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“Come on.” He took my hand and helped me off the desk. “You need to go and change out of those wet clothes.”

I tried to keep my face friendly and casual and not show how much his touch affected me. “We have a small laundry. You and the guys can dry your gear.”

He nodded. “Thanks. And don’t worry, Greer. I’ll keep you safe.”

He’d keep my body safe, what about the rest of me? The part of me that liked having him close?

Jameson

I shoveledfood into my mouth. The engineers had done a good job. In our work, we burned a lot of calories, so any time someone cooked for us was good.

I glanced across the table at Greer. She’d changed into dry clothes, and I tried not to notice the way the soft, pink T-shirt hugged her breasts. She was nodding and eating as she listened to one of her engineers. Everyone was in a somber mood.

They were thinking of the people they’d lost. And Frankie in the infirmary, still unconscious. North had treated the woman, but she needed to be observed throughout the night. There was currently another engineer sitting with her. Everyone was hoping she woke up soon.

Greer patted one of her people on the back, smiling at them. She was so damn gorgeous. Her blonde hair didn’t quite brush her shoulders and had a wave to it. It was shot through with strands of gold, honey, and pale sunshine.

Shit, I was no poet. Yet, here I was, obsessing over Greer’s hair.

“Colbie landed in the ruins of the nearby town,” Marc said. “She’s got the Talon secured.” He frowned. “She said she’d sleep in it.”

“She isn’t coming to the base?” Greer asked.

“The storm’s too bad for her to get up here to the dam base,” I said. “It’s safer for her to stay with the Talon. Besides, we all know she’d never leave her beloved aircraft.”

Marc’s frown deepened. It wasn’t a usual look for him, since he was the most easy-going of us. “What if something creeps up on her? She’s alone. She could need help.”

“Colbie can hold her own. You know that.”

Marc pushed his chair back. “I’m going to call her on the comms and check on her.” He strode off to the other side of the room.

“What’s wrong with him?” I asked.

Kai shrugged.

A sudden echoing clang rang through the base. Everyone froze.

Clang.

Clang.

I slowly pushed to my feet, eyeing the walls.

Clang.

Clang.

“What the hell is that?” one of the engineers said, his voice shaky.

Clang.

This time, the sound was softer and farther along with dam wall.

“The monster’s testing the wall,” Zeke said.

Everyone gasped, then silence fell.

My jaw worked. This monster was not going to go down easily. “Let’s check it out.”