Read Online Noah: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 6) by Anna Hackett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anna Hackett
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coffee table.
“I didn’t know you painted.”
She shrugged again. “I don’t just sit around studying interrogation techniques in my free time.” Her voice had a slight edge, then she huffed out a breath. “I don’t talk about it. I only started about eight months ago. I’m still learning.”
He looked again at the painting. It wasn’t a paint by numbers job. It was passionate, it sang with emotion. He saw a stack of canvases leaning against the wall. “Well, it’s amazing. Where do you get the paint?”
“I make it. Old Man Hamish from the hydroponic gardens gives me a few plant and vegetable extracts so I can mix up different colors. What paint we have in supplies is for maintenance, or for use in the school. I didn’t want to waste the supplies.”
No, Laura Bladon was far too sensible for that. And here was the passionate heart of her—a part she kept locked up and hidden—on display.
“It’s beautiful, Laura.” He reached out and tugged on a strand of red hair before tucking it behind her ear. He’d come here all angry at her, but seeing this…well, it had taken the edge off.
Faint color appeared in her cheeks. “Thanks.”
“That still doesn’t get you off for that damned stunt you pulled in Ops.”
She stiffened. “Stunt?”
His hand curled into a fist. “Not capable? Shouldn’t be on the mission?”
Her chin lifted. “You are a civilian, Noah. You haven’t been in combat.”
“We’ve all been in combat since the day the aliens attacked.”
“I’m military. I may not go on many missions, but I’m trained, I have the mindset.”
He gripped her upper arms. “Laura, I’ve been part of this fight against the aliens for eighteen months. I came straight to the base as soon as I saw the bombs start falling.” Noah had calculated the implications straight away. He’d tried to contact his parents first, hell, he’d even tried to get a message to Kalina. But the phones had been down. Instead, he’d jumped in his Porsche and broken the speed limit to get to Blue Mountain Base. He’d done a job here once, had known the base had everything humanity needed to be a safe haven.
General Holmes had welcomed him and his expertise straight away.
And after that…well, those first few months had been hell. Trying to organize things in the chaos, welcoming shell-shocked survivors, helping boost systems to do things they’d never been designed to do.
He’d been too busy to grieve for his parents and his grandmother. He’d just focused on what had to be done and piecing a tech team together from survivors who had the right skills.
“Sure, I may not have been pulling a trigger on a carbine, but I’ve been a part of the fight.” He shook her a little. “We all have to fight in this war. We don’t have the luxury of hiding and letting others fight for us.”
She was staring at his chest.
Hell, she was so damned gorgeous in just that paint-splattered shirt and messy hair. “Why?” he demanded. “Why’d you try to get me off the mission?”
Now she looked up, and there was so much emotion swimming in her eyes. “I wanted to protect you.”
His chest constricted. “Laura—”
“I lost someone once.” Her eyes squeezed closed. “I…I don’t think I can do it again.”
He yanked her to his chest. “Shit, honey.” There was a lump in his throat.
She pushed against him. “I’ll get paint on your shirt.”
“I don’t care.” He pressed his face against her hair. She smelled like Laura and paint. “Sometimes Lady Luck smiles on us…sends us someone who makes us feel good. Looks after us when we need to do something risky.” She’d clearly started being nice to Noah when she’d sent Laura to cross his path.
Laura pulled back and looked up, one brow rising. “You really believe that?”
He pulled a pair of dice from his pocket. “Let’s test the theory. Pick one.”
She eyed the lime-green one that was slightly translucent, and then the other, a fancy
“I didn’t know you painted.”
She shrugged again. “I don’t just sit around studying interrogation techniques in my free time.” Her voice had a slight edge, then she huffed out a breath. “I don’t talk about it. I only started about eight months ago. I’m still learning.”
He looked again at the painting. It wasn’t a paint by numbers job. It was passionate, it sang with emotion. He saw a stack of canvases leaning against the wall. “Well, it’s amazing. Where do you get the paint?”
“I make it. Old Man Hamish from the hydroponic gardens gives me a few plant and vegetable extracts so I can mix up different colors. What paint we have in supplies is for maintenance, or for use in the school. I didn’t want to waste the supplies.”
No, Laura Bladon was far too sensible for that. And here was the passionate heart of her—a part she kept locked up and hidden—on display.
“It’s beautiful, Laura.” He reached out and tugged on a strand of red hair before tucking it behind her ear. He’d come here all angry at her, but seeing this…well, it had taken the edge off.
Faint color appeared in her cheeks. “Thanks.”
“That still doesn’t get you off for that damned stunt you pulled in Ops.”
She stiffened. “Stunt?”
His hand curled into a fist. “Not capable? Shouldn’t be on the mission?”
Her chin lifted. “You are a civilian, Noah. You haven’t been in combat.”
“We’ve all been in combat since the day the aliens attacked.”
“I’m military. I may not go on many missions, but I’m trained, I have the mindset.”
He gripped her upper arms. “Laura, I’ve been part of this fight against the aliens for eighteen months. I came straight to the base as soon as I saw the bombs start falling.” Noah had calculated the implications straight away. He’d tried to contact his parents first, hell, he’d even tried to get a message to Kalina. But the phones had been down. Instead, he’d jumped in his Porsche and broken the speed limit to get to Blue Mountain Base. He’d done a job here once, had known the base had everything humanity needed to be a safe haven.
General Holmes had welcomed him and his expertise straight away.
And after that…well, those first few months had been hell. Trying to organize things in the chaos, welcoming shell-shocked survivors, helping boost systems to do things they’d never been designed to do.
He’d been too busy to grieve for his parents and his grandmother. He’d just focused on what had to be done and piecing a tech team together from survivors who had the right skills.
“Sure, I may not have been pulling a trigger on a carbine, but I’ve been a part of the fight.” He shook her a little. “We all have to fight in this war. We don’t have the luxury of hiding and letting others fight for us.”
She was staring at his chest.
Hell, she was so damned gorgeous in just that paint-splattered shirt and messy hair. “Why?” he demanded. “Why’d you try to get me off the mission?”
Now she looked up, and there was so much emotion swimming in her eyes. “I wanted to protect you.”
His chest constricted. “Laura—”
“I lost someone once.” Her eyes squeezed closed. “I…I don’t think I can do it again.”
He yanked her to his chest. “Shit, honey.” There was a lump in his throat.
She pushed against him. “I’ll get paint on your shirt.”
“I don’t care.” He pressed his face against her hair. She smelled like Laura and paint. “Sometimes Lady Luck smiles on us…sends us someone who makes us feel good. Looks after us when we need to do something risky.” She’d clearly started being nice to Noah when she’d sent Laura to cross his path.
Laura pulled back and looked up, one brow rising. “You really believe that?”
He pulled a pair of dice from his pocket. “Let’s test the theory. Pick one.”
She eyed the lime-green one that was slightly translucent, and then the other, a fancy
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