She came down with a soft whimper, and he shuddered against her, kissing her deep.
Finally, he lifted his head, those eyes dark and intent. “It’s you and me, Sami. No matter what.”
* * *
Tace lay on his back with Sami half sprawled on top of him, sleeping quietly, her body bare. She’d fought him, but he’d insisted she take another pain pill. He leaned over and traced the VANGUARD tattoo beneath her left shoulder. He’d tagged her with it over a month ago, and the lines were feminine and deadly, just like the woman herself. He’d nearly swallowed his tongue that first time she’d taken off her shirt.
Of course, he’d been whole then. Healthy and mentally stable. Or at least as mentally stable as was possible after most of the world had died.
His body ached for Barbara and for the life she could’ve had with Derek. Anger sizzled through him. There had been too many of the president’s soldiers still standing, even though Tace had killed the one who’d shot Barbara.
Poor sweet Barbara with her kitten.
He wouldn’t survive if he lost Sami. He knew that without question.
She lifted her head and blinked, her brown eyes soft. “Did you sleep?”
“Yes,” he lied.
She stretched her neck. “How long was I out?”
“A few hours. It’s not dawn yet. You should go back to sleep.” He ran a hand down her hair, luxuriating in the softness.
Pink tinged her cheeks. “I’m on top of you.”
His eyebrows rose, and his body temperature followed suit. “I’ve noticed that.”
“How are you feeling?”
Crazy, obsessive, possessive, protective, determined, sad, angry . . . “Fine. I’m feeling healthy.” But the attacks had stopped giving him any warning, so within seconds he could be out cold again. Yet he swept his hand down the curve of her back to her sweet butt. “I love your ass.”
She grinned, the look all sauce. “Oh yeah?” Moving carefully, she rose to sit on his abs, her legs on either side of his waist. “You have a great butt, Texas. Do all Texans have butts like yours?”
He reached up to play with her breasts, and her nipples sharpened instantly. The woman was beyond responsive. “I never looked.” His voice roughened, and his dick hardened. He tweaked both nipples just enough to add a bite of pain, and she gasped, pressing down on him. Yeah. He’d known she’d be a wildcat in bed. Now, if they could both just make it through the day without getting shot, stabbed, or bruised, maybe they could really play and have some fun. “You’re beautiful, Sami.”
She raised her butt up. “So are you.”
“Wait.” He reached for his jeans to grab a condom. “Any chance you found birth control pills in that bathroom?”
“No.” She smiled. “Even if I had, one month wouldn’t do it. It’s condoms for us.”
Yet what if he wanted to see a little guy with his eyes and her hair? Or her eyes and his hair? The idea that it might never be possible hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut.
She grasped the condom and ripped open the foil with her teeth. “You sure you’re ready?”
He grabbed her ass and fought a grin. “Yeah.”
“I’m not sure.” She scooted down and licked the tip of his cock.
Jesus. He almost lifted off the entire bed from raw pleasure. “Sami.”
“That’s me.” She grasped the base of his shaft and settled her mouth over him, pretty much killing him right then and there. The woman hummed, and he felt it in his balls. She played, taking him in her mouth, using her hands, until he was a sweating jumble of nerves.
“That’s it.” He grabbed her hair and tugged her mouth away from him. “Put on the condom.”
She pouted. “I’m not done.”
“Now.” He growled it, unable to stop himself.
Triumph lifted her lips, and she slowly, way too slowly, rolled the rubber down over him.
He grasped her hips, careful of her injury, and rolled her onto her back.
She chuckled and opened her legs.
He plunged in with one hard stroke to the hilt.
She stiffened and then sighed, her arms going around his upper torso. “Tace.” She leaned in and bit his shoulder.
Sparks of pleasure surrounded his dick along with impossibly wet and hot heat. He grasped her hip and started to move, shoving inside her, increasing the strength of his thrusts. Pillows fell to the floor. He pounded into her, hard and forceful, enjoying the bite of her nails in his skin. She gasped and her body tightened.
Oh yeah. She was there.
He altered the angle of his thrusts, hit her clit, and she clenched his dick so tight he saw stars. Waves pummeled through her body, transferred to his, and he shoved inside her and came hard.
They panted against each other, and he leaned back to kiss her, going deep.
Finally, he drew back.
Her pretty lips curved in a smile. “So now you kiss me.”
He chuckled, and the perfectness of the moment shattered him. God, he couldn’t lose her. They had to find the cure.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I always thought love would be sweetness and daisies . . . not the abyss and raw need.
—Sami Steel
The closer they drew to Century City, the more difficult it became for Sami to breathe. They’d gone over the plan so many times during the day that she had it memorized in full. Yet now that the convoy had reached the nicer part of Los Angeles, or what used to be the nicer part, a panic attack threatened to steal her concentration.
They’d buried Barbara first thing in the morning, and Tace had brought her kitten to Sami’s room since Derek ended up being allergic. The mechanic had wept during the service.
So had Sami while clutching her rosary. How many people had to die?
“Mission, baby,” Tace murmured. “Focus on right now.”
She nodded.
The Plaza building had thirty floors aboveground, so there was no way to infiltrate via the roof. There had to be escape tunnels built into the facility, but she had no idea where they led to or from.
As assault plans went, they were operating in the dark. Literally and figuratively. The idea of seeing Dr. Ramirez again, if he was still alive, made her want to throw up.
They parked and quickly exited the vehicle from behind a deserted and silent bank building that had at least fifty floors.
A team moved in from each direction, leaving getaway vehicles and medical supplies exactly three blocks from the target. If one escape route was blocked, they had three more chances.
Six Vanguard and Mercenary soldiers composed each team . . . a total of twenty-four people in all. It was the most either group could afford to lose.
Sami’s group of six included Tace, Jax, Raze, Greyson, and Damon. Grey and Damon had gotten in a blowup about Damon’s participating, but the ex-cop wouldn’t be dissuaded. They’d left without letting the Pure church know he was part of the team. Hopefully.
“Remember the good old days with radio communications and earpieces?” Jax muttered to Raze.
“I’m still not talking to you,” Raze countered, shoving a knife into his boot.
“You just did,” Jax said.
Sami shimmied a bulletproof vest over her head and secured the Velcro. “Boys. Now isn’t the time to fight, although I think Raze was correct.” The soldier had insisted, rather loudly, that Jax needed to stay behind and lead Vanguard in case they didn’t make it out.
Jax had disagreed—just as loudly.
“I’m a soldier, Raze. That ain’t never gonna change,” Jax said, glancing up at the waning moon and securing his own vest.
“If you get shot, I’m not hauling your ass out,” Raze retorted.
“Ditto,” Jax snapped.
“Knock it off.” Sami carefully slipped a backpack over her arms, which held grenades and C4. The haul from the president’s safe house had been scarily impressive. Good thing she was with people who were familiar with the weapons and explos
ives. She’d only seen such things on television and still wasn’t sure of the official names for some of the devices.
Tace grabbed a rocket launcher and hefted it over one shoulder. Sweat dotted his forehead, and his pupils had dilated.
She moved toward him. “Are you okay?” she whispered while everyone else suited up.
He nodded.
She elbowed him in the gut and hit his vest. She winced.
He glanced down. Can’t see out of my left eye, he mouthed.
Shit. “Let me know if it gets bad enough you can’t move,” she whispered. While leaving him at the truck might be a safer move, if he had another attack, it might be his last. They needed the syringe for him and right now.
What if she couldn’t find the right enzyme? What if the Bunker was out of the stuff? She shook off her fears and waited for the “go” sign.
Jax motioned for everyone to gather. “We have no idea how many soldiers they have or what kind of patrols they do. Keep an ear out . . . and if possible, knock out and secure instead of kill. Remember, these folks might think they’re still working for the US government.”
Sami shivered. “Some of the soldiers might not even be aware of the experiments. But who knows.”
Greyson turned to Damon. “If it’s you or them . . .”
“Copy that,” Damon said. “Mercy is a luxury.”
Sami swallowed. For two months she’d served as a soldier in the Vanguard territory, but she wasn’t trained as a soldier. Not really. She could fight, and she could hack . . . and that was about it. Mercy was more than a luxury to her—it was a necessity. Even heading back into hell, she’d hold on to that. But if it came down to Tace or mercy, she’d choose Tace every time.
“Stay at my side,” Tace ordered, his voice low and strong.
She glanced up.
He nodded. “I’m fine. Vision cleared.”
Good. “The labs are on A-floor.” She wiped a hand across her eyes. “If they’re still secured, I’m sure the scientists have changed the passwords, so I’ll need to hack before we can get to medicine or the cells.” She’d tried to warn them about what they’d find in the cells if the scientists had found more test subjects after she’d let so many free, but words didn’t do it. “Proceed with extreme caution if there are more experiments taking place.”
“Affirmative,” Jax said, eyeing his watch. “Go. Now.”
She ducked and followed Raze around the skyscraper, hugging the building. Deserted luxury vehicles, even a couple of limos, were still parked at the curb. Glass littered the sidewalks from early looters, and wires from a smashed ATM spiraled out from the corner.
A couple of one hundred dollar bills still hung out of the machine.
She passed the useless money, keeping low, her body on full alert.
Raze stopped and held up a hand. The squad halted, guns out and ready. He made another hand gesture, lifting his head to listen. Then he held up two fingers and slid his gun into his vest, reaching for a knife.
Without making a sound, he turned the corner with Jax on his heels. Tace edged to the side in case he needed to set down the launcher.
Several grunts sounded.
Sami dodged behind Jax and stopped short at the sight of two Bunker soldiers out cold on the ground. They wore the blue fatigues she remembered, but she didn’t recognize either of the men.
Raze searched the unconscious soldiers, securing three knives and four guns.
Then he gave the high sign, and they were on their way again.
They encountered two more soldiers and left them unconscious and tied up as well. Finally, they reached the Plaza building.
The windows reflected the moonlight, but still revealed the inside. The reception desk ran along the far northern wall, while a bank of elevators took up the entire south and west with a stairwell adjacent.
They just had to get to the stairwell and climb a few flights before trying to force open elevator doors.
The lobby had always been well guarded, so they planned to go in the back service door, hoping it wasn’t too well secured.
“You escaped out the front door,” Jax muttered, shaking his head.
Yeah, she knew exactly how lucky she’d been. “We created chaos and then ran. It was our only choice.” There had been six of them who’d engineered the escape, and on the outside, they’d all gone their separate ways toward family and home. Two of the women had been soldiers she’d barely known, the other two lab techs, both male and one studying to become a doctor, as well as a female doctor who’d just started her residency.
Sami had wondered about them through the ensuing months. Had anybody survived?
Finally, the group reached the back service door to the building. Tace set down the rocket launcher, his face pale beneath the moonlight.
Jax tested the door. “Locked.”
Sami nodded. Wasn’t much of a surprise.
Raze studied the metal. “A crowbar won’t do it.”
“Explosives it is.” Jax reached for his backpack. “Everyone get ready.”
* * *
Tace kept an eye on the surroundings, instinctively putting his body between Sami and the alley. His vision had cleared, but the toes on his left foot had gone numb. Death had stopped scaring him a while ago, weeks ago really, but the idea of leaving her alone pierced him like a frozen blade.
Sami had a softness to her, a vulnerability, that very few people saw.
If he died, who’d protect her?
So he gritted his teeth and shoved down the weakness. Just a little while longer.
We’ll find the enzyme, she mouthed, her gaze concerned.
He tried to nod, to give reassurance, but he seriously doubted they’d find anything. Even if the Bunker was still functional, how much enzyme could they really have? If only a small percentage of victims rejected vitamin B, why waste valuable resources and ingredients creating more of the enzyme?
Scorpius was what mattered, especially if it was true about no live births occurring once a woman was infected.
“Fire in the hole,” Raze hissed.
They jogged around the corner, and Tace covered Sami.
A small explosion rocked the ground.
They ran forward, and Raze yanked open the door. Tace kept one arm around the launcher and the other extended out with his gun. The metal was familiar in his hand, and his aim steady as Greyson swept high and Jax went low.
“Go,” Tace whispered.
Raze moved beyond him with Sami on his six, scouting. Quiet. All was quiet.
Tace followed with Damon.
They stood in a storage area with empty shelves. A series of dead computer screens took up one wall.
Jax motioned them forward and nudged a thin door open with his boot. He jerked back and held up three fingers.
Tace nodded and handed the launcher to Damon. The guy couldn’t fight hand to hand with the stitches still in his gut unless absolutely necessary.
Damon took the launcher, his face taut.
Tace motioned for Jax to go in, and he followed, straight on. Raze went left.
Three Bunker soldiers pivoted, mouths agape.
Tace was on the middle guy before he could draw his weapon, punching his jaw, flipping him over, and choking him out. The man was thin but muscled and gave a good fight, but Tace managed a submission hold, and soon he went limp.
“They’re not expecting company,” Jax whispered, his voice echoing across the grand lobby where once hundreds of people had passed every day.
Tace nodded, looking toward the stairway as Greyson and Raze dragged the unconscious soldiers behind the desk and bound them tight.
Sami ran for a large door and waited for Tace before tugging it open and peering inside. She gave the all clear, and they ran inside, jogging up to the seventh floor. A radio crackled from the stairwell a few floors up, and Sami pulled open the door, peeking inside. She motioned them in.
Tace went in first with Greyson on his heels. Shiny chrome and g
lass sparkled from a dry wall fountain next to a steel sign that proclaimed the LITIGATION DEPARTMENT OF LAWESON AND GEORGE.
A wide counter ran the full wall with pictures of the Los Angeles landscape behind it.
Tace headed for the elevators, and Greyson tossed him a crowbar. The Bunker workers had all held magnetic keys to go beyond the first floor, and Sami had believed each elevator could access the underground facility. Hopefully, she was remembering that part right.
He grunted and used the crowbar, creating an inch of an opening. Raze stuck his fingers in one side, and between the two of them, they opened a gaping hole in the wall.
Dizziness slapped Tace up the side of his head, and he wavered, then regained control. The metal rungs attached to the walls led down to a hatch several floors below. A quick look up confirmed the elevators many floors up had stopped.
He said a quick prayer they’d stay that way.
Slinging his pack into place, he swung into the shaft and landed on the pseudo ladder. Stale air and the smell of metal surrounded him.
They climbed down easily, and Jax blew the hatch with a small amount of C4.
Then they dropped into hell.
White walls, the shiny kind, surrounded them. Men came running from two different directions, guns already firing.
An explosion rocked the walls from a different elevator shaft and then another. Good. Three of the teams had made it inside. The fourth squad was to scout the lobby and outlying areas for patrolling threats. If they failed, the whole mission might fail.
Tace pivoted and fired, hitting a blond male in the chest. The guy fell back, and his head thunked against the marble tiles.
The place smelled like bleach and rubber gloves. Raze took a man down hand-to-hand while Jax shot another. Sami kept up the rear, protecting Damon. If they ended up in a hand to hand contest, she would be front and center. But when it came to shooting, she was better utilized in close quarters.
An alarm blared through the facility, and red lights hanging from the ceiling began to spin.
“Shit,” Greyson muttered, looking both ways down a wide corridor. Team Two dropped to the right, and Team Three to the left.
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