Free 3013: SALVATION (3013: The Series Book 5) by Laurie Roma Page B

Serra.”
    Her friend gripped her hand and
gave it a squeeze as she whispered, “We’ll talk more after the meeting.”
    Clearing her throat nervously,
Skylar did her best to avoid meeting Jax’s gaze and found herself the recipient
of another glare from across the table. Dom looked...well, the best description
would be to say that he looked rough. She knew he wasn’t a morning person, and
clearly he wasn’t in the best of moods either.
    “Did you enjoy your ice cream
last night?” he asked, his dark eyes glittering with anger.
    Oh, hell...
    Obviously, Dom knew about her encounter
with Arik and wasn’t taking it well. She forced herself not to wince, even
though she cringed internally. Unwilling to take any shit from him in front of
a room full of people, Skylar raised a brow. “Really, you want to talk about
this now?”
    “No,” he replied with a growl. “Damn
it, I haven’t had any coffee yet.”
    “Neither have I, so don’t you
start with me.”
    Dom all but bared his teeth at
her as he got up and made his way to the food console. Serra’s assistant,
Officer Troy Takeshi was hunched over his portable data unit at the other end
of the table, not bothering to look up as he muttered, “Snarling at her is not
exactly the way to win your lady over.”
    “Shut it, kid,” Dom snapped.
“Don’t make me hurt you.”
    Troy looked up and paled slightly
at the ominous glare the other man was shooting him. “Shit...”
    “Dom, leave Troy alone,” Serra
ordered with a laugh.
    Dom continued muttering to
himself as he got two large mugs of coffee from the FC unit. He carried them
back to the table and set one down in front Skylar. She smiled up at him in
thanks and he squeezed her shoulder before walking back to take his seat again.
    “I’m hungry. Does anyone one else
want some food?” Reva said from where she was sitting next to Troy.
    “I have that covered,” Officer
Cal Ryans announced from the doorway as he pushed in a large cart laden with
platters of food. “I thought everyone could use some breakfast.”
    “Cal! What are you doing up and
about? Shouldn’t you be resting?” Serra jumped up from her chair and hurried
over to the young officer, hovering like a mother hen. Cal Ryans was Jax and
Archer’s assistant, and Serra thought of him as part of their family, just like
she did her own assistant Troy. Cal had been seriously wounded when she and
Skylar had been kidnapped. Because he hadn’t had any of the drugged coffee, he
had been stabbed in the chest and left to bleed out while the others had been
passed out on the floor.
    Officer Ryans beamed as Serra
fussed over him. “I’m fine, really. Medical cleared me for light duty and I
really would like to get back to work.”
    “Just don’t overdo it.”
    “Glad to see you up and about,
Cal,” Skylar said, making the younger man blush slightly.
    Jax huffed out an impatient
breath as everyone got up to fill plates with food. Raising his voice over the
din, he growled, “This isn’t fucking social hour. Sit your asses back down.”
    Archer shot him an amused glance.
“Get a grip, man.”
    “What’s up with you?” Dom asked
as he sat back down at the table with a plate piled high with food. “I’m
usually the one who is pissed off at morning meetings. You’re the one who
called this briefing at the crack of dawn, so why are you so cranky?”
    “I don’t think he slept well last
night. Maybe he needs a nap.”
    Jax let out a feral growl and
took a step toward his best friend. Serra slapped Archer on the arm. “Stop
baiting him.”
    “But it’s so damn easy...and
fun.”
    “Cranky? I’m not cranky. Don’t
ever call me such a stupid word again. Is it so wrong to think that a meeting
scheduled for eight o’clock would actually start at eight? I’m—”
    “Cranky,” Skylar murmured, then
wished she hadn’t spoken as Jax turned his piercing eyes on her again.
    Serra laughed. “He really is
cranky.”
    “Who’s cranky?” Arik