Justice Ascending

  “Is that all?” he rumbled.

  “Yes.” She liked him, too, and having him this close was a dangerous temptation. Anything more than a friendship would be a mistake, especially if her past caught up to her, which it always did. At that point, if Tace tried to shield her, he’d be demolished—and that was only if he understood. But how could he? He was a good guy from a long line of law-enforcing good guys. She didn’t know how to separate sex and feelings, damn it. “Friends is all we can be.”

  “All right, friend.” He caressed the side of her face. “Tell me about your sister.”

  Sami leaned into his touch, warming to her memories. “Jackie was a year younger than me, and she was the good one. Straight A’s, sweet, pretty. Studied teaching in college and taught kindergarten for two years before she died.”

  “Scorpius?”

  “Yeah. She didn’t survive. I reached home in time to say good-bye, though.” Sami’s chest ached. If she kept talking, she’d reveal too much. “I was the rebel.”

  His thumb ran along her jawline, his touch soft. “I can see that. Just how did you rebel, baby?”

  She blinked. “Ah, I usually chose the wrong boys.”

  Tace chuckled. “How so?”

  “I fell for my first Dice Monkey when I was fourteen, and I never looked back,” she whispered, knowing she was saying too much but wanting to share something real with him.

  “Dice Monkey?” He grinned, his fingers fanning out to her neck.

  “Gamer,” she whispered, her pulse spiking at his soft touch.

  “Like computer games?” he asked, watching his fingers run down her neck.

  She swallowed, her clothes suddenly too tight. “Yeah.” Time to change the subject. Her thighs trembled and she pressed them together. “Tell me about your sisters.”

  He leaned slightly to the side, watching his hand flatten over her collarbone. “Melanie and Juniper.” His voice deepened with affection. “Mel was a smoke jumper, and Junie was studying to become a thoracic surgeon. Was in her residency when Scorpius took her, and I was half a world away.” The pain in his voice echoed through the quiet room.

  Sami cupped his whiskered jaw, her heart aching for them both, unable to refrain from touching him. “There wasn’t anything you could’ve done, even if you had been right beside her. Trust me. I know.” She’d held Jackie for her last moments.

  “I know.” He turned his face into her palm and gave her a soft kiss.

  Her body trembled. “That’s interesting, though.”

  “What is?” he whispered.

  “Your sisters—two such different career tracks but each related to what you do.” How she would’ve loved to have met his family and seen where he’d come from. “I bet you were a protective older brother.”

  “I was terrible.” He chuckled and somehow scooted closer to her. “If death threats were truly illegal, I’d be in prison.”

  “They are illegal,” Sami shot back.

  He grinned and slid his hand through her hair. “Only if you get turned in.”

  His touch was driving her crazy, and the man knew it. Sami cleared her throat. “Tace.”

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  She removed her hand from his hard jaw. “Yes.”

  “Then let me help you. Whatever has you so scared and has forced you to keep secrets can be beat. Trust me.” His dark plea hinted at more than just the moment.

  She didn’t bother to ask how he knew she kept secrets. Tace didn’t miss a thing. “Why do you want to help me so badly?” she murmured.

  His gaze swept her face. “Because of this.” Leaning in, he brushed his mouth over hers.

  She murmured against him, sucking in her breath. One kiss wouldn’t change anything. She was curious, and she was tired of wondering. “Tace.”

  “I love how you say my name.” He threaded his hand through her hair and drew her toward him. His lips hovered over hers for the briefest of moments before he pressed against her. Firm and strong, he kissed her, exploring at his leisure.

  She’d known. Oh, she’d known Tace Justice would take his time with a kiss.

  Her eyes fluttered shut, and she moved into him. Just one kiss. He rolled her onto her back, kissing her in that unhurried way, levering his body above her. His groin pressed against hers, and man, he was hard. Rock-solid hard.

  She might have whimpered into his mouth.

  He licked the corners of her lips, nibbling softly. The gentle kiss was such a contrast to the incredibly hard body bracketing her that her lungs just seized. Her thighs widened on their own, and her eyes rolled back when he pressed against her clit. God, it was too much. She should stop him, but it felt too damn good. Just another minute, maybe.

  His broad hand held her jaw, and he pressed in with his thumb, forcing her mouth open. His tongue explored inside, bringing delicious tingles and coaxing her to explore on her own.

  She’d never, in her entire wild life, been kissed with such complete focus. His warmth drugged her, and his taste of mint, promise, and man seduced her more completely than any words of love. The kiss was all Tace. Everything she’d wanted and everything she’d feared.

  Yet she couldn’t help but kiss him back, pulled into his slow movements and deliberate gentleness.

  A growl rumbled up from his chest and into her mouth, sending electricity through her. She moved against him, her body becoming restless. His pressed her into the bed, holding her still, as he continued playing.

  Finally, he lifted his head to let her breathe. His eyes had darkened, and his nostrils flared. Desire was stamped hard across his face. “If you don’t want this to happen, now’s the time to put a halt to things.” The drawl deepened with his need. His strong hand still cupped her jaw, and he swept his thumb across her tingling mouth. “I want to taste every inch of you.”

  She shivered. He’d take his time about it, too. Her mind fuzzed and her body yearned. “This is a mistake.”

  “Yeah. Wanna make it?” His gaze dropped to her mouth again.

  God, she wanted him. It seemed as if her penchant for bad boys and huge mistakes hadn’t ebbed. Maybe it was impossible to truly change. Right now, with her body on fire, she didn’t care. She needed relief. “Yes, but just one night.”

  “Darlin’? I could take a whole night just with your breasts.”

  Her nipples hardened to rock. Traitorous little bastards. She thought rapidly but not too deeply. “Okay, two nights. These two nights in Merc territory, and then we go back to normal. This can’t be a thing.” Her voice came out breathy and low. If he knew her story, her criminal past, he wouldn’t like her. Even now, at his darkest, Justice was all about law and order.

  “Hmm.” He licked along her jawline, and she arched against him, caressing down his flanks.

  She’d said yes, and now she could touch him. Really touch him. Firm muscle and unreal strength filled her palms. Even his lower back was muscled. She hesitated upon reaching his very fine butt.

  “Don’t stop now,” he whispered, his breath heating her ear right before he nipped.

  She jerked and then laughed. “All right.” While he licked the shell of her ear, she ran her hands over his taut ass. Firm and hard . . . just like the rest of him. He finished with her ear and lifted up to settle his mouth over hers, more firmly this time.

  She caressed up his torso and under his shirt. They had too many clothes on. She opened her mouth to tell him, and he dove in, kissing her hard. She lost herself in the moment, her palms on his warm skin.

  A hard knock on the door had him off her in a second and standing between the bed and the door. “What the fuck?” he snapped.

  “Tace?” Greyson knocked again. “We need a medic.”

  Sami sat up and fumbled for the flashlight. She flipped it on and tried to control her breathing somehow. Then she yanked the sheet to her throat like a damsel from the fifties would have.

  Tace stomped forward and shoved the dresser out of the way. “If you’re fuckin’
with me, I’m killin’ you.” He yanked open the door.

  Sami pointed the flashlight at Grey. He stood bare chested with unbuttoned jeans it appeared he’d hurriedly yanked into place. Bruises, cuts, and ripped muscle showed both the strength and danger he exuded. His dark hair was ruffled and his eyes cloudy.

  He winced and held up a hand to protect his eyes. “We had a Ripper attack on our south border, and one of my guys needs stitching up. The other is still knocked out, and I don’t know how bad it is. Would you take a look?”

  Tace’s shoulders went down.

  Sami tried to calm herself. Oh God. What had she almost done? Heat flared into her face. Thank goodness it was dark in the room. Five minutes more, and she would’ve been naked with Tace Justice.

  Tace glanced her way and then back at Greyson.

  Oh. Sami slid from the bed. “I’ll come assist.”

  Tace shook his head. “If you put the dresser in front of the door, then you can sleep. Don’t let anybody in but me.” He glanced at Grey. “I expect you to guarantee her safety if you want my help.”

  “I give you my word.” Grey eyed them. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” He turned and disappeared down the darkened hallway.

  Tace grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the door. “I’ll wait until I hear the dresser in place. I’ll be back in a few hours, so you get some sleep.” He turned and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. “We’re not done with this.”

  He moved into the hallway and shut the door.

  She swallowed several times.

  “Dresser,” he barked from the other side.

  She rushed for the dresser and shoved it in front of the door.

  “Better. Get some sleep, darlin’. I’ll be back.”

  Chapter Seven

  I fuckin’ hate this bacterium.

  —Tace Justice

  Several hours after he’d had to leave a willing woman in his bed, the woman he’d been dreaming about for far too long, Tace leaned against the wall and stretched his back, his gaze on his silent patient. The guy had been bitten by a Ripper and thus had been infected with Scorpius. The damn bacteria lived in saliva and other bodily fluids, and for some reason, the really crazy Rippers liked to bite. Nobody confused them with zombies, though.

  They were just insane humans. Poor bastards.

  He’d sewn one guy up with about a hundred stitches, and now he slept peacefully against the south wall. The two guys he’d operated on were in the other room, and now he just had to worry about this poor soul.

  At about fifty years old, the guy had gray hair and loose skin. His nose was a bit bulbous. Had probably been a drinker.

  Tace eyed the dawn breaking outside the room, tapping his fingers against his belt three times. It was always three times. Soon the sun would be bright enough to dispense with the light created by the generators. He wondered how much fuel the Mercs had stockpiled. It’d be worth a look to find out.

  His body had rioted all night, while his head had remained calm. Sami in his bed . . . saying yes. It would’ve been a mistake he would have enjoyed. Would she give him another chance? If he finally got inside her, maybe he could stop dreaming about her and return to normal. Well, normal for these days.

  Greyson Storm strode into the room, fatigue lining his face and a cup of coffee balanced in his hand. He gave it to Tace.

  The strong-smelling brew nearly made him groan. Tace took several drinks and allowed warmth to settle in his gut. Someday the world would be out of such delights, and he didn’t even want to think about how quickly that would happen. “I thought you guys were out of coffee?”

  “Raid last night. Have enough for the rest of the week now.” Greyson had found an old Metallica T-shirt to throw on somewhere. He stretched his neck and glanced toward the ex-drunk fighting the fever. “How is he?”

  “Hopped up on vitamin B and Darvocet at the moment.” Tace angled his head to double check the restraints holding the guy to the bed. “He had a restless phase, and his fever is up to 105. We’ve tried medication and somewhat cold compresses to cool him down. It’s not looking good.”

  “Damn it.” Greyson breathed out. “I figured Vanguard was lying low until Scorpius finished spreading before moving north, but is it ever going to finish spreading and creating Rippers?”

  “Dunno. So long as there are uninfected people, I guess it could keep spreading.” Tace grimaced. “Frankly, we don’t know that all of us will remain sane. Vitamin B keeps some of us from going crazy for a while, but it could be a temporary fix, you know? Maybe we’ll all just go nuts and turn into serial killers.”

  “You’re a fucking ray of sunshine in the morning,” Grey said slowly.

  “You’re not the first to say so.” There had been a time when he was the cheerful one in his unit every morning—when he had the land of his fathers to return home to. Scorpius had changed more than his brain. “Sami and I are leaving tomorrow. That plan remains the same, no matter what new disaster occurs here.”

  “Understood.” Greyson glanced toward the doorway. “Where is your pretty weapon?”

  Tace frowned. “Weapon?” He’d thought of Sami in many terms but not that one.

  Greyson arched an eyebrow. “Oh, I saw her fight the other day. She’s definitely a weapon.”

  “Humph.” Tace nodded. He liked that description of her. “She’s still sleeping and definitely needs rest. We haven’t had enough in too long.”

  “Yeah. I get that.” Grey ground a palm into his left eye. “I’m too tired and pissed to be smooth about this, but I want Maureen Shadow back here working on the food supply. I’m willing to trade for her.”

  Tace cocked his head to the side, reading the Merc leader’s body language. He was angry and exhausted . . . and trying to sound nonchalant. “We don’t trade people.”

  “Then I’m willing to hire her. Pay for her services. Exchange some of my goods or people for her services. I don’t give a meager fuck how we define the situation. But Moe needs to be back here and working on food development in those damn greenhouses, or we all starve, including Vanguard.”

  Tace stilled. “So it’s Moe, is it? What exactly happened between you two when you kept her captive?” Did Maureen have a story to tell that would put Vanguard and the Mercs at war? If so, he needed to get Sami the hell out of there.

  Greyson’s arms dropped, and he gave Tace a look. “Seriously? Nothing happened. The closest we came to anything happening was she rushed me with a knife, and I took it away. Without bruising her, by the way.” He rubbed his jaw. “Well, she also knocked two of my guards out one night trying to escape.” Amusement lowered his tone.

  Tace lifted back. Whoa. “You like her.”

  “Sure.” Greyson rolled his eyes. “I kidnapped her, and she tried to cut me. Strong and feisty. Plus, she’s probably the foremost expert in food development still living on earth. What’s not to like?”

  Tace shook his head, a part of him he disliked wondering how to use that information against the Mercs. “Listen. I know we’re not pals, and at some point, we may be enemies. But no matter what, Raze Shadow is a killer, and a good one. You kidnapped his sister and blackmailed him to turn over the woman he was falling in love with.”

  “So?” Grey asked, focusing.

  Tace lowered his chin. “Raze is going to kill you. I don’t know when, and I’m not sure how—he prefers a knife—but he will be coming for you.”

  “He’s not the only one who can use a blade,” Grey said softly.

  “I know. So either you’re gonna die, or Raze is gonna die, and no way will Maureen want anything to do with you either way. Especially if you’re dead.” Numbness attacked Tace’s right hand, and he stretched his fingers, trying not to wince or show weakness. “It’s my job to make sure Raze succeeds, by the way.” He had no problem killing these days, felt more distance than ever from his proud heritage.

  “So you’re saying there’s no hope of an alliance between Vanguard and the Mercenaries.”

/>   Tace frowned. “I’m not saying that, actually. Jax Mercury is a brilliant strategist, and right now, Vanguard has the most dangerous force in the country gunning for us. Hell, the president apparently is gunning for you, too.”

  “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Greyson murmured, fatigue fanning out from his blue-green eyes.

  “Exactly.” Tace lifted a shoulder. “At least for now.”

  “We do live in interesting times.” Greyson glanced at the sun streaming through the window. “So. Have we given your little weapon enough time to scout around?”

  Everything inside Tace stilled. “Excuse me?”

  “Did you really think I’d fall for our little chat here? I knew the second Sami slid out your bedroom window, as did Damon. She’s not going to find a thing except for trouble as she tries to catalog my resources.”

  What the hell? He’d told her to get some sleep and stay put until he returned. Of course she’d hadn’t listened. Tace moved for the doorway, and instantly three men blocked his way, guns pointed at his chest.

  “Keep him here,” Grey ordered them, striding beyond them and out the door. “Continue doing your job, medic. I’ll make sure Sami is well taken care of.”

  Tace growled low in a sound he’d never heard from himself. From anybody else, either. He could take down the first guy, maybe the second, but the third would get off a shot. If he was injured or dead, he might not be able to help Sami. “You harm her, and I’ll rip you apart piece by piece.” His voice dropped to a hoarse rasp that made him cringe.

  Grey turned from beyond his men. “It’d be an interesting contest, to be sure. Keep my men alive, Justice. Unlike your leader, I do believe in an eye for an eye.”

  “You’ve misjudged both Jax and me. We’re fine with cutting out eyes and adding them to the soup,” Tace ground out.

  Greyson’s low chuckle wafted in his wake.

  The numbness in Tace’s hand turned to trembling and vibrated up his arm. Dots swam across his left eye. The back of his head heated and then went numb. God, not now.