Shadow Falling

His grip didn’t lessen, so she had to step back to keep her balance. Slowly, with obvious gentleness, he turned her to face him.

  She shivered in the cool air, which was such a contrast to the warmth of his touch. “It’s okay. No worries, Raze.”

  His upper lip curved. “There are plenty of worries, Vivienne, but you infecting me ain’t one of them.” He rocked back on his heels, so damn solid in a world of uncertainties.

  “Then why are you so distant?”

  A veil dropped over his startling eyes. “I’m not distant, but I need freedom of movement in case an attack comes, which it often does.”

  “Oh.” A warning whispered through her. Another voice, this one stronger than most. He wasn’t telling the truth. Well, not the whole truth. “Okay.” She didn’t have any reason to challenge him, and she couldn’t let anyone know what was going on with her brain or how she knew things she really shouldn’t. Hell, even she didn’t understand.

  She’d survived Scorpius, which was known to alter brain chemistry. Then she’d been shot up with the most creative drugs ever used by the CIA, which definitely could have changed the way her neurons fired. Combine the two? Yeah. There was no telling how damaged, or changed, her brain was now.

  On the bright side, she had no interest in killing victims or turning into a cannibal, so she wasn’t a Ripper.

  Raze’s hold remained firm while he moved toward the door, and she fell into step, walking in front of him when he opened it. A former soup kitchen, the central ground floor room of headquarters now held a hodgepodge of tables and chairs. A long counter ran along the west wall, even now laden with unplugged Crock-Pots of some type of soup.

  From the smell it was burned tomato, and only two people sat around a rickety old picnic table, empty bowls in front of them. Lynne Harmony and Jax Mercury.

  Jax glanced up, his all-encompassing gaze hitting them both, flicking behind them, before returning to their faces. His coloring spoke of his Latin American heritage, while the glint in his eyes showed a predator, one trained and deadly. He’d put together the Vanguard territory to protect survivors when Los Angeles had fallen to Rippers, looters, and criminals. Rumor had it he had been a gangbanger growing up and then had joined the military when given the choice between Army or prison. “Mornin’.”

  Raze nodded, while Vinnie forced a smile, her stomach twinging. What if Jax didn’t want her at headquarters? “Hello.”

  “I heard you’re moving in,” Lynne said, the circles under her intelligent green eyes testifying that she’d probably been up all night working on her research to synthesize vitamin B in the body despite the meager equipment available.

  “Um, yes. If that’s all right?” Vinnie halted near the table.

  Lynne nodded, her fingers tapping on a bound-leather journal. “Makes sense, if you’re going to start helping with research. I could really use more information on the sociopathic mind.”

  “Sure.” It’d be nice to be of value again. Vinnie tried to keep her eyes on Lynne’s face and not the telltale blue glow emanating from beneath her white T-shirt.

  The former head of the CDC’s infectious disease unit, Lynne had contracted Scorpius and then been infected with an experimental strain of the bacterium that had turned her heart and surrounding arteries and veins blue. Many people mistakenly blamed her for the outbreak, and many others believed she somehow contained the cure.

  All Vinnie knew was that Lynne and Jax had helped rescue her from the most powerful Ripper on the planet, and that secured her loyalty without question. “I’m, ah, not sure where I will be staying.”

  Jax stood, grabbing both empty soup bowls. “You’re bunking with Raze. Only room available.” He turned and stalked across the room to dump the bowls in a rubber bin. “Raze? You done scouting?”

  “No. I took a second shift that starts in thirty minutes.” Raze glanced at what appeared to be a military watch on his wrist.

  Jax nodded. “I’ll be back to join you. This decision is on you and don’t forget it.”

  “Copy that,” Raze said, his expression giving away nothing.

  Vinnie looked from one to the other. Decision? Were they talking about her? She opened her mouth to ask, and a sharp shake of Raze’s head stopped her words in her throat.

  Jax looked back at Lynne. “Blue? Get some damn sleep before you fall down.” He pivoted and headed toward his office and war room, which were connected by a newly cut door in the building.

  Lynne stood, her lips twitching into a smile. “You smooth talker, you. Take me now.”

  He stopped at the doorway, all hard-muscled male.

  Vinnie swallowed, heat sliding down her back. Tension filled the air.

  Jax turned around and studied Lynne for a moment. Then smoothly launching into motion, he retraced his steps, no expression on his hard-contoured face. The legends whispered about him far and wide, the dangerous leader of the Vanguard, the man who killed easily, could be seen in every step.

  He reached Lynne, towering a good foot over the pale brunette.

  Vinnie’s knees wobbled with the need to do something, but her feet remained frozen in place. She cut a glance at Raze, who was watching the two with heavy lids, appearing almost bored.

  Vinnie turned back to Jax.

  With a shockingly gentle movement, he slid a knuckle under Lynne’s chin and lifted her face. “I’m sorry. What I meant to say was that you’re working too hard, you need sleep, and I’m worried about you. If I lose you, there’s no fuckin’ reason to keep going.” Leaning down, he planted a soft kiss on her mouth, released her, and turned to head back to the doorway.

  “That’s better,” Lynne called out, a pretty pink covering her cheeks just as he disappeared into the other part of the building.

  Vinnie exhaled. Wow. All righty, then. Reality slammed her, and she turned to Raze. “I am not living with you.”

  He glanced down, no expression on his face. “I know. I’ll move my things to Tace’s apartment later tonight.” He shared a look with Lynne. “It’s probably a good idea anyway.”

  Lynne sobered. “Yes. It can’t hurt anything.”

  Vinnie glanced from one to the other, easily catching undercurrents in the conversation. “Who’s Tace, and what’s wrong with him?”

  “I’m the combat medic here, and I’m probably turning into a Ripper,” said a low voice with a Texan twang from her right.

  She turned toward the western doorway, which also appeared newly cut into the wall, to see a six-foot, dark blond-haired, blue-eyed guy wearing a stethoscope and a black cowboy hat. “Oh. Hi.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “You don’t remember me.”

  She blinked, her heart dropping. “No. Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Those drugs they pumped into you would scramble anyone’s brain. I was on the mission to find Lynne when we rescued you.” He leaned against the doorway, and the blue of his shirt enhanced the color of his eyes. “I’m glad you’re better.”

  Was she better? Maybe not. “Thank you for the rescue.”

  He half-bowed. “We’re here to help.”

  She glanced from Raze to Lynne and then back to Tace. Well, if no explanation was coming, she’d just have to ask. “Why are you turning into a Ripper?”

  “I was infected and we were out of vitamin B.” He lifted a large shoulder.

  Her breath caught, but she tried to keep her expression merely interested. Vitamin B injections were crucial in the first twenty-four hours of infection, and only very rarely did a victim retain sanity without the B. “You seem to be doing all right and beating the odds.”

  His upper lip quirked. “Thank you, ma’am, but I can assure you, I am not the same man I was. Not even close.”

  Raze stepped alongside Vinnie. “As long as you’re not trying to take my skin and wear it as a suit, I don’t care if you’re a little off. Where did you get the hat?”

  Tace ran a finger along the brim. “A couple of the kids found it scavenging near Malibu the other day.”
r />   “They need to be careful over there. The rains are loosening the cliffs, and without a workforce to shore them up, those houses will soon be tumbling into the ocean.” Raze rubbed his chin. “We should hit the entire coast as soon as possible before we lose all those houses and anything useful remaining there.”

  Tace nodded. “I agree. We’ll come up with a new plan tonight that incorporates that territory. Who knew the rain would be so terrible this year?”

  “It just figures.” Raze gestured toward the door where Jax had disappeared. “I’ll show you your new digs, Vinnie.” His tone didn’t invite discussion or argument. Distance once again separated them, no matter how close they stood to each other.

  Her knees weakened, but she began to maneuver through the mix of tables.

  “Why don’t we meet in about an hour?” Lynne called after her. “Unless you wanted to go back to sleep?”

  Not a chance. “I thought you were going to get some rest?” Vinnie asked. Jax Mercury had been fairly clear with his order, no matter how sweetly he’d ended up delivering it.

  “Nope.” Lynne turned and walked toward Tace. “Come down when you’re ready and we’ll dig into your brain.”

  Vinnie started and quickly recovered, not missing the narrowing of Raze’s eyes. “Ah, great. I’ll be down shortly.” Nobody, and that meant absolutely nobody, was going to dig into her brain. God only knew what they’d find.

  Chapter Three

  Insanity is merely a matter of perception.

  —Dr. Vinnie Wellington, Perceptions

  Raze led Vinnie, Vivienne, through the doorway toward the war room and entered what used to be the building’s vestibule. He had to keep his distance and stop thinking of her as Vinnie. The name was too cute, too likable. Not for a second could he like her.

  Stairs, brick and worn, led to the upper two floors, which held ten apartments each. He climbed quietly and reached the top floor, turning right and walking halfway down the hallway to shove open a doorway.

  Vinnie tromped behind him. “You don’t lock your door?”

  “Nothing to steal.” He moved aside to let her walk into the tiny efficiency. An L-shaped kitchenette took up the area to his left, his bed the right, and a couch sat under the far window. A bathroom, now defunct, opened beyond the kitchen, where he stored extra boots if he came across any.

  “It’s, ah, lovely,” she said.

  Humor attacked him and he grinned. Damn it. So fucking likable. “Thank you.” The sofa was an atrocious purple pleather, the bedspread threadbare, and the floor cracked concrete. Even the kitchen counter was a faded lime green that somehow conflicted with the useless avocado colored oven. A gaping hole remained where a fridge had probably once been, and another hole near the baseboard had been plugged with old T-shirts. “I’m glad you like it.”

  She clutched her hands together and moved inside, taking a second, as if summoning courage. “What did Jax mean that this was ‘on you’?”

  Raze eyed her, the sense of obligation creating a heaviness in his chest. He was being pulled in too many directions, and he needed to shut down and complete the mission. That’s all this was. “Bringing you into headquarters is on me. If you end up trying to kill anybody or go nuts, then I take the fall.”

  “What does that mean?” she whispered, her pretty eyes widening.

  Raze gave her the truth in gentle terms. “In Jax’s world? He’d probably shoot me.”

  She blanched. “Then I should go.”

  Shit. He’d upset her. “No, honestly, it’s all good. Don’t worry about Jax. It takes a while for him to trust anybody.” Even Raze didn’t have Jax’s full trust, and after he did what he had to do, Jax would try to kill him. That wasn’t on Vinnie, though.

  She looked around again. The room seemed brighter with her in it. “I feel bad taking your home.” Her voice was a low, sweet murmur.

  The apartment was so far from home it wasn’t funny. His body awakened at the concern in her voice. When was the last time anybody around him had truly given a shit? Somehow, even though he was rock cold, she managed to warm him. “Don’t feel bad. This place sucks.” Not that Tace’s was any better.

  Raze studied her, once again taking a hammer to the chest. God, she was beautiful. Long blond hair, dark blue eyes, so damn tiny she’d be a master at hide and seek. He’d always had a thing for petite blondes, and throw in obvious intelligence and a wary cautiousness? Yeah. She filled his damn dreams.

  Which was why he hadn’t slept more than an hour at a time since rescuing her. Of course he’d been hunting her for months now, hadn’t he? Not for a second had he considered he’d end up genuinely liking her, much less wanting to shield her from the world.

  Two seconds inside the apartment and the room seemed warmer. The smell of calla lilies, her scent, already was seeping into the air. The woman wrung her hands together, so nervous she was making him uncomfortable. “Vinnie? You’re safe here.”

  What a fucking lie. She wasn’t safe . . . because of him.

  She nodded. “I just hope I can help out a little.” Her blue eyes darkened as she looked at the bare countertops. “You don’t have any pictures anywhere.”

  “No.” He shrugged. “I was on a mission halfway around the world when Scorpius hit and haven’t been home since.”

  “Home?” she asked.

  He breathed out. “Wyoming. I grew up in the mountains before entering the service.”

  She smiled. “You’re a cowboy?”

  The smile shot through him like fine whiskey and put his muscles on alert. His groin hardened. “I’m no cowboy.” He chuckled. “We did own a small ranch, though. Also, our mom owned a small restaurant in an even smaller town. We served a lot of ranchers.” From ten years old, he’d known how to sling hash. Sometimes he missed those days.

  “Do you still have family there?” she asked, her body finally relaxing.

  He didn’t have time to share with her. The less she knew about him, the better. Yet the hope in her eyes did him in. “No. Our father died in the service when we were young, and my sister and I were raised by our mom. Great lady.” To this day, his heart hurt at losing her. “Cervical cancer took her when I was twenty and Moe was sixteen.”

  Poor Maureen. She’d gotten so lost.

  “Moe is your sister?” Vinnie asked.

  “She was,” Raze said, his pulse quickening. He had to get out of there and stop sharing with the shrink. While she might be vulnerable, pure intelligence shone in her stunning eyes. “I have to go meet Jax and will be back later for my stuff.” Almost running, he shot out the door and closed it behind him, taking several deep breaths. A mission. That’s all she was. Just another mission.

  The second he turned her over to Grey, he’d forget all about her. Just like any mission.

  Liar. Even now, as he stormed back down the hallway, he knew he was a damn liar. He’d never forget Vinnie Wellington. Taking the steps down two at a time, he launched into the vestibule just as Jax emerged from his offices, gun in hand.

  Jax lifted a dark eyebrow. A scar cut under the left side of his rugged jaw, showing he’d beaten death more than once and would more than likely do it again. He’d changed into worn jeans and a black shirt, stretched tight over solid muscle. “You okay?”

  “Fine.” Raze reached for the gun at the back of his waist and checked to make sure the safety was off. “Ready to roll.”

  Jax studied him with deep brown eyes, as if trying to see inside his head.

  Raze stared back, accustomed to the Vanguard leader’s scrutiny. Of course they didn’t trust each other. This deadly new world made for odd allies, and for the moment they could cover each other’s backs. If, or rather when, Jax discovered Raze’s true mission, they’d be instant enemies.

  The thought charged into Raze’s gut like an ax handle he’d taken to the ribs one time years ago. It’d been so long since he belonged anywhere, and Vanguard was a good place. As good as possible these days anyway.

  Jax turned
to look up the stairway, his movements quick and graceful. “She still having nightmares?”

  “Yes.”

  “She tell you why Atherton wanted her so badly?” Jax slid that hard gaze back onto Raze.

  “Nope. We’re not girlfriends, Jax.” Raze pivoted to open the outside door.

  Jax may have muttered asshole behind his back, but Raze didn’t give a shit. He was a helluvalot worse than an asshole.

  “She was with President Atherton a long time, Raze,” Jax said.

  “Yeah, but she’s not working with him. She wakes up screaming his name in terror,” Raze snapped. “You can trust her, Mercury.”

  “I don’t trust anybody,” Jax retorted easily. “Especially a former shrink who can read us all with a glance. If she does anything to harm Vanguard, I’m taking it out on both of you, and I hate the idea of harming a woman, so I’ll probably kill you instead.”

  “You could try,” Raze said evenly.

  Jax kept moving forward. “It’d be a helluva fight, Shadow. But you gotta know, in this time and this place, I apparently have more to lose than you do.”

  “Right.” Yet that wasn’t exactly true. “You have trust issues. Maybe Vinnie can help you work on those.”

  “Asshole.” Jax didn’t bother to mutter this time.

  The Vanguard headquarters opened up to a former parking lot, now empty, that reached the long chain-link fence and a large gate. Downed vehicles protected them on the other side, while across the deserted road, a three-story brick building still stood.

  “You figure out how to get rid of that damn building yet?” Raze asked as Jax followed him into the early dawn light.

  “Yeah. C-4 or a bunch of dynamite. If you find any, hand it over,” Jax all but growled as they made it across the parking lot.

  Right. If he found C-4, he’d save it to defend himself from Jax’s attack when it came. Vinnie was under Jax’s protection, and once Raze took her, Jax would fight hard and without mercy to get her back—whether he trusted her or not. “I would assume all the C-4 and dynamite has been looted or secured.” But who knew? They’d found weirder stuff in innocent-looking suburban homes.