Finally, her crying stopped. When he tipped her face back, her eyes were red and she looked exhausted.
“I’m sorry. I promise I’m not usually like this—”
“Rowan, stop beating yourself up.”
“Your shirt’s a little wet.”
“It’ll dry.” He rubbed a thumb over her damp cheek. “We have a few hours to go. Why don’t you get some rest?”
She made a choked sound. “Like I’ll be able to sleep after all of this.”
Lachlan reluctantly set her back in her seat and watched as she leaned back.
“Lachlan?”
“Yeah?” He met her blue eyes.
“Thank you.” She turned her head to look out the window. It took her three minutes to fall asleep.
He opened an overhead compartment and pulled out a blanket. He gently tucked it around her. Then he stood and moved back to Callie.
“How is she?” Callie asked.
“Hanging in there.” His gaze fell on Lars. “Your patient?”
“Not great.” Callie tucked her dark hair back behind her ear. “I’ve no idea what the artifact did to him, but it looks like his organs are failing.”
Shit. “Okay, keep him comfortable, and keep me updated.”
Again, Lachlan found his gaze drawn back to Rowan. Despite himself, he felt a pull toward her, and a desperate need to keep her safe.
But this mission was almost over, and once they got back, she’d be out of harm’s way and able to go home. Back to her normal life.
His prosthetic hand curled. Another reminder that he wasn’t just a normal guy. Lachlan was well aware of the things he’d done, the things he’d seen, the man he was now. He also knew he’d never, ever risk hurting someone he cared about.
He’d watched his mother live everyday in terror that her husband would snap, and hurt her or Lachlan. Lachlan had lived that nightmare and he’d never inflict it on a woman.
Someone as smart and beautiful as Rowan Schafer should never have to live with that.
Chapter Six
Rowan blinked awake, stretching in her seat. She heard the quiet, deep-voiced murmurs of Team 52, and could feel the aircraft descending. She glanced out the window. Beige desert stretched as far as the eye could see, and the sun was hovering just above the western horizon.
She’d slept for hours, awakened briefly by Lachlan, who’d forced some food and coffee into her before she’d fallen asleep again. Despite the sleep, however, she felt gritty-eyed and disheveled. She’d kill for a hot shower.
Lachlan appeared, sitting beside her. He was dressed all in black now—cargo pants and a black shirt. He didn’t look tired or disheveled.
“You got some rest?” he asked.
She nodded. “How’s Lars?”
“No change.”
She looked out the window again, and spotted a large, white patch on the ground below. “What’s that?”
Lachlan leaned over, his shoulder brushing hers. Again, she felt that disconcerting zing race through her. Of all the times for her hibernating body to decide to come to life.
“Groom Lake salt flat.”
She stiffened. “Wait! Groom Lake… Your base is Area 51?”
He shot her a grin that softened his face. “No. We’re based next door at Area 52, also known as the Tonopah Test Range. It’s a restricted military installation northwest of Area 51.”
“Wow.” Rowan pressed her fingers to her lips. “So, while everyone’s focused on Area 51, you guys are quietly hiding a secret base of powerful ancient artifacts next door?”
“That about covers it.”
Shaking her head, she relaxed back in her seat. Lachlan leaned over and fastened her belt. His fingers brushed her belly and she sucked in a breath. The slightest touch from him seemed to send her body haywire.
Gold-brown eyes flicked up to hers, and she saw that sexy, half-smile again. Axel might have a delicious full-on, mega-watt smile, but it didn’t seem to have the effect on her that Lachlan’s small one did.
“We’re coming in to land,” he said.
The jet-copter landed like a helicopter, swinging in to set down in front of a large hangar.
Blair ducked out of the cockpit. “Welcome home, ladies.”
There were some good-natured grumbles. Seth followed Blair out with a shake of his head.
Lachlan slid the side door open, and as Rowan unbuckled, she saw Smith and Callie maneuvering Lars’ stretcher off. She stared at Lars’ slack, pale face and her gut cramped.
When she reached the door, Lachlan gripped her waist and lifted her down. Warm, dry desert air hit her in the face. God, it felt so strange after months in the Arctic. It left her feeling weird.
She could see a lot of runways and other hangars in the distance. “This is an Air Force facility?”
“A lot of different agencies conduct work here,” he said. “Everyone operates under an Air Force permit.”
Lachlan pressed a hand to her lower back as they walked inside the large hangar. Blair moved ahead, walking with a loose-limbed stride Rowan wished she could emulate, with Axel sauntering beside her. Seth carried the box Rowan knew held the artifact.
She looked around, spotting a mixture of armed guards in black, and some in Air Force blue-gray camouflage uniforms. They were all standing, alert and focused, as Team 52 moved past.
Inside the hangar, Rowan blinked as her eyes adjusted to the gloom. It looked like a regular aircraft hangar, filled with various planes and helicopters, and maintenance equipment. She was a bit disappointed. She’d expected something…more.
There were more armed airmen standing beside a large industrial elevator. Callie pushed the stretcher into the elevator, and the rest of Team 52 followed. Lachlan nudged Rowan in, and her boots thumped on the black, metal grate floor.
Lachlan touched the controls and the doors closed. The elevator shot down.
Way down.
They descended in silence. Rowan tried to estimate how far underground they were, when the elevator finally slowed. The doors opened and they exited into a huge, cavernous space.
Holy. Hell. Rowan looked around, her mouth dropping open. The black walls absorbed the light, but the place was well lit. To one side, stood huge, double doors that were tightly closed.
“That’s our storage facility,” Lachlan said.
He nudged her toward the left and through a doorway. They entered a corridor lined by glass-walled rooms.
One larger room looked like a rec room, similar to the one they’d had at the research base, except this one was sleeker and better equipped. The kitchenette gleamed, and there were tables and chairs, along with streamlined black couches.
“Welcome to Area 52, Rowan,” Seth said.
She nodded at him, taking in his cool tone. He clearly still wasn’t sure about her.
“Hey, you’re back.” A good-looking man wearing dark-framed glasses strode into the room. He wasn’t wearing a uniform, but instead, had on jeans and a tight-black shirt that showed off a muscled chest and tattoos down one arm. His shirt had “Pew Pew” written on it in Star Wars font.
He smiled at Rowan, a lock of brown hair falling over his forehead. “Hi, I’m Brooks. Brooks Jameson.”
“Hi. Rowan.”
“I know.” The man’s smile widened. He had a sexy, hot geek thing going on that worked well for him. “I do comms and intel for the team. I know all.” He fluttered his fingers.
“Where’s Ty?” Lachlan asked.
“In the lab.” Brooks’ face turned serious. “He’s waiting.”
Callie whisked Lars’ stretcher past them and down the corridor. Rowan had to trot to keep up with Lachlan’s long strides. Brooks kept pace right beside them.
“The boss is incoming, too.” Brooks’ eyebrows rose.
“Boss?” Rowan asked.
“The man in charge,” Brooks said. “Jonah Grayson. He’s the man in charge of Area 52.”
She wondered what kind of man was put in charge of an operation like this.
Lachlan led Rowan into a lab. She jerked to a stop and couldn’t help but drool a little. The place was amazing, and filled with all kinds of equipment designed to be a scientist’s wet dream.
“Where is it?” a deep voice demanded.