Justice Ascending

  Triumph filled his gaze. “Who said I was talking about you?”

  Her mouth snapped shut. She drew a breath in. “Fine. Then how about Barbara? She’s a great soldier, and you’ve seemed happy with her this last week.”

  He shrugged. “We agreed to no commitments.” His eyebrows rose. “I’d ask about your love life, but you haven’t been seeing anybody. Don’t you miss sex?”

  “Who says I haven’t been having sex?” Time to put him in his place, damn it. She moved then, punching him hard in the gut and sweeping left. He bent over with a muffled oof, and she kicked out, aiming for his shoulder.

  “You’ve been celibate. I’ve watched.” His torso pivoted, and he grabbed her foot before it connected with his flesh.

  What the hell? She hopped back, her entire body going into a fight-or-flight mode. He’d never moved that quickly before. Her breath sped up, and only part of her reaction was from the fight.

  Giving a low laugh, he shoved her foot up into the air, knocking her off balance.

  She landed on her back with a loud slap against the mat, the air whooshed from her lungs, and he was on her.

  Her mouth gaped open.

  He straddled her and manacled his powerful hands around her biceps, pressing her upper body to the mat. He leaned down, his eyes right above hers.

  She blinked several times. From day one, his eyes had fascinated her. Deep and blue, they looked what she’d imagined the Texas sky looked like. But as she focused, awareness struck. Dark blue rims, nearly black, encircled his irises. Those were new.

  “Tap out,” he whispered, his voice gritty.

  Oh, he really didn’t know her at all. She went limp as if giving up. His lips started to curve into a smile. Using her butt as a fulcrum, she rolled her hips, pushed off from her shoulders, and yanked her knees up beneath his arms. Putting all her strength into her legs, she kicked him squarely where his arms met his shoulders. The shock of the impact ricocheted up to her hips.

  He fell back, releasing her.

  She rolled into a backward somersault and leaped to her feet, her gaze tracking him. Awareness clacked through her, igniting nerves to life. Her blood stirred, and her body went on full alert, reacting to the raw maleness suddenly challenging her.

  He stood and stretched his right shoulder, smiling. The smile wasn’t amused and held more than a hint of warning. “That’s relief in your pretty eyes, Samantha,” he whispered.

  “Ha. That’s boredom,” she shot back, keeping track of his hands, her heart thundering. She’d spent her whole life courting danger, and she wasn’t changing now. If he moved in fast, she’d need to kick.

  “Hmm.” He rubbed his other shoulder. “I originally just wanted to let off some steam, you know.” He moved forward, just a foot, already in a fighting stance but way too calm.

  “Is that so?” She kept on her toes, her body on alert for his move.

  “Yeah. Then I kind of wanted to win and make you tap out. But this isn’t about just tapping out anymore, now is it?” His chin lowered, and he focused on her knees, a different look in his eyes than she’d ever seen there.

  The look stole her breath away.

  She couldn’t transmit her intention with her legs, so she shook out her hands, trying to draw his attention. His concentration didn’t move. Her entire body felt sensitized and primed—hyperaware of him. “What more is there than tapping out?” Her voice lowered to a whisper.

  His nostrils flared like a wolf’s catching a scent. “You’re wondering what it’d be like. You and me—just once.”

  She stiffened and then quickly loosened her muscles in case of attack. How did he know that? Her legs trembled, and she settled her stance again. “Not even close.”

  His grin was full-on this time. “Liar.”

  She swallowed. All right. The guy had blue eyes, chiseled features, ripped abs, and a Texan drawl. Plus, she’d always had a thing for blonds. “Wait a second.” She cocked her head to the side. “Is your hair getting darker?” He’d cut it, but now that it was growing out a little, she could see burnished auburn instead of blond.

  “Yes, ma’am. Apparently hair and eyes can change color after Scorpius.” He moved his head, his gaze on her feet now. “The eyes of some early Ebola survivors changed color, so it’s not a huge surprise.”

  She lowered her shoulders. Okay, this was good. They had returned to talking about Scorpius. “I see.”

  “Back to the point. You’re attracted to me, and I think I’m finally seeing how you’ve managed to hide that so well.” Regret twisted his lip even as he spoke.

  Heat climbed into her face. Focus. Don’t get angry. Keep calm to fight. Her father’s mantra rippled through her head. “Maybe you’re just crazy now.”

  “Could be.” He moved then, and she countered, shocked when he took her down with one arm around her waist.

  She struck out, and he once again straddled her, his groin firm against her abdomen. His hands pinned her arms to the mat, and this time, he kept his elbows in so she couldn’t use her legs.

  Tace had always been a fast learner.

  He leaned down, his face once again above hers. Heat bracketed her from all sides. “The fact that you could kick my ass kept you feeling all nice and safe and superior, now didn’t it?”

  Warning pricked through her abdomen at his words. His hold was absolute, so she didn’t try to fight it. A pulse pounded between her legs. He’d move, and then she’d find an opening. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it?” He leaned down, and his breath warmed her mouth. “I’m thinkin’ an old-fashioned girl like you would not want a guy she could beat. It’s a biological issue, especially now that civilization has died.”

  “Old-fashioned?” She snorted even as she fought a shiver.

  “Oh, Samantha. Little girl, big Hispanic family, raised by street fighters? Yeah, you’re old-fashioned.”

  She rolled her eyes. “My mama was Hispanic, but a name like Steel? I’m descended from Scots as well, buddy.”

  “No wonder that temper is so glorious.” He kept her easily in place, and she had to try hard to banish images of him over her in another way that involved multiple orgasms. He smiled. “I appreciate the old-fashioned side, but you know what? I like the wildness in you even more.” His voice lowered to a deep rasp.

  Her nipples peaked, and finally, anger won. Fury against them both as well as her traitorous body. A fellow soldier shouldn’t affect her like this. “Do you, now?”

  “Oh yeah. I just hadn’t realized it needed to be tamed.” He leaned down farther, and his lips brushed hers. “The old me? The pre-Scorpius Texan good ole boy? The one you could handle?”

  “Yeah?” Finally, she let her temper free. The man had no clue whom he was messing with. She met his challenge and sank her teeth into his bottom lip.

  His head jerked back. “He’s almost gone.” The growl that rumbled from him sounded much more animalistic than human. Keeping her in his sights, he slowly licked a dot of blood off the small wound. “Stop challenging me, because I’m what’s left.”

  Her heartbeat sped up until her chest ached. “Meaning?”

  “Tap out.” He leaned down again, his gaze so intense she could feel it through her entire body. “And remember one more thing.”

  She couldn’t breathe, and it wasn’t from his weight, because he was balanced on his knees. “What’s that?”

  He nipped her lip. “I bite back.”

  Desire speared through her, this time edged with a sharp blade. So for the first time since Scorpius had hit, for the first time since she’d arrived at Vanguard, Sami Steel tapped out.

  Chapter Two

  If Scorpius turns off emotions like a fountain, what happens when the spigot turns back on?

  —Tace Justice

  Morning sun illuminated the stairwell without artificial light—it was going to be another hot day. Tace tugged a dark blue T-shirt into place as he hustled down the stairs in headquarters, his flak boots clunking
on the steps. Reaching the vestibule, he turned left into the war rooms, running into Barbara Bradley.

  She grabbed his arms to keep from falling. “Tace.” Pink blossomed into her pretty face.

  He stepped back, his thoughts swirling. They’d hooked up a couple of times, but now his mind was on Sami. “Ah, sorry.”

  The tall brunette nodded and stepped away. “I was hoping we could talk later today after my shift.” She leaned back, her blue eyes clear and soft. A bulletproof vest covered her stacked chest, and a gun was tucked into her waist. “I’m on duty in a minute.”

  He nodded, the saliva in his mouth drying up. It was hard to imagine he’d been smooth with the ladies at one time. Though he needed to end things, he didn’t want to hurt her. “Later would be good.”

  She smiled, flashing a dimple in her left cheek. “Jax put me in charge of B-squad.”

  “Congrats.” Tace nodded. He’d helped to train her, and she was a good choice.

  She passed him and patted his arm. “Later.”

  Tace took a deep breath. “Later,” he repeated, moving into the war rooms.

  Jax Mercury was waiting for him in the back room, feet up on a monstrous coffee table. “You’re late,” he said.

  “Sorry.” Tace dropped into a plush leather chair they’d scavenged from a law office near Malibu. “Couldn’t sleep and then finally dropped off an hour ago.” To have a fucking wet dream about Sami Steel. Hell. He hadn’t had a wet dream since he was fourteen years old and discovered how much girls liked a Texas accent. He admired her, enjoyed working with her, and needed to stop the nonsense now. He was way too volatile to be around a woman like Sami, but he had to break things off with Barbara, too. It wasn’t fair to her. “Where is everyone?”

  Jax eyed the sun streaming through the window. “I’ve changed the time for our status meeting. You and I are taking a different meeting now.”

  “Copy that.” Tace leaned back in the chair and studied the man known far and wide for creating the seven full blocks of Vanguard territory. An ex-Delta Force member, Jax had returned to East Central Los Angeles where he’d grown up in a gang to create a haven for survivors after Scorpius had descended upon them all. “Am I supposed to be the good ole boy or the badass enforcer for this one?”

  Jax reached for a chipped mug in front of him. “Neither. I just want you to watch and listen.”

  “All right.” Tace rubbed the scruff along his jaw, not really giving a damn about a meeting. There was a time he’d been a curious person, but he couldn’t remember why. Even so, he could manage small talk and pretend to be normal. “You still mad at Raze?”

  “Yep.”

  Wonderful. Jax had been furious upon discovering that Raze Shadow, one of his top soldiers, had been working with the Mercenaries, a group of dangerous vigilantes in control of the Santa Barbara area. Of course, they had kidnapped Raze’s sister and were blackmailing him. Even though Jax had been angry, he’d put himself in danger to rescue the woman.

  Apparently, Jax didn’t forgive quickly.

  Heavy boot steps sounded outside, and Damon Winter strode into the room, a steaming mug in his hand.

  Tace straightened in his chair. He hadn’t been expecting this meeting.

  Damon nodded over the mug. “Thanks for directing me toward the kitchen while we waited for Tace. This is my third cup. We’re out of coffee in Merc territory.”

  “Now that’s a shame,” Jax drawled, dropping his feet to the floor. His brown eyes narrowed. “Didn’t know you were roughing it.”

  Damon settled into a chair. “It has been a trial.”

  Tace cataloged the man. He was about thirty years old, long and lanky, with dark brown eyes and skin. He’d flashed an LAPD badge the last time they’d met, so he no doubt had some decent training. Unfortunately, he’d also aligned himself with the Mercenaries. “You’re fairly brave to just show up in our territory,” Tace observed.

  Damon shrugged. “You didn’t kill me the last time I was here, and if there’s a chance for Vanguard and the Mercenaries to form an alliance, that’d be good for both groups.”

  “Then the Mercs probably shouldn’t kidnap women,” Tace drawled, letting his accent free.

  Damon sighed. “Maureen Shadow is currently safe at Vanguard, so let’s just let bygones be bygones. She was treated well with us. In fact—”

  “No.” Jax crossed his arms.

  Tace remained stoic.

  “Listen. Maureen’s specialty is food development, and we control all of the research facilities and greenhouses,” Damon said. “Greyson would’ve come himself to request her being stationed in our territory, but you’ve banned our leader from Vanguard.”

  “If I let Greyson Storm set one foot in Vanguard territory, Raze Shadow will rip off his head and reach down to remove his heart.” Jax spoke evenly, but his Hispanic accent slipped out at the end. “Then Raze would most likely shove it up Storm’s ass.”

  Now that was quite an image. Tace bit back a snort. “Besides, we don’t station civilians anywhere.”

  “Maureen Shadow is more than a civilian. She’s probably the best food developer in the remaining world,” Damon said. “Shouldn’t we ask her if she’d like to continue her work?”

  “No,” Jax said.

  Tace didn’t react. While Jax might be pissed at Raze, he was willing to protect the soldier’s sister. Jax had been shot full of vitamin B when he’d contracted the bacteria, thus retaining his humanity because the injection counteracted the effects of Scorpius somehow. They’d been out of B when Tace had gotten sick. Or maybe he’d always had sociopathic tendencies, and now they were finally free. Who knew?

  “Damon, are you here just to ask about Maureen?” Jax asked, pushing away from the table.

  “No.” Damon lost the smile. “We’d like to borrow one of your doctors for the next couple of days. Ours was killed in the attack yesterday, and we need help.”

  The Merc territory had been attacked by the Elite Force, the president’s military group. Unfortunately, the president of the former United States was one of the worst sociopaths out there. “I can help,” Tace said. Getting away from headquarters and Sami was a good idea at the moment.

  Jax frowned.

  “We can’t afford to send one of the doctors from inner territory,” Tace said, standing. “I’m a combat medic, anyway, and that’s what the Mercs need right now.”

  “We’d take it as a sign of good faith,” Winter said.

  Jax pushed away from the table and stood. “I don’t give a shit how you take it. Wait outside for a minute.”

  Winter glanced at Tace and then nodded, turning on a work boot and exiting the war rooms.

  “What?” Tace asked.

  “This could be a trap.” Jax turned and paced the length of the room. “You know everything about Vanguard. If they want to kidnap somebody and extract information, you’d be a top target.”

  Tace nodded. “I know. We were there during the attack, Jax. If their doctor was hit, then they need help. You saw the damage.” Hell. The entire headquarters had been blown to hell and back.

  “You want to help them?” Jax narrowed his gaze.

  Tace lifted a shoulder. “Sure. I mean, why not go in, take notes, help out, and report back about the inner workings of the Mercenary camp? As a medic, I’ll be granted access, right?”

  Jax eyed him. “An undercover op?”

  “Yeah. It’s the perfect in.”

  Jax shook his head. “Since when are you the strategist without a heart?”

  Tace paused. “Since Scorpius.”

  Jax’s head lifted, and emotion smoldered for a second in his gaze. “Fair enough. Well, we do need intel on the Mercs. It’s a risk, but you’re right. Detail their weapons, their facilities, and their resources. Find out how many vials of vitamin B they have and where they’re weak.”

  “You got it.”

  “Good. I’m not sending you in alone,” Jax said.

  Tace stalked to the lockers h
olding weapons along the back wall and quickly inserted a knife in his boot. “Raze can’t come. He’ll start a war.”

  “No, and I need to stay here to deal with internal matters. I’m sending Sami. She’s our best fighter, anyway.” Jax waited until Tace turned around with guns in his hands, already scowling. “You disagree?”

  Tace breathed out and shoved a Sig into his waistband. “I don’t think Sami should come.”

  Jax’s eyebrow arched. “Why not?”

  Because Tace kept picturing himself riding her like a prized pony. “She’s a woman, and we don’t know how the Mercs deal with women, even though they didn’t harm Shadow’s sister. If it’s a trap, we can’t risk Sami like that.”

  Jax’s gaze narrowed. “She’s a soldier, and we’ve always treated her as one of us. That hasn’t changed.”

  No, but the way Tace looked at her had. “That’s true.” He didn’t have a better argument, damn it.

  “Also, I wouldn’t mind having you watch her interaction with Damon Winter.” Jax crossed his arms. “It’s interesting that they don’t know each other.”

  “Maybe.” Tace instantly had the raging urge to defend the little soldier. Sami had stated from the beginning that she’d been a rookie with the LAPD, and yet, she and Winter hadn’t recognized each other. “LAPD was a large organization. Huge, really. It’s not unheard of for people to work there and not know each other.”

  “Yeah, but she acted odd when we brought it up. Was twitchy.”

  That was true, yet Tace kept defending her. “Perhaps they just never crossed paths.”

  “Or?” Jax asked.

  Tace sighed. “Or one of them is lying.”

  “If that’s the case, figure out which one.” Jax picked a bandage over his right arm that covered a recent bullet wound.

  “Leave your injury alone,” Tace ordered.

  Jax slapped the bandage back into place. “I know you and Sami are friends, but if she’s been lying to us, you need to tell me.” He moved toward the door. “After Raze’s lies, I’m having trouble accepting secrets from any of you.”

  “I’ve been an open book, pard.” Well, except for the recent tremors and numbness attacking his limbs. But that was temporary and probably yet another side effect of the bacterial infection. “You can trust me.”