned. He was actually starting to like these guys. They reminded him of his brothers. He leaned forward to see around Connor. People were bustling on the sidewalks, boarding up businesses and shops. “Looks like everyone is heading to ground for a while.”
“Smart,” Connor said, his gun resting lightly on his thigh. “Scorpius ain’t going anywhere. Getting away from people is a good idea right now.”
“You don’t think they’ll find a cure?” Ellie asked quietly.
Nobody answered. It was unthinkable humans couldn’t find a cure to fight a small bacterium, but so far, they’d been losing the war. Hugh tightened his hold on her hand. “They’ll find a cure. I’m sure of it.” For now, he had a job to do. “After we take care of immediate threats, if the population decreases dramatically, we might need to talk about shutting down these power plants for a while.”
It wasn’t that easy. But it might be necessary. Was it possible Scorpius would kill that many people?
“One thing at a time,” Deke said. “For now, run me through exactly how a nuclear reactor works.”
“Sure.” Hugh sat back and described the conversion to electrical energy, steam turbines, water reactions, primary coolant systems, and possible targets. He warmed to his subject, impressed by the questions asked by Ellie once in a while.
He always did like smart girls.
Finally, they passed meager security to park in the employee parking lot, which wasn’t even half full. More and more people were dropping to Scorpius or just heading out of town. The parking lot led up to an edge with a wide river winding below.
The plant had several buildings and two very large stacks that rose high into the sky. Clouds were slowly forming, but the day was warm enough they didn’t need coats.
He followed Ellie out of the vehicle. “Why don’t I give you a tour, so you can see what I’ve been taking about?”
Deke nodded and started for the entrance. “Let’s get Ellie to the control room. Ell? I want you to go through the computers and see if anybody has hacked the system. Then please review all security video for the last, what? Say two months. Look for anybody suspicious or who doesn’t belong.”
Hugh wanted to take her bag off her slender shoulder but instinctively knew her laptop was like another woman’s diamonds. She’d want to keep it herself. “Also go through my files, the ones you took, for a list of terrorists or potential threats that I’ve been watching. Most have Homeland Security photos, so you can compare the two.”
“You got it,” she said, opening the door and nodding at an elderly guard standing at post.
Well. That was a good sign, at least.
“Let’s do this,” Deke said grimly.
Hugh paused. “We’re not leaving Ellie in the control room alone. She needs cover at all times.”
Ellie snorted. “Don’t be an ass. I can handle a control room.”
His ears heated. There was a fairly decent chance an asshole would try to explode shit at a nuclear power plant in the very near future, and somebody like that would have no problem shooting a lone woman in the head. “She gets a guard, either you or Connor until I’m free, or I sit in there with her the entire time.” He glared at Deke. “Your call.”
Ellie cut him a look that could slice through concrete.
He glared right back.
Deke rolled his eyes and continued down the hallway. “I told you that you shouldn’t have slept with him, Ell.”
She made a sound that was kind of like a growl one of his mama’s cats had made way back when.
Hugh met her gaze evenly. On this, he wasn’t budging.
Connor snorted. “This is going to be interesting.”
Hugh’s temper heated. Did they really not understand the threat? Fine. “This is now my op.”
Deke paused and turned around to face him. He more than filled the hallway with not only size but presence. The Scottish guy was definitely a force all by himself. “Excuse me?”
Hugh set his stance. “Unless any of you truly understand how this place works, and unless you’ve been tracking nuclear threats for the last five years, you need me. And I just took over the op.” Fuck, he hated being in charge. It was too much damn responsibility. But since thousands upon thousands of lives were now in danger, he didn’t have a choice.
Especially since Ellie was now in danger, and he could do something about it.
Deke looked toward Ellie, and she shrugged.
Good. There wasn’t much any of them could do.
“We are so going to discuss this later,” Ellie snapped, her blue eyes burning bright.
Hugh barely kept from wincing. He almost wished they’d find a threat to deal with.
Almost.
* * * *
After a day spent not finding what she was looking for in the computers, Ellie slid her laptop bag across the small table in her motel room, her very late dinner of chicken nuggets settling in her stomach like lumps. Her head hurt, her eyes ached, and her shoulders felt like somebody had shot cement into them with a much too large syringe. She kicked off her shoes, not caring that the carpet had seen better days.
Hugh shut the door behind her. “We need to sterilize the place. Don’t touch anything yet.”
That was it. That was seriously fucking it.
She whirled around, her hair flying in every direction. “This was a mistake. You and me. Definite mistake.” She barely had enough energy to use complete sentences, and she sure as hell didn’t have the fortitude to let her temper free. The adrenaline rush might kill her, she was so damn on edge.
He took out a wipe and went to work on the table. “Now, Ellie Mae. You don’t mean that.”
Why was it the more emotional she became, the more even-keeled and calm he acted? Now that was just a pisser. Her hands clenched. Nothing. She had not one dang thing to throw at his head. Only her phone and a gun at her thigh. She couldn’t throw those. Both were needed. “I told Connor to just shoot you,” she muttered.
Hugh moved on to the television and furniture holding it. “Yeah. I heard you. At least three times.”
“Because you wouldn’t leave me alone,” she snapped. Why her skin felt too tight and this was bugging her so much, she wasn’t sure. But it was. “You don’t get to go from casual Hugh in the sack to this overbearing protective looking-to-the future guy.” Oh. That was it. He was throwing her off balance and making her want things that weren’t possible. Good. She’d figured it out.
He casually took a spray out of his backpack and took care of the bed, carpets, and even the walls. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do when we run out of this stuff.”
“The bacteria should be dead by then,” she countered, watching him closely. Was he ignoring her words on purpose? “It’ll still be in people, but surely we’ll have a cure. What the hell is going on in your head?”
He finished the room, returned the spray to his backpack, and concentrated fully on her. “Things have changed.”
Warning ticked down her spine. “Not really.” No. He couldn’t pull this on her. Hugh was a love ’em and leave ’em type of guy. Men like him didn’t really change. Especially when a potential apocalypse came calling. “I’m fine with the casual thing you’ve always had.”
“I’m not.” He crossed his arms. “I told you that. With you, it isn’t casual.”
Her heart started to beat faster. This was the worst time in the entire timeline of humanity to start a real romance. Well, except during the plague. No. Scratch that. This was worse. Especially since she now had a beyond dangerous job, and he seemed hell-bent on protecting her. There was no protection these days.
There was a whole lot of planning and even more luck. That was it. “You need to take a breath.”
His grin was oddly determined. A little intimidating. How strange. Especially since the look he gave her sent little tingles through her entire lower body.
“I’m breathing just fine, baby. I understand you’re scared,” he said.
“I’m not scared,” she retorted like any eight-year-old challenged on the playground. She cleared her throat, trying to look like an adult, damn it. “I’m just being realistic.”
“I’m not gonna hurt you, Ellie Mae,” he said, his voice gentle. “Not you. Feel free to fall hard.”
She blinked. Once and then twice. Was that arrogant? She mulled it over, watching his implacable face. Wait a minute. Hell yes, that was arrogance. “While I like confidence as much as the next girl, give me a break. You’re not that irresistible.” Yeah, right. She was getting better at this whole lying thing, though.
He pressed his lips together, and it took her a second to realize he was trying not to chuckle.
What an ass. Her phone was in her pocket. She could throw it. He’d probably catch it. But then that wasn’t worth the risk of breaking the device. Her chest tightened. “I am not falling at all.” Man, that was a lame response.
He gave up the pretense and just smiled.
Somebody knocked, and he opened the door so Conner could poke his head in. “We’re getting some shut-eye before returning to the plant early to secure the remaining areas. Deke said to tell you if you leave, he’ll hunt you down and slice the skin from your body, Hugh.”
Irritation itched through Ellie. “Go away, Connor. I am still working on those files to clear Hugh’s name.” Though if Deke didn’t believe in Hugh’s innocence, Hugh would probably already be dead. “Go to bed.”
Connor winked and then shut the door.
Quiet descended. Ellie cleared her throat. “So. My rules. Either we keep this casual, or you need to find another room.”
He moved toward her then. One long and smooth roll of pure maleness with a side of grace and intent.
She took a step back. What the heck? If he could play her way, they could really take the edge off. Just being in the same room with Hugh sent her nerves all a-fluttery, and that just had to stop. Her nipples hardened.
He reached her, sliding both palms down her arms. “Your rules, huh?”
“Yes.” She lifted her face toward his.
His blue gaze darkened. “No.”
Then he kissed her.