Raze smacked his back and moved away. “It’s all good.”
Jax shook his head, his dark eyes swirling with emotion. “No. You put off your mission for Lynne, and then you went through a window. My loyalty is yours.”
Raze nodded, his chest filling. That meant something. “Ditto.”
Jax settled. “Winter said that the doc has to come, and it’s your call if she does or not.”
Raze lost his appetite. The plan he’d come up with before Winter had shown had included Vinnie staying nice and safe in Vanguard territory. The woman wasn’t bait, damn it. He’d die for either his sister or for Vinnie, and this mission would put both of their lives on the line.
There had to be another way.
“President Atherton?” Lake’s voice carried through the mansion with more excitement than Bret had ever heard from him.
“Just a second.” Bret rolled off the blonde and ignored her murmur of protest. The secretary had long legs and nice tits, and she didn’t talk too much. He gave her a smile as he stood next to the bed. “I have work, but we can continue this later.”
She stretched in the large bed and nodded, covering a yawn with her hand.
“So get back to work,” he said, pulling on his jeans and shirt.
Her glare was kind of pretty as she huffed from the bed.
If the woman thought fucking him would get her anything other than a couple of orgasms, she’d sorely misread him. In fact, she was just a temporary indulgence and apparently didn’t know it. Maybe he should find his fun elsewhere.
There was a time he couldn’t get it up without thinking of Lynne Harmony. Thank God that time was over.
Finished dressing, he forgot all about the blonde in bed and exited the bedroom, startled at finding Lake right outside. “You okay?”
Lake nodded his buzz-cut head. “Yes. We intercepted a Mercenary scout earlier this morning, and it looks like there’s going to be a meeting between the Mercs and Vanguard later tonight.”
Bret finished tucking in his shirt. “Sound like a setup?”
“No, sir.” Lake’s startling blue eyes darkened. “It took three hours of persuasion to get the scout to say a word. This is real, and it’s happening.”
Bret nodded. “That is excellent. What is the meeting?”
“The scout seemed to believe that there was going to be an exchange of Vivienne Wellington for Raze Shadow’s sister.” Lake kept at perfect attention, even in the hallway.
“What do you think?”
“Don’t know.” Lake frowned. “But I know how badly you want Vivienne Wellington back, so we should create a plan.”
Bret’s entire body hardened at the thought of having the profiler in shackles again. This time, oh this time, he’d use her. In every way possible. He smiled. “Fate is finally smiling on us again.” He turned and loped down the hallway. “I’ve never created a torture room before.” There was a shed on the other side of the property that had held rather interesting tools.
He rubbed his hands together. “Can’t wait to see you, Doctor Wellington.”
Vinnie finished rubbing lotion into her arms and nearly groaned at the decadence. A scouting party had found a whole box of lotion and toiletries on that morning’s mission, and one of the women had tossed Vinnie a tube after dinner.
The sense of belonging felt even better than the lotion.
The door opened, and Raze walked in. He’d stopped even pretending he was going to bunk with Tace and had even started mixing his clothes up with hers. Though he’d acted fine with his decision to kill Reverend Lighton, shadows darkened his eyes, and a vein bulged in his neck.
He felt the pain of causing death, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
She smiled and pushed off the sofa.
He lifted his head and sniffed the air. “What is that?”
She smiled and held out the tube. “Lotion. Real lotion. Can you believe it?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “No?”
She shook her head. “It’s a miracle. The world right now smells like roses.”
“I prefer calla lilies,” he said, dropping his bulletproof vest on the chair.
“Um, okay.” She fought the urge to go to him, although the need to soothe him dug deep and took hold. They hadn’t had the talk. The other night had been intense—incredibly so—and something had shifted inside her for him. For them. But she didn’t know how he felt, and considering he was worried to death about his sister, now didn’t seem to be the time to talk about it.
“What in the world is going through your head?” he rumbled, setting his guns and knives on top of the fridge.
She swallowed. “Nothing. Just thinking about the mission.” Yeah, she was a total chicken.
“I still think you should stay here,” he said, turning around, sans any weapons. Well, any metal weapons. The guy was a weapon himself, now wasn’t he? He sure moved like one.
She shook her head. “My staying here would just exacerbate the problem. Only I can convince Greyson Storm that I have no clue where Zach Barter is, you know? The president didn’t even know. Once Greyson has the truth, once he sees it in my eyes, he’ll let your sister go.”
“Maybe.”
“And if he doesn’t, then we’ll go with plan B. My presence is necessary to lull him into our trap.” She sounded like a Bond villain, for goodness’ sake. “I know we’re going on instinct here, but I think he’ll work with us. He’d make an excellent ally against the president.”
Raze nodded. “What else were you thinking about?”
She blinked. “Huh?”
“You have the worst poker face I’ve ever seen,” he murmured, tension rolling off him.
“God, he’s a hottie.” Lucinda popped out of the fridge.
Vinnie gasped and took a step back. She quickly recovered and smoothed down her jeans.
Raze frowned. “What the hell?”
“Although I don’t like his potty mouth,” Lucinda muttered, waving a sparkling wand around. “Look. I’m the good witch.”
Vinnie pressed her lips together. Her chest started to ache. It had been a couple of days since Lucinda had appeared, and she’d let herself believe she’d healed. That the damage to her brain had somehow gotten better. “Nothing. Just jumpy, I guess.”
Raze looked toward the fridge. “You seeing people again?”
Vinnie’s shoulders hunched. “Yes.”
He looked back toward her. “That’s okay. At least you know it’s a hallucination, right?”
She nodded.
“Well, then, you know the difference between reality and fantasy,” he said, kicking off his boots.
“For now.” At some point, what if she lost that distinction? Hell. What if she wasn’t even talking to Raze right now? He could be downstairs with Jax, still coming up with a plan, and she might be—
“Vinnie.” He studied her. “Get out of your head, baby. You’re gonna be okay. I promise.”
“I may be psychic. With all the brain tweaks, I may actually be able to read the thoughts or emotions of other people.” She had to share that fact with somebody.
His eyebrows went up. “Interesting. We’ll have to explore that later.”
His acceptance of her oddities warmed her throughout. “Where are we?” she blurted out.
He straightened. “You, ah, don’t know where we are? In Vanguard territory?”
Heat flushed up her neck and into her face, making her cheeks burn. “Of course I know where we are. What I meant to ask, even though it’s really bad timing, is where are we? It’s odd, and I know we have to save your sister, but last night, something changed for me, and I was wondering if it changed for you. Not a huge change, but more like a shift. You know, the—”
“Vinnie.” He stepped into her and cupped her cheeks. “My entire life shifted the second I carried you out of that storage room in Las Vegas last week.”
Well. now. If that wasn’t the sweetest statement ever. “For the better?”
He chuc
kled. “Yeah. For the better.” He leaned down and caught her mouth, his lips gentle and firm. The kiss went from slow burn to flash fire, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into the long contours of his hard body.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself just to feel. A few moments of forgetting reality wouldn’t hurt anything.
The kiss went on, and he smoothly removed her shirt.
Her eyelids flew open, and she glanced toward the kitchen. Lucinda had taken off. Good.
Vinnie stepped in and grabbed the hem of his shirt, struggling to get it over his head. He ducked to help her out.
The next day would bring fear and possibly pain, but tonight, they had this. They had each other, and she was going to show him what that meant. Words rambled together for her, but when he touched her, she settled. The entire world calmed and once again made sense.
She leaned in and kissed his strong torso. His heart beat steadily beneath her mouth, and she stretched up on her toes to kiss the strong column of his neck. “I’m so glad you found me.”
He tangled his hand in her hair and drew her head back. Those glorious eyes had turned the color of a magical moonlight, deep and blue. “Me too.”
Neither one of them pretended they were talking about Las Vegas.
He bent and lifted her, carrying her easily toward the bed. Her pants hit the floor, and soon his joined them. He sprawled out on top of her, warming her from head to toe.
Her breath caught at the look in his eyes.
Strong and absolute . . . and for her. That look was for her and her only. “Raze,” she murmured, running her fingers through his hair.
He nodded. “Yeah.” Then he leaned down and kissed her again, so much emotion in the taste, tears sprang to her eyes.
Somehow he rolled on a condom, and then he was pushing inside her, filling her almost too full. He took his time, staking more than his claim, each inch a testament to a hopeful tomorrow.
Finally, he paused, his body fully embedded in hers.
He smoothed the hair away from her face and placed gentle kisses on her nose, her chin, and her mouth. “You have to stay safe tomorrow. I need you.”
The words, such simple words from such a strong man, wrapped around her heart and warmed her forever. She opened her mouth to reply, and his descended, cutting off her breath and then her thoughts.
As he kissed her, as he held her, he began to thrust, taking her high and hot. Her thighs trembled, and she clasped her ankles at the small of his back.
He pounded harder, his kiss never losing strength, his body protecting hers.
Energy flushed through her, winding out, and her body arched in an orgasm so strong, she forgot how to breathe. She was just coming down when he ground against her, his body shuddering.
Tears slid down her cheeks.
He kissed them away, a brutal man showing such incredible gentleness.
Her heart burst, way too full.
Tomorrow, they’d go on a mission against an unknown enemy. What if she was wrong, and Greyson was more dangerous than she’d thought? Doubts about her sanity and ability to think clearly assailed her.
This might be their last night together.
Raze ditched the condom and rolled her over, spooning his big body around her. Warmth and security wafted around, providing shelter in a world gone dark and lonely. “It’s not too late to back out,” he murmured sleepily at her ear.
She blinked, staring at the far wall, her body thrumming in contentment while her mind rolled with reality. For the first time since Scorpius had blanketed the world, she had found her place in it. With a soldier, a complex fighter, a man she’d need a lifetime to truly know.
He was giving her a chance to protect herself and wait at home for him. But his best chance for survival was to work with her.
She shook her head, her hair winding across his arm. “No. It’s much too late to back out.”
Once again, neither one of them pretended she was talking about anything other than the two of them. They were bound together, no matter what, and the thought kept her awake for a very long time.
She couldn’t lose him just as she’d finally found him.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Trust is the ultimate leap of faith.
—Dr. Vinnie Wellington, Perceptions
“This is an interesting development,” Vinnie murmured, her gaze on three well-worn dune buggies.
Raze nodded, his lips tipping with humorless determination. “Yeah. Greyson is expecting us to approach through the university streets, and these will take him somewhat by surprise.”
Vinnie pointed to the big missile things mounted on top of each buggy. “If not, those will.”
“Bazookas.” Now Raze did smile, but it was more chilling than reassuring.
“Ah.” The sun was slowly going down over the Pacific. After a day of going over the plan and of training with weapons, they’d finally set out, driving through crumbling neighborhoods to the south of Merc territory. The beach stretched on in each direction, white, sandy, and empty. “Where’d we get the dune buggies?”
“We’ve had scouts looking for some since we first discovered the location of the Mercenary camp,” Jax said, jogging up beside them. “Each one is supposed to have helmets, which will protect not only your head but your eyes from the sand. Can’t provide any protection from bullets except for the vests you’re already wearing.”
The heaviness of the vests was a constant reminder of the danger they courted.
Raze frowned. “You don’t have to come with us.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m a trained FBI profiler with some negotiation experience. For Pete’s sake. We have bazookas.” Apparently there was a reason the Vanguard leader kept his warehouses locked and guarded. Who knew what else Jax had hidden away?
Raze jerked his head at Jax. “Let’s just keep in mind that we don’t want to blow up my sister.”
Jax nodded. “Copy that.”
“They’ll have the beach secured,” Raze said.
“Not as well as the streets,” Jax said. “Teams of two. You and Vinnie, Tace and Sami, Me and Byron. If this goes south, that’s all the casualties we can afford.”
Byron swallowed and looked younger than his seventeen years. He jerked a fluorescent helmet over his head.
Vinnie tried to give him an encouraging smile, but her lips trembled. Perhaps bringing a teenager had been a bad idea, but Jax seemed to be grooming the kid for a top position in Vanguard.
Stay safe, she mouthed.
Byron nodded, his brown eyes serious. “The lights are amped. I hate to waste them, but we’ll need to make a statement without using the weaponry. If they shoot at the lights, we have a decision to make.”
“Nobody returns fire unless I order it,” Jax said tersely.
“They won’t be expecting us from the beach,” Raze said. “Surprise is our best option. We’ll have to put the guards down.”
Jax nodded. “Affirmative. Let’s try to keep them alive because we hope to negotiate.”
“I’ll do my best.” Raze reached past the bars for a helmet to toss to Vinnie. “Put it on.” She gave him a look but tucked it over her head. It smelled like salt and sea, which wasn’t so bad. She took Raze’s hand and stepped into the buggy, allowing him to secure all the buckles across her chest.
“They’ll see us coming,” Jax said, squinting down the beach.
“Hopefully they won’t shoot.” Raze slid inside the buggy. “Let’s get this over with.”
Jax nodded and ran for the other vehicle.
Vinnie glanced at Raze. “Helmet?” Her voice came out tinny in the helmet.
He shook his head and slid protective glasses over his eyes, his gun already in one hand. “Hold on.” He turned the engine over, and the three vehicles drew closer together and began spinning down the beach.
If they hadn’t been heading for a showdown to meet a kidnapper, it might’ve been fun. The buggy bounced over dunes, throwing sa
nd. Vinnie clutched the padded bars, her stomach spinning. Each dip and fall jarred her entire body, and soon her lower back began to ache.
After about thirty minutes of riding, Jax gave some weird hand signal. Byron gripped the bars next to him, his face looking pale through the helmet’s visor.
Vinnie tapped Raze’s arm and tried to focus on his face.
“Merc territory,” he yelled.
Her heart just dropped. The sun had disappeared, and only a thin strip of pink remained across the still-light blue sky. Dusk was already falling and soon would take over the heavens.
A man ran out from behind a rock wall, and Jax turned his buggy, heading right for the guy. The vehicle hit the man, throwing him up and over the roll bar. Raze swung around and was flying out of his seat before his buggy completely stopped. The forced stop threw Vinnie against her restraints, and she cried out, her chest blooming in pain.
Raze reached the guy and punched him in the face three times. The guy slumped to the beach, out cold.
Vinnie gaped and drew off her helmet.
Blood had sprayed across Raze’s shirt, and a couple of drops marred his chin. His eyes went beyond cold to merciless. He didn’t speak as he jumped back inside the buggy and turned it around, heading north again.
Vinnie held tight to her helmet, her pulse ticking so fast her veins ached. She blinked against flying sand but couldn’t make herself put the helmet back on.
They encountered three more soldiers, and the element of surprise and a quick attack took care of each of them. One did get off a shot, but it ricocheted harmlessly against a fender. They left the downed guards on the beach, figuring at some point they’d wake up and walk it off.
Finally, Raze tensed next to her and tossed his eyeglasses to the sand. “Remember the plan?” he yelled.
She dropped her helmet to the ground. Both hands went to the restraints, and she paused, waiting for the signal.
Jax drove up on the left, and Tace on the right. Almost in slow motion, as if they’d choreographed it, all three vehicles turned and came to a complete stop, facing a sprawling brown beach bungalow.