Justice Ascending

  Tace grinned. “I guess we have a minute.”

  “We have more than that.” She leaned in and settled her sweet mouth on his.

  His legs trembled. Shit. His vision went dark. This time when he fell, he made sure to go backward so he wouldn’t squish her.

  The last sound he heard was her screaming his name.

  He came to with Jax, Raze, and Sami all staring at him and Sami patting his face. “I’m fine.” His voice sounded groggy.

  Raze shook his head. “You’re definitely not fine. I wonder if the enzyme has gone bad?”

  “I don’t know,” Sami said, her voice thick with tears. “I’ll get into the computer and figure it out. I promise.”

  Tace nodded as Jax hauled him to his feet. Yeah, a part of him had thought he’d been cured, but apparently it wasn’t going to happen. He was gonna see those Texas ancestors of his sooner than he’d thought.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  I knew Tace Justice would break my heart, but not by leaving. I didn’t see this coming.

  —Sami Steel

  Sami had worked on the medical computers all day, trying to decipher the technical jargon and find out why Tace had passed out again. Finally, both Tace and Jax had shooed her from the room to work on the other computers, saying they could read through the data but not hack into the remaining cryptic files up in the command center.

  Later in the evening, Sami glanced into the examination room in the infirmary where they’d had to move Penelope as she fought the fever. The young woman thrashed uncontrollably on the bed, and Marcus hadn’t allowed anybody close enough to secure her. He’d shackled her to the bed himself with restraints already in place for the newly infected.

  He leaned against the wall, his chest still bare save for multiple bandages and bruises. A gun was tucked into his waistband, and a knife showed in his back pocket. His gaze remained on Sami as a clear warning not to enter the room. Man, he looked just like his brother.

  Sami cleared her throat. “Penelope started working here just a week before we escaped.”

  Marcus lifted his chin.

  Sami nodded. “She didn’t know a thing about the Bunker—only that she wanted to get free to find her family. The Bunker leaders wouldn’t let her. She didn’t know about the jail cells or the human experimentation going on.”

  “I know,” Marcus said.

  Sami swallowed. “I discovered the truth about the experiments, and the second I could, I opened the doors.”

  Marcus just stared at her.

  “Your brother has been looking for you since he returned to the States. Jax is a good guy,” Sami said. Was there any way to get through to the man?

  Marcus blinked, and something burned in his eyes for the briefest of moments.

  Sami retreated. Maybe it would be baby steps with Marcus. “How is Penelope doing?”

  “She’ll survive,” Marcus said, turning his focus back to the doctor on the bed. “She has to.” His voice was lower and rougher than Jax’s.

  Sami nodded, something in her wanting to ease the tortured pain in Jax’s brother’s eyes. “You and Penelope are together?”

  Marcus frowned. “No.”

  “Oh.” Sami blinked. “Okay.” Boy, had she read that one wrong. What in the world was going on? Marcus was the most protective guard dog she’d ever met. “You don’t owe me anything, but I’d consider it a favor if you’d at least talk to your brother. Jax has been frantic about finding you.”

  Marcus leaned his head back on the wall but kept her in his sights.

  She cleared her throat when he didn’t answer. “All righty, then. Good talk.” Turning on her heel, she almost walked into Jax. “Your brother was talking my ear off.”

  Jax’s upper lip curled. “Funny. Tace is waiting for you outside the infirmary. He’s finished with the last field dressing, and I want you both to get some shut-eye before returning to work early tomorrow morning.” He moved past her toward Penelope’s room.

  Sami fought the urge to salute. “Jax? I still have some files to decode, and they could be important.” Something was nagging at her in one of the encrypted files, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She’d been working all day, and her eyes stung. “I haven’t found the enzyme for Tace. He’s okay now, but he might not be tomorrow.”

  “You can barely stand. Get some fuckin’ sleep,” Jax called back.

  Sami bit her lip. They’d had a rough day, had almost died several times, and she could use a break. So she trooped outside and found Tace waiting, leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. His muscled arms were crossed, as were his ankles above his boots. Fatigue all but rolled off the medic. “Tace?”

  Those stunning blue eyes opened and focused on her. “We’re done for the day.”

  She nodded, her abdomen tingling. “Then I’m back to it bright and early.”

  “I have a surprise for you.” He held out a hand.

  Curiosity wandered right through her. “Oh yeah?” She slipped her palm against his, her heart aching. Why hadn’t she been able to save him? “Maybe we should go back to the medical files and figure out why that enzyme didn’t work.”

  “The last time I passed out, my heart kept beating.” Tace shrugged. “It’s an improvement.”

  “Right.” She fell into step next to him. “I get that, but that’s not uncommon, from what I read. The attacks vary in strength, and if you get one strong enough, that’s it for you. I can’t lose you now.”

  “You won’t.” He led her down the stairs at the end of the corridor and into a long hallway.

  “Where are all the Bunker people?” she asked, nodding at a couple of Vanguard soldiers guarding the stairs.

  Tace grinned. “They’re all confined to quarters on C level, while we’ve taken control of all resources on A level and the quarters on B level. I found a nice room for us.” His smile uncoiled a physical burn inside her.

  “Your smile is my favorite sight,” she said.

  He blinked and stilled. “God, there’s a part of you, a hidden sweet side, that owns my heart and soul.”

  She gaped, her chest aching like she’d been punched. “Man, you’re good with the mushy words.” All of her insides felt gooey and warm, and she would’ve rolled her eyes at herself if a mirror had been handy. Instead, she could only feel. “Tace—”

  “No.” He nudged open a blue doorway and led her inside a darkened room, pushing her against the wall. “For tonight, there are no worries—no fears—no pain. Just one night, you and me, dreaming big.”

  She blinked back tears. “I can do that.” Her voice was thick, and she cleared it. “How big are we going to dream?”

  “Close your eyes.” His warm breath brushed her ear.

  She trembled but did as he’d said. “All right. What now?”

  He swept her up, pressing her head against his neck, moving to walk deeper into the darkness. “Keep them shut.”

  “Okay.” She inhaled his masculine scent and nibbled up his jugular to lick beneath his jaw. Rough whiskers scratched her tongue, and she moved up, kissing his earlobe.

  He sucked in air, and that powerful chest moved against her.

  The world lightened a little behind her closed lids, and then he gently set her down. Her feet touched a thick rug, and she swayed, grasping his forearms for support. He lifted her shirt over her head and shoved her pants down, leaving her nude. Quick movements against her proved he was stripping as well.

  She chuckled. “Can I open my eyes?”

  “No.” He moved away, and the swish of a shower came on.

  Her eyelids flashed open, and she stared in wonder at a wide shower with steam rising. “Hot water?”

  He chuckled, pulling her under the spray.

  It was so hot and wonderful, she almost orgasmed right then. “Oh my God.” She tilted her head back and let delicious heated water sluice over her. Tace moved in behind her, shutting the glass door, his big body pressing her into the spray. “It’s heaven.” How quickly she
’d forgotten. She stepped back and wiped off her face, looking beyond the glass to a light blue energy-efficient light in the ceiling. “It’s hot water—real hot water.”

  Tace nodded and stepped beneath the spray, groaning in pure pleasure. “To think we once took this for granted.”

  “I know.” She moved into him, put her face against his wet chest, and held on with both hands around his waist. “Jax obviously doesn’t know.”

  “Not yet. I’m sure the minute he does, he’ll turn off the heat to save gas for the generators.” Tace reached for a ledge on the stonelike tile and poured vanilla-scented shampoo into his hands. “Let’s not talk about Jax while we’re naked.”

  She laughed and turned around, her back to him. “That’s a deal.”

  Tace lathered the fragrant soap through her hair, and she couldn’t help but moan. Steam surrounded them, and his hands were magic. He rinsed her hair, washed his own, and then they took an inordinate amount of time washing each other head to toe.

  Finally, Sami panted in rough need. “Tace.”

  He spread both hands over her breasts. “I’m takin’ you in the shower, Sami. In the hot shower, just once for the memory. It’ll probably be a cold shower next time.”

  “Now that would be a pity, although I love the sound of there being a next time and then another,” she said, running her hand along his impressive length. His cock jumped against her hand, and she smiled, feeling the fun and power of Tace Justice. “Let’s do this right, then.”

  He speared one hand in her hair and tilted her head back. “Now we talk about you asking Jax to knock me out and take me from you.”

  She smiled, desire ripping through her stronger than the hold on her head. “Want me to apologize?”

  He leaned down and nipped her lip, sending shards of need zinging through her. “I was kinda hopin’ to spank you again.”

  Humor and lightness bubbled up through her. “How about I spank you instead?”

  “That ain’t how it works.” His drawl deepened, and he flipped her around, landing a playful slap on her butt.

  She laughed out loud and tried to turn back around, only to have him hold her in place. “Tace.”

  “What?” He leaned over her, his mouth on her shoulder, his hand flattened across her entire abdomen. The sheer power and strength surrounding her came from pure maleness, and she took a precious moment to luxuriate in Tace Justice.

  She leaned her head back against his chest, trusting him to keep her from falling. “I’ve never trusted a man like you, Tace. I mean, like this.”

  “This how?” he asked, running his palm up to her chest and then back down, playing between her thighs.

  Her knees buckled, and he easily held her in place. “Completely,” she whispered into the steam, her gaze on the damp tile. “You told me that you liked all of me. The soldier, the fighter, the hacker.”

  “And the woman. Definitely the sweet woman,” he whispered against her ear, licking along the shell.

  Her breath panted out, and she fought to concentrate. His talented fingers ran over her labia, tapping across her clit. She shook her head, and her vision fuzzed. “I like all of you, too.”

  “Yeah?” He drew the shell of her ear into his mouth.

  She bit back a moan. “Yeah. The good ole boy, the Texas lawman, the guy who loved his mama.”

  “That’s me.” He tilted her head to the side and scraped his teeth down the side of her face to her jawline.

  “That’s part of you,” she breathed. “I like the soldier, the man who’d kill in a second for me, just as much.”

  He paused, his lips at her jugular. “You do?”

  “I love the darkness as much as the light,” she whispered. “All of you—I want it all.”

  He opened the door and grabbed something off the nearest countertop. Something crinkled—a condom. He flipped her around, his hands rough as he lifted her, his face near hers. “Then take all of me.” He bent his knees, pressed between her legs, and stood up, impaling her.

  She gasped and grabbed onto his shoulders, holding tight. He filled her completely, all of him in all of her. Tears filled her eyes, but even through the haze, his blazing blue eyes claimed her.

  Her breath panted out, and her body rioted, overtaken. Pain and pleasure melded together until she couldn’t tell them apart and didn’t want to give either up. Her nails dug into his skin, and he lowered his chin, all man. His hand spread across her ass, holding her in place, and he started to move. Deep and strong, he stroked inside her.

  She cupped his jaw with one hand, the bristles scratching her skin. His hard face showed the rugged strength of his ancestors, those Texas settlers, and she could see the men who’d come before him. Who’d created him. She could see their power—their darkness and their light. Scorpius might have brought out part of his nature, but she’d bet everything the darkness had always been there. This male side of him that he’d tried to fight, that he’d tried to hide . . . was hers. “I love you,” she murmured.

  His eyes devoured her. “There’s no going back, Sami.”

  “I don’t want to go back.” She held him tighter, feeling safe in his hands. He’d never drop her. “You said it. It’s you and me. Forever.”

  He swelled even bigger inside her. “Hold on.” Dropping to his knees, he kept her in place, partially bending over her.

  She gasped as electricity uncoiled inside her. In this position, he could go so deep inside her she’d feel him forever. He held her neck and her butt, using his knees for leverage and hammering hard.

  He buried his head in her hair, holding on, increasing the strength of his thrusts.

  She closed her eyes, feeling him everywhere—inside her—all around her. Her world narrowed and expanded to only Tace Justice, and for a moment, a perfect slice of time, the world was right.

  Then she exploded and screamed his name, the waves of raw pleasure ripping through her so completely she rode them for what seemed like forever and then ended on a sob.

  He came against her, his powerful body shuddering.

  Then he got up and kissed her so sweetly everything inside her settled.

  The water pounded around them, while steam blanketed them. She blinked, allowing reality to return. God. She had to save him.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Even the blood of the warriors from times gone by eventually slowed and stopped. Damn it.

  —Tace Justice

  Sami inched her way to the command center, her body thrumming and her heart aching. The night had been spectacular, and the bed perfectly soft and new, but she could tell Tace’s head hurt in the morning. His eyes were bloodshot, and his jaw tight in pain. He’d have another attack soon, and unless she found the right enzyme for him, he might not survive.

  First she had orders to finish decrypting the files in the command center, and then she could return to the medical center. Tace had already headed to the infirmary to check on his patients.

  So she cleared her mind and ignored the delicious tingles still taking over her body. Tace Justice knew how to spend time in a good bed. In a shower. On the floor. Hell, on a table. She grinned and tried to keep her face from flushing.

  “You okay?” Raze asked from his guard position, a scowl marring his handsome face. With his “about to go into battle” expression, he looked every inch the Native American warrior he would’ve been in earlier times.

  Sami paused. “Fine. You?”

  “Just fine and dandy.”

  Ah. Sami tried to get rid of what must be a contented glow. Raze didn’t like being away from Vinnie for any amount of time, and now that Sami had found amazing sex and romance, she actually understood why he was so cranky at the moment. “You’ll be heading back to Vanguard soon.”

  “I’m not leaving until we fix Tace,” the Vanguard soldier returned.

  Sami paused, her chest filling. The Vanguard soldiers were family, and she belonged. They cared about Tace, too. “Raze.” Tears filled her eyes.

/>   Horror filled Raze’s. “Stop that. Geez.” He reached over and awkwardly patted her shoulder, nearly sending her into the wall. “It’s okay. We’ll cure him.”

  She sniffed and headed over to her rolling chair. “I’ll go back to the medical files as soon as I decrypt the rest of these.”

  “Jax and I were up all night going through the medical files. We need to get them to Lynne or the doctors of Vanguard,” Raze said.

  Sami turned, her heart warming all over again. “All night?”

  “Yeah, but we couldn’t figure out some of the scientific formulas.” His lip twisted. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. We’ll get it.” They were fighting for Tace as hard as she was. That meant something. Heck, it meant everything. She turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up. “What about Penelope? How is she?”

  Raze shook his head. “Not good. Still incoherent even though we plugged her full of B and morphine all night.” He winced. “I guess it’s fair to say that Marcus plugged her full of them. He wouldn’t let us get close.”

  “Did he talk to Jax at all?”

  “No. The only person he seems even remotely interested in is Penelope. I have guards on him in case he tries to take her and run.” Raze leaned back against the wall. “He’s half-baked, Sami.”

  Sami nodded. “Yeah, but we’ve all been there at one time or another. Maybe he’ll relax and come out of it at some point. Who knows what those doctors did to him in their experiments. It’s amazing he’s coherent at all—trust me. Doc Vinnie might be able to shrink his head.”

  “That man isn’t getting within ten feet of Vinnie,” Raze said. “Not a chance in hell.”

  Hmmm. Vinnie would probably be of a different opinion, but Sami had other things to worry about at the moment. The cursor flashed. “All right. Let’s open this bitch up.” She started typing.

  “Can you get everything?” Raze asked.

  “Yeah. When I worked here, I created a buffer overflow to give myself super-user status.” She shrugged. “They upgraded a couple of times, or tried to anyway, but I created a backdoor.” She smiled. “Old habits die hard, you know.”