In the devils nebula pho.., p.19
In the Devil's Nebula (Phoenix Adventures #2),
p.19
Suddenly, the giant stiffened and let out a sound caught between a yell and a roar. Then he looked right at their hiding spot.
The man behind Mal went unearthly still. Her heart thundered in her chest. They were going to die.
Then the man brushed past her and launched himself at the giant. A lean black bullet moving so fast he was a blur.
Mal gasped, helpless to do anything but watch the deadly fight in front of her.
The man hit the giant with the force of a falling meteor. He was tall but not as tall as the giant and far leaner. There was no way he could match the giant.
But with a roar, the giant went down. And the man was moving, somersaulting over the giant and landing back on his feet.
He straightened and Mal finally got a good look at him.
Holy Stars. He was probably six foot three with wide shoulders narrowing to lean hips. All encased in a space-black uniform. The circular silver implant set in his temple told her he was Centaxian.
But that face…he was gorgeous with sharp, lean features set off by short black hair.
All his focus was on the giant pulling himself to his feet, shaking his head. The Centaxian flexed his gloved hands but was otherwise still.
The giant lowered his head and charged. The Centaxian didn’t react.
“Move, damn you,” Mal muttered, clenching her hands together.
At the last second, the man sidestepped and the giant raced past. Then the Centaxian turned and the fight started for real.
He was methodical. Kicks and hits landed with precision and all of them hard and lethal. The giant staggered, never finding his balance and never once getting a direct hit on the man. Another enraged roar filled the air before the giant charged again.
This time in her direction.
Mal held her breath. The giant slammed into the hull of the starship, setting it rocking. Dust and shards of metal rained down on her but she forced her quivering body to stay still.
Dazed, the giant shook his head. If he looked up, he’d see her.
Beyond her attacker, the Centaxian leaped into the air, higher than any normal man should be able to. He slammed down on the giant’s back.
He looked directly at her and their gazes locked.
His eyes were concentric bands of emerald green and burnished gold. Like nothing she’d ever seen before. Long dark lashes ringed those amazing eyes.
But his beautiful face was blank. Empty of everything. No emotion. Nothing.
Scarily emotionless.
He pressed a palm down on the giant’s neck and then the green in the Centaxian’s eyes lit up and turned neon. Like the lights on a cockpit control console.
She felt a rush of power fill the air. The giant convulsed, his back arching, a groan of pain ripping from his throat.
The Centaxian landed back on his feet, bending his knees slightly to absorb the impact. He stared at the giant without any expression. The giant collapsed and didn’t move.
Then the Centaxian turned and headed in Mal’s direction.
She stayed crouched where she was, panic threatening. Why the hell did she feel more frightened now? The Centaxian had saved her.
But he’d just taken out a giant warrior without even breaking a sweat or showing a single emotion on his aristocratic face.
Whatever enhancements he had, it was more than just that deceptively simple silver at his temple.
Mal watched him come, barely realizing she’d pulled her laser cutter off her belt. Her fingers clenched around it.
The man stopped nearby. “Come out.”
His voice was even, calm, not giving anything away. She watched him for a second and realized his eyes were back to normal, the eerie green glow was gone.
Mal ducked out of the wreck and stood. She saw the man’s gaze move to the laser cutter, then come back to her face.
She drew in a deep breath. “Thank you. Uh…I’m—”
“Malin Phoenix.”
Right. “You know who I am.”
“Yes.”
Chatty guy. “You ever speak more than two words?”
“Yes.”
Mal wasn’t sure she believed him. “I was here—”
“You have a salvage license for Centax.”
She realized he was accessing those records at that very moment. Amazing. “You have me at a disadvantage. I have no idea who you are.”
“Centax Security.”
A CenSec. A shiver snaked through her. She’d already guessed as much but had secretly hoped it wasn’t true.
No one wanted to run into the galaxy’s deadliest killers. “Do you have a name?”
A pause. “Yes.”
She waited, suppressed the frustration bubbling in her chest. “Are you going to tell me?”
“Xander Saros.”
Xander. Yep, it suited him, he looked like a Xander. “What the hell is going on?”
“A coup.”
“A coup?” Shock was a punch to her stomach. “Who the hell would try and take over Centax?” And take on this scary cyborg and the other CenSecs like him.
“No time for explanations. More like him—” a nod at the dead giant “—will be on their way.”
“Right.” She didn’t want to face anymore giants.
“Starfreighter.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Starfreighter. You have one.”
“Yes—”
“I need it.” He wrapped a hand around her bicep and started pulling her toward the landing pads.
“Now hang on! I plan on getting off-planet. Right now.”
“As do I.”
Stars. She was practically jogging to keep up with him. She tried to pull her arm away, but no surprise he didn’t budge. “Look, I’d like to help…but don’t you have an entire security force? And far better starships than my freighter?”
He didn’t answer her because at that moment, another giant stepped out in front of them.
A grin spread over the giant’s rugged face. He lifted a small pistol that glowed blue along the barrel.
Xander froze for a second. Then he shoved her behind him, so hard she stumbled.
There was a whine of an energy weapon.
Mal saw blue electricity race over Xander Saros’ body. He didn’t collapse but he dropped heavily to his knees, his arms hanging by his side.
In front of him, the giant’s gaze fixed on Malin, his grin widening, baring his fangs.
The breath left her lungs in a rush.
Oh, shit.
The Phoenix Adventures
Book 1: At Star’s End
Book 2: In the Devil’s Nebula
Book 3: On a Rogue Planet – Coming Soon
On a Rogue Planet will be available in November 2014.
Don’t miss out! To ensure you don’t miss the release of the next book in The Phoenix Adventures, sign up for my new release newsletter at AnnaHackettBooks.com/newsletter
Also by Anna Hackett
The Anomaly Trilogy
Time Thief
Mind Raider
Soul Stealer
Salvation
Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set
The Phoenix Adventures
At Star’s End
In the Devil’s Nebula
Perma Series
Winter Fusion
The WindKeepers Series
Wind Kissed, Fire Bound
Taken by the South Wind
Tempting the West Wind
Defying the North Wind
Claiming the East Wind
Standalone Titles
Savage Dragon
Hunter’s Surrender
One Night with the Wolf
Anthologies
A Galactic Holiday
Moonlight (UK Only)
Vampire Hunter (UK Only)
For more information visit AnnaHackettBooks.com
About Anna
I’m Anna Hackett and I write action romance stories to thrill you, excite you and leave you inspired. I write about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals to inspire you with the truth that the possibility exists for all of us to do the same.
I blame my parents for my insatiable need to mix action and romance. When I was young, I raided my mother’s romances and as soon as I could reach the shelf, my father’s action adventure thrillers. I love being exhilarated and left just a little breathless. I love car chases, explosions and spaceships…and of course when the boy wins the girl. Oh, and I’m a sucker for that moment when the team is walking in slow motion, shoulder-to-shoulder heading off into battle. After reading, watching or writing an awesome action romance story, I’m left energized and feeling like anything is possible. I aim to give the same to my readers.
Website and blog – AnnaHackettBooks.com
Twitter – @AnnaHackett
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New Release Newsletter – AnnaHackettBooks.com/newsletter
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Anna Hackett, In the Devil's Nebula (Phoenix Adventures #2)
