Shadow Falling (The Scorpius Syndrome #2) (39 page)

“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 chuckled. “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.

“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 sand. 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.

Vinnie ripped open her seat belt and jumped out of the buggy, running to the rear to duck down out of sight. She took her gun from where it had been strapped to her leg, disengaged the safety, and drew several deep breaths. She edged to the side and craned her neck to see what was happening.

Lights set atop the roll bars flipped on and flooded the beach house, illuminating a fire pit surrounded by empty chairs.

Then they waited. And waited.

Raze, Jax, and Tace stood to the side of their vehicles,
guns out, near the loaded bazookas. Sami and Byron covered the rear, just like Vinnie.

Finally, Greyson Storm stepped out from the building, his hand wrapped around the bicep of a petite woman. Even from a distance, her blue eyes were recognizable as similar to Raze’s. “This is a nice surprise,” the man said, his voice easily carrying over the sand and surf. “Are those bazookas?”

“Yes,” Raze snapped back. “Moe? You okay?”

Guns suddenly emerged from every window, from the rooftop, and from around the house. At least two dozen barrels all pointed at Raze.

“I’m fine, Raze.” Moe held perfectly still, no doubt wanting to keep things from escalating. “Dune buggies, huh?”

“Let my sister go, Grey.” Raze settled his stance, and sand sprayed.

“Where’s the doctor?” Greyson asked.

Vinnie faltered and then stepped forward. “I’m right here. Let Maureen go, and I’m happy to speak with you as long as you like.”

Raze stiffened even further. “Get back down.”

“No. This is what I do.” She moved up next to him. “You don’t want to hurt anybody, do you, Greyson?”

The massive man cocked his head to the side. “I wouldn’t mind hurting the asshats who have bazookas pointed at my home, Dr. Wellington. However, I have no desire to harm either you or Maureen Shadow, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Well, it was sort of what she’d been asking. She stepped up to Raze’s side. “How about we meet in the middle? You and Maureen meet with Raze and me? We can have a nice chat with all these guns trained on us.”

“And bazookas,” Greyson said wryly.

“Yes,” Vinnie said.

Greyson apparently gave the idea some consideration. “No guns.
Drop yours, Shadow.” As they watched, Greyson removed a gun from his waistband and set it on a table.

Vinnie nodded at Raze. “That’s a good sign,” she whispered.

Raze cut her a look but took his guns out to place them on the buggy seat. “Not giving up my knives,” he muttered under his breath.

Vinnie set her gun on the seat and then slipped her hand through Raze’s arm. “Let’s go.” She sank into the soft sand, trying to maneuver Raze toward the middle of the beach.

He smoothly set her partially behind him and led the way. “If anybody shoots, you duck and cover,” he ordered.

“Okay,” she whispered.