The Sendaxa Chronicles: The Complete Series

From USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Hefner

Can an underdog team of survivors save the world after utter destruction?

📚Book 1: Repressed Echoes

Brilliant geneticist Dr. Danica Lawson is determined to save the world, even if she doesn't remember it!

📚Book 2: Scorched Redemption

Arianna is determined to succeed while denying her desire, but Dominic won't yield until he claims the woman who's become his obsession.

📚Book 3: Fated Salvation

Desire ignites as two former lovers try to save the world!

Read the thrilling dystopian romance trilogy today!

Chapter 1

Sometime in the not-so-distant future…

Dr. Danica Lawson’s eyes flew
open, darting to each corner of the dim room. The only sounds that marred the silence
were her soft, labored pants and the pounding heartbeat that infiltrated her
inner eardrums. Touching her tongue to the dry roof of her mouth, she tried to
swallow, but her throat failed to bob. A soft whimper escaped her lips, and she
placed her palm flat on the bed, attempting to push into a sitting position.

Pain seared her side and she
gasped, collapsing on the mattress as her fingers found the wound. A thick
bandage covered the tender skin, and she wondered how she’d sustained the
injury.

Closing her eyes, she took a
moment to center herself.

You can do this, Dani.
Try to remember.

Cobwebs clouded her brain,
obstructing any semblance of rational thought. Her pupils roved under closed
lids, searching the darkness for a trace of where she was…how she’d been
injured…and how she’d ended up in a strange bed in a dark room.

Obscure shadows were her only
answer, and she struggled with the realization she needed to run. Lifting
her lids, she hastily scanned the room. Whoever had placed her here wasn’t present,
but they could return any moment.

Now
was the time to break free.

Sucking in a breath, she palmed
her side, holding the bandage tight, and maneuvered into a sitting position. Glancing
down, she noticed the thin shorts and tank top that covered her frame. Black
sneakers sat at the foot of the nearby nightstand, and she grabbed them,
tugging them on under the small shaft of light that filtered through the
curtains of the lone window in the room. Once the shoes were tied, she gradually
rose to her feet, placing a hand on her head as the room began to spin.

“Come on, Dani,” she whispered,
lowering her hand and straightening her spine. “Let’s go.”

Gritting her teeth, she began to
push forward—one foot, then the other—inching toward the door. Her shaking
fingers gripped the knob and turned. Ever so gently, she eased the door open,
relieved to find an empty hallway. Gathering her courage, she stepped across
the threshold.

A muscled arm snaked across her
line of view, causing her to flinch as she drew back. The hand attached to the
sinewy arm landed flat on the nearby wall as a warm body pressed into her
uninjured side. Closing her eyes, she balled her fist, ready to strike.

“Not so fast there, slugger,” a
rugged baritone chimed in her ear, causing her to shiver. “You need rest before
you charge back into the world—”

Swinging with all her might, Dani
brought her fist high, aiming for the man’s face. Although she didn’t have time
to align her blow, she aimed to strike his nose above the lips that had brushed
her ear as he spoke.

The man’s hand caught her fist,
crushing it as he lowered her arm, causing her to cry out.

“You son of a bitch!”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Dani,”
he said, his tone soothing even though her body was fraught with nerves and
fear. “Take a deep breath and relax.”

Lifting her gaze to his, she noted
the silver flecks that glinted in his gunmetal gray eyes.
His features were angular as he loomed over her although she was five feet,
eight inches tall. She might not remember much, but for some reason, she
remembered that.

“What do you want?” she asked,
struggling to keep the fear from her voice. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we can
negotiate.”

His firm lips curved into a
roguish smile, causing her knees to shake. Dark hair
fell over his forehead, tinged with a bit of gray at the temples, and she
had the insane thought he might be the most attractive man she’d ever seen. Dangerous.
Mysterious. Hot.

“You try to negotiate every time,”
he murmured, lowering so his warm breath floated across her cheek. “It’s so
cute, babe.”

Attempting to wrench her fist from
his grasp, she glared at him until he released her. Drawing back, she let
another blow fly, but he quickly caught her fist again, smirking as she writhed
to break free.

“I know your tells by now, Dani. Believe
me, you got me pretty good the first few times we did this, but now I can read
your punches from a mile away. Don’t get me wrong, it’s sexy as hell when you
try to slug me, but it’s not conducive to moving the mission along.”

“What mission?” she asked,
infuriated by his tender endearments along with the fact he was all but laughing
at her. “I have no idea who you are! If you want to kill me or…worse…then
do it. But I’m certainly not involved in any sort of mission with you.”

Something flashed in his
eyes—tender and almost sad—before
his grip relaxed on her fist. “I know this is scary. I’m sorry. It’s my fault—”

“Why can’t I remember anything? Did
you drug me?”

Remorse crossed his features as he
slowly shook his head. “It’s your brain injury. You sustained it over three
months ago, and your memory hasn’t recovered.”

“Three months? I’ve lost my memory
for three months?”

“Yes,” he softly confirmed. “You
sustained it at your lab while you were working for Sendaxa.”

Furrowing her brow, she tried to
recall her last memory. “I don’t work for Sendaxa. I
work at Columbia University as a professor and head of their genetics lab.” Pausing,
she indexed her thoughts for any memory of working for the largest
pharmaceutical company in the United States. “I vaguely remember receiving an
email from an executive at Sendaxa expressing interest in working with me. That’s
all I remember about them.”

Gray
eyes assessed her as he nodded. “They recruited you to work on EverLife.”

Blowing out a breath, she racked
her brain, frustrated at the murky images that didn’t quite form. “But I was so close to a cancer vaccine.”

“Yes. Sendaxa offered you a deal:
work for them to develop EverLife, and once it was approved for use, they would
fund your cancer research.”

Latching onto his gaze, she
swallowed. “I’m assuming things didn’t exactly go as planned.”

Huffing a laugh, he shook his
head. “You were successful in creating the EverLife formula but didn’t realize
it would be highly addictive. Once the side effects became known, you dedicated
yourself to developing an addiction antidote. Cancer took a backseat to
reversing the damage.”

“Damage?” Dread filled her heart
as her throat bobbed. “How much damage?”

Lifting his hand, he slowly
extended it toward her cheek. Dani’s brain screamed to recoil, but her body
subconsciously leaned toward his.

Once he’d placed his rough palm
over her cheek, his lips curved into a sad smile. “I’m happy to tell you
everything, but you’re hurt and I don’t want to reopen your wound.” Craning his
neck, he eyed the side of her body with the laceration. “We have a protocol for
when you wake up. I messed that up today and I’m sorry. I thought you’d sleep
longer since you’re recovering. I should know by now not to underestimate you.”

Butterflies of anxiety flitted in
her belly as she studied him. A strange desire to arch toward him and seek
comfort in his muscular arms overwhelmed her. Squinting up at him, she asked, “Who
are you to me?”

His broad lips twitched, causing
her heart to slam between her ribs.

“One of these days, you’re going
to remember, and it will be the happiest day of my life, babe.”

“Don’t call me that,” she said,
feeling her nostrils flare. “I hate that endearment.”

A deep chuckle rumbled in his
chest. “I know. You seem to prefer ‘slugger.’ But I like ‘babe.’ Call me old-fashioned.”
Lifting his hand from her cheek, he tucked a strand of silky brown hair behind
her ear.

“Please stop mocking me. I don’t recognize
you, but you seem so familiar…” Lifting her palms to her temples, she squeezed.
“Fuck, my brain hurts.”

“Hey,” he murmured, gently
encircling her wrists and dragging her hands away. Drawing her hands to his
chest, he splayed one of her palms over each of his pecs. His heartbeat
thrummed beneath her skin as he covered the backs of her hands with his. “It’s
okay, Dani. Look at me. Feel me.”

Shallow breaths exited her lungs
as his pulse ticked beneath her fingers. Staring deep into his stunning irises,
she waited.

“Good,” he soothed, lifting one
hand to cup her jaw, stroking the skin with his thumb. “Who do you think I am?”

Her mouth opened and closed as she
struggled to form words. “I have no idea. I have so many questions—”

“Do you remember my name?”

Tears stung her eyes as she shook
her head. “I don’t know you…”

Sighing, he removed his hand from
her jaw before harshly rubbing his forehead. Lifting his gaze to hers, he said
softly, “I’m Maverick.”

Her features contorted. “Like Top Gun?”

Rolling his eyes, he scoffed. “Yes,
like Top Gun. You ask me that every
time I tell you my damn name. From the first time we met until right now. One
day, you’ll just accept that my parents were weird and gave their kid a strange
name.”

A laugh escaped her throat,
surprising her as she stared up at the man who was both reassuring and
mysterious. “When did we first meet?”

“Five years ago.”

Dani gazed down, trying to
remember.

“Since your brain injury, you only
seem to remember as far back as your last days at Columbia and Sendaxa
contacting you. But you don’t ever remember moving to Bethesda to start the
job.”

Rapidly blinking, she worked to
amalgamate the thoughts racing through her mind. Concern jolted down her spine
as visions of her sisters’ faces appeared. “Where are Raquel and Arianna?”

“Your sisters are safe,” he assured,
his tone calm. “They’re here with us and you can see them, but first you need
to rest. You’re pretty banged up there, slugger.”

Filled with trepidation—and a
hefty surge of curiosity—she cemented her eyes to his. “Are we…lovers?”

White teeth flashed as he smiled,
transforming his features into something so sexy her knees almost buckled.

“I guess you could say that…”

Narrowing her eyes, she regarded
him.

“But I’m a lot more than your
lover.”

Swallowing thickly, she whispered,
“You are?”

Nodding, he leaned closer, those
swirling eyes searching hers.

“Danica Lawson,
it’s nice to meet you all over again. We do this dance every day, and it never
gets old.” Drawing back, he extended his hand. “Maverick Ward.”

Tentatively shaking his hand, she
tilted her head. “Maverick Ward…my lover…and…”

“Husband,” he said, lips twitching
at her rapid inhale. “I’m your husband, Dani. Pleasure to meet you, as always.”

Suddenly, the floor seemed to melt
away as the wound at her side throbbed. Unable to stand, she collapsed into her
husband’s arms, wondering if she would remember him the next time she regained
consciousness.