Cruz: Scifi Alien Invasion Romance (Hell Squad Book 2) by Anna Hackett

repurposed the drones.”
    “Yep.” He opened a drawer, pulled out something the size of his hand and set it on his desk. “This one’s in for maintenance. Had a nasty run-in with a bird.”
    Santha picked it up. It looked a bit like a miniature Hawk with four rotors. “It’s so small.”
    “All the better for the raptors not to notice them. And I’ve rigged them with illusion systems.”
    She set it down. “What did you do…before the raptors came?”
    “Worked in R and D for a private tech company.” He grinned. “And ran my own online company. Made my first billion by the time I hit twenty-five.”
    Cruz made a scoffing sound. “Billions don’t matter anymore, boy genius.”
    Noah gave him the finger. “What do you do, Santha?”
    “I kill raptors.”
    He raised a brow. “Well, you’re in good company. Cruz and his Hell Squad buddies are the best at that.”
    She caught Cruz’s gaze. “Yeah, I know.” She looked away and spied a row of dice on a shelf. “These are great.” She reached out for the closest one—it looked old and made of green glass.
    “I wouldn’t touch those if I were you, or you’re likely to end up with the ventilation in your room mysteriously not working,” Cruz said.
    She snatched her hand back.
    Noah smiled. “My collection. I don’t let anyone touch them except me.” His smiled dissolved. “Only thing I brought with me from…before.”
    Santha thought of the picture of Kareena tucked in her pocket. “I know the feeling.”
    Noah talked a few more minutes about the base’s computer systems before Cruz pulled her out of the lab.
    “Guy’ll talk your ear off about computers.”
    “What’s up next on the tour?”
    “The Operations Area. Where all the military operations are run from. The drone operators are based there, as well as the communications officers who provide comms to each squad in the field. Ours is Elle. She’s magic.”
    Santha heard a warmth in his voice and remembered the woman who’d been with them on the mission in the airport train tunnels. “She’s with Marcus, right?”
    Cruz smiled. “Oh, yeah. Has the big guy wrapped around her elegant little finger.”
    Santha smiled, too. “And you’re happy about that.”
    “Yeah. Marcus is one of the best men I know. He deserved some happiness.”
    Santha’s smile evaporated. And that stuff was in short supply these days.
    He showed her to a secured door marked “Operations.” He pressed a palm to an electronic lock. It beeped, and the door retracted.
    Inside, was a large room with rows of drone operators in front of live-feed screens and uniformed people hurrying between computer terminals.
    “We call that the Hive.” He led her to another room off the main tunnel. “We’re in here.”
    Inside, more large screens lined the wall, each one filled with aerial images of the city. All her research had been stuck to the walls, recreated almost perfectly.
    Hell Squad lounged around the room.
    Marcus stepped forward. “You look better.”
    Santha nodded. “I feel better. Thanks for getting me out.”
    Shaw sauntered forward with a smile. “Anytime you need a team to go into hell, we’re there.” He touched a finger to her chin. “You look really good.”
    Cruz made a growling sound. “Back off, Baird.”
    Shaw lifted his hands, his face filled with mock fear.
    Santha fought off a smile. “Good shooting with that ptero.”
    The sniper gave a little bow. “I’ve been blessed with several skills.” He waggled his eyebrows. “If you ever want to shake Neanderthal man here, I’ll show you what else I’m good at.”
    Claudia made a gagging noise from where she leaned against the wall. “God, you’ll hit on anything and anyone, won’t you.”
    Shaw ran his tongue over his teeth and winked at Santha. “Just the pretty ones, Frost. And the nice ones, which is why you’re excluded.”
    Claudia made a rude sound and shot him the finger.
    Someone cleared their throat and Santha looked over