Roth(Hell Squad 5) Read Online Free Page A

anything devious. I just needed some air.”
    “How did you get out without setting off the alarms?”
    “Special agent, remember?” She could hack a military-grade encryption if she had to. She hadn’t forgotten everything.
    He glanced around. “I heard you calling for someone.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Right. I’m planning a secret military coup with the aliens. My contact should be here any second.”
    His blue eyes narrowed. She felt so incredibly irritated that the ‘annoyed and suspicious’ look made his face look sexy.
    Suddenly, there was the patter of footsteps and a small dog leapt out of the trees and landed on the log beside her.
    Roth relaxed. “A dog.”
    “Yep. Masters, meet Dino. Dino, this is Mr. Stubborn Masters.”
    The dog shoved his wet nose into her shirt, searching for the food scraps. She laughed and patted his matted brown fur.
    Masters stepped closer. “He looks like a mutt.”
    “Definitely. I think he has a bit of everything in him.” She gave Dino the scraps and he scarfed them down. She smiled. “No manners.”
    “Dino?”
    She shrugged. “Seemed appropriate, considering.”
    Masters moved until he could stroke the dog. “Needs a bath.”
    “I tried to brush him once. He wasn’t a fan.”
    Masters leaned against a nearby tree. She felt his gaze on her like a physical thing. “Did you have a dog as a kid?”
    “Hell, no.” When he raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. “I was in the system. Unless a foster home had a dog, I couldn’t have a pet.” She couldn’t have anything. She felt him scrutinizing her and shifted on the log. “Did you just follow me out here to catch me doing something I shouldn’t be doing? Or did you want to interrogate me some more?”
    “I spotted you sneaking out—”
    She jumped to her feet and faced him. “I wasn’t sneaking!” Okay, maybe she’d been sneaking a little. “Well, not much. I just needed some time alone.”
    “Do you…have any friends at base?”
    She blinked. What the hell did that have to do with anything? “None of your goddamned business, Masters. I am not some alien spy, I am not withholding information—”
    The dog’s gaze settled on Roth and he growled. They both ignored him.
    Avery stepped closer, her boots bumping Masters’. “How the hell do I convince you I’m not holding back?”
    “Dammit.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I’m just trying to do what’s right.”
    “I get that, but can you stop riding me so hard? You keep it up, and I’ll have carpet burn.”
    As soon as the words came out, the air between them changed. Took on a charged quality. Avery felt her eyes widen, and her heart start thumping hard in her chest. She hadn’t meant it to sound so…sexual.
    They stared at each other. She could smell him—soap and man—and felt the warmth pouring off him. To her horror, she felt her nipples pucker.
    She took a step back, snapping the spell. Roth Masters was a pain in her butt—and dammit, even that sounded wrong. He was an annoyance, nothing else.
    “Just stay out of my way, Masters, and I’ll stay out of yours.” She patted the dog one last time, then turned and tried to tell herself she wasn’t beating a retreat.
     

Chapter Three
    The base’s regular Friday night gathering was in full swing. Roth sipped his homebrewed beer and leaned back in his chair. He was waiting for the annoying tension in his shoulders to ease. So far, neither the homebrew, nor the conversation with his squad was helping.
    A few people were playing instruments off to the side. No one had quite the magical touch of Hell Squad’s second-in-command, Cruz Ramos, but his partner Santha was pregnant and apparently suffering morning sickness…and not just in the morning. So Roth didn’t expect to see the man out partying.
    “Ugh, I would kill for a nice, crisp chardonnay.” Taylor plopped down beside him.
    With the face of a beauty queen and dark hair that glinted red in the light, people often made the