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  Raze jerked against the straps, but they held tight. He wasn’t the first soldier to require restraints during the Scorpius fever. “Even after Scorpius, you’re not a guy who’d torture a woman.”

  Tace gave a crooked smile. “I’m not sure, but I think we’re about to find out.”

  “Wait a minute.” Raze stopped fighting.

  Jax snorted. “Too late.”

  “For what?” Raze gently tested the restraints this time. No give.

  “For you to convince us that you don’t care about the good doctor. That she’s not your concern, yada, yada, yada,” Jax said. “You already showed your true reaction.”

  Which was exactly why Jax had hit Raze up when he’d first awoken from fighting for his life. There just wasn’t time to think things through. “You’re a real prick,” Raze said slowly.

  “Yes,” Jax said.

  Raze eyed both men. “I have no plans to harm Vanguard or its people. My mission is my own, and believe me when I tell you two things. The first is that although I do genuinely like Vinnie, my loyalty and focus are elsewhere. I’ll sacrifice her for my mission.” At one point that had been the absolute truth. Now he wasn’t sure, but he kept doubt off his face.

  “And second?” Tace asked.

  “If you touch Vinnie, if you harm her in any way, I’ll make sure you do feel again. And Tace? You’ll wish to God you didn’t.” Raze meant every damn word.

  “Where’s the letter you mentioned?” Jax asked again.

  When the hell had he told Jax about the letter? Raze shook his head. “I have no clue what you’re talking about. If I said something while delirious, there’s no truth to it. You have to know that.”

  “Go, Tace,” Jax said softly. “Come back in an hour.”

  “Wait.” Raze tried to rear up. “Give me a couple of hours to figure things out. Just to let my brain start working again.”

  Jax shook his head. “Sorry, buddy. It’s now or never.”

  Raze paused. “Why?”

  Jax shrugged.

  Shit. “Where’s Dr. Harmony?” Raze asked, his chest swelling.

  “She’s inner territory at the main hospital,” Jax said.

  Raze stopped breathing. Jax had sent Lynne inner territory because she would’ve stopped any harm from coming to Vinnie. “She won’t forgive you for torturing a woman.”

  Jax grimaced. “She’ll forgive me, but it ain’t gonna be easy for a while.”

  “You’re that confident of your woman.” Raze shook his head, going with the only ace he had. “She’s a healer, Jax. No way will she be all right with you harming Vinnie.”

  “Then she’ll have to get herself all right,” Jax said simply. “The world has changed, and the rules are gone. She’s my life, and she agreed to that, so there’s no going back. Like I said, it ain’t gonna be easy, but at the end of the day, she’ll still be in my bed.” He opened the door wider. “You could have that with Vinnie, if you do the right thing here. Don’t you want that?”

  “If Tace touches her, I’m coming after you.” Raze would’ve threatened Lynne, but Jax would just shoot him right then and there, which would screw up his mission for sure.

  “Of that I have no doubt.” Jax followed Tace out and shut the door.

  Raze yanked against the restraints. The idea of the sweet blonde being physically tortured because of him filled him with a rage he’d never experienced. Nobody could harm her soft skin. She’d been through enough, damn it. He had to get free before Tace reached Vinnie. He just had to.

  Vinnie waited in the large gathering room off Jax’s office—the same room in which she’d given her lecture the other day. She sat in the same chair, her focus on the door.

  Tace Justice strode inside and tossed two books on the table. The medic looked long and lean in ripped jeans with a button-down green shirt covering his wide chest. “Look what I found.”

  She gasped and reached for the books. Sociopaths and Perceptions by Dr. Vinnie Wellington. “Where in the world did you find these?” She held the treasured volumes to her chest. The second she’d finished the first book, she’d dedicated it to her father. He would’ve been so proud had he lived long enough to see her books on a shelf. God, she missed him.

  Tace pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “Raiding party hit a library on the west side early this morning. They brought back the entire reference section for our doctors, and your books were included.”

  She rubbed the weathered binding of Perceptions. “We have to get the rest of the books. Literature, romances, thrillers. They matter, too.”

  “Agreed. A group is heading back tomorrow.” Tace rested his elbows on the table.

  “How’s Raze?”

  Tace tapped the tabletop. “Raze is awake and doing better.”

  Vinnie pushed away from the table.

  “You can’t see him yet.”

  She faltered. “Why not?”

  “He and Jax are having a chat,” Tace said, his gaze never leaving her face. The medic seemed to overwhelm his chair in a way he hadn’t just a few days ago. Was he getting bigger? More muscular?

  “A chat between Raze and Jax right now doesn’t sound good.” Vinnie stood.

  Tace leaned forward and suddenly took over the atmosphere. “Please retake your seat, darlin’.”

  The Texas twang held a hint of threat. A new one. Vinnie didn’t move. “Excuse me?”

  “I need you to sit. Now.”

  She studied him. Rugged face, deep blue eyes, black cowboy hat. Superior fighting shape. While she could make it to the door, he’d catch her before she reached the infirmary. If he chased her. His expression showed quite clearly that he would.

  He nodded. “You know how animals, the predatory kind, always chase prey? I mean, even if they’re not hungry at the moment, but prey is there and runs? Instinct makes them give chase.”

  Her stomach rolled over. She sat.

  “Thank you.”

  “Do you think you’re a predator?” she asked gently.

  He stilled and then broke into a smile. “Ah, sweetheart. You’re shrinking my head right now.”

  Well, maybe. “Seriously. Do you have the urge to, ah, chase people?”

  “Not usually, but if you’d run when I told you to sit, I would’ve taken you down three steps before you reached the doorway.” He leaned back, almost appearing relaxed. “It’s instinct, and it’s new, but it’s there.”

  They’d have to explore that issue later. Her head ached. “Is Jax hurting Raze?” If so, she’d have to get past Tace somehow. She needed to start carrying a weapon.

  “No.” Tace drew imaginary circles on the table but kept his focus on her face. “I promise.”

  She studied his body language as well as his voice inflection. He seemed to be telling the truth. “Then why do you want to keep me here?” she asked.

  “Jax needs to find out why Raze is here helping Vanguard,” Tace said. “In fact, supposedly there’s a letter Raze composed in case of his death. Any idea where he would have hidden it?”

  She slowly shook her head, her mind reeling. “Maybe Raze just wants to help. Maybe he’s looking for a place to call home.”

  “That’s you, not him,” Tace murmured. “You’re the one wanting to set down roots.”

  Her mouth opened and then closed. “Aren’t you?”

  “Hell, sweetheart. I’m just trying to keep myself from becoming a Ripper. I don’t give two squawks where I am when I do that.” He glanced toward the light coming through the doorway. “It’s midafternoon. Guess I won’t scout today.”

  “How long are you supposed to keep me here, and why do you think Raze will talk to Jax?” Something wasn’t adding up.

  “You need to stay here for the afternoon, and I know Raze will talk to Jax because he doesn’t have a choice if he wants to be released.” Tace held up a hand when she began to argue. “Plus, and here’s the rub, Raze wants to talk to Jax. He’s definitely on a mission, but he wants to belong, and he needs to t
rust somebody. Jax is a good guy and Raze knows it.”

  Now that did make sense. “That’s all there is to the situation?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Tace said, all charm.

  “I don’t believe you,” Vinnie said, the hair on her arms rising.

  Jax Mercury strode into the room, finishing what looked like a ham sandwich. “Dr. Wellington? Please profile Raze Shadow for me.” He drew out a chair to sit.

  Vinnie swallowed. “Where is he?”

  “Resting peacefully,” Jax said. “I questioned him, he refused to answer, and then I came here.”

  “You, yo-you didn’t hurt him?” Vinnie whispered.

  Jax sighed. “That’s a man who won’t break physically. Period. I don’t torture people, but even if I did, it would be a waste of time with Raze. Which is why I need you to profile him for me. Thank you.” He waited.

  She eyed the door. “I find it odd that you’d give thanks after issuing an order. You didn’t ask. You told. Which is fine, I guess, because we all kind of work for you. But I—”

  “Vinnie?” Jax murmured.

  She snapped her mouth shut and took a moment. “Sorry. I babble.”

  “That’s all right. So? Profile?” Jax asked, impatience lining his face.

  Well, if Jax and Tace were sitting in front of her, then they weren’t harming Raze in any way. “He’s a soldier because he wants to be one. He’s loyal and ambitious.” She pursed her lips together. “Something is driving him, and he doesn’t like it, but he’s determined to succeed at whatever his mission might be.”

  “What else?” Jax asked.

  “He likes you. He likes being here and working with the group, and I think he appreciates the order you’ve created. He defends the weak, and the fact that you do the same makes him respect you,” she said.

  “Then why doesn’t he trust me?” Jax asked, lines cutting into the sides of his mouth.

  Vinnie pushed hair away from her eyes. “He does trust you, but whatever this mission is can’t be compromised. Something more important than you, than trust, is driving him. He won’t take the chance unless you get through to him somehow.”

  Jax’s lips thinned into a firm line. “Then I’ll have to get through to him.” He looked at Tace. “It has been about an hour since I left him.”

  Tace stood and withdrew a big black gun from the back of his waist.

  Vinnie swallowed. “Um, what—”

  Tace brought the gun down on his right knuckles. Blood sprayed.

  Vinnie jumped up, her lungs seizing. “What are you doing?”

  Tace smashed his hand twice more while Jax watched impassively.

  “That should do it,” Jax said.

  Tace nodded and turned toward the door.

  Jax pointed to Vinnie’s seat. “Please sit back down, Doc. I’d like for you to profile Tace now.”

  “No,” she said wildly. “What the hell was that about? Why would Tace hurt himself? What does it have to do with—” She sat back as realization dawned. “You’re a fucking asshole.”

  Jax lifted an eyebrow. “Okay.”

  “Y-you want Raze to think Tace tortured me,” she whispered, her legs itching to run for the door.

  “It’s better than actually torturing you, right?” Jax said, his chin down.

  She glared. “You wouldn’t torture a woman, Jax Mercury.” She’d bet every advanced degree she’d earned on that fact.

  “Even to save Lynne? To protect her?” he asked softly.

  Vinnie’s mouth opened and then shut. Good point. As a last resort, there probably wasn’t anything Jax wouldn’t do to keep Lynne alive. “You’d think of another way first, I’m sure.”

  “Which is exactly what I just did,” Jax said. “Now you’re going to stay here until Tace convinces Raze to talk.”

  Vinnie’s nostrils flared, and she wanted nothing more than to kick Jax in the balls.

  “I wouldn’t,” he said, easily reading her.

  She swallowed.

  “If Raze wanted to hide a letter, where would it be?” Jax asked.

  Vinnie pursed her lips. Well, he had visited her in her old apartment, and he’d also helped her to move from there. “I have no clue,” she said. Jax wouldn’t get her cooperation against Raze, especially since the Vanguard leader was currently emotionally tormenting the man.

  A Vanguard soldier, blond, male, and about forty years old, slid open the back door. “Jax? This reverend guy has been waiting to talk to you for a couple of hours.”

  “Reverend? We have a reverend?” Jax asked. At the soldier’s nod, he motioned. “Send him in.”

  Vinnie pushed her chair away from the table.

  “Stay here,” Jax said, his gaze on the door.

  She settled back down.

  “Give me a read on this guy. Let’s see what you can do, Doc,” Jax said.

  The man walked inside. He was tall and thin with dark blond hair swept back from a sharply cut face. Deep green eyes showed intelligence and strength. “I’m Reverend Lighton,” he said, his voice deep and melodious.

  “Uh-huh.” Jax pointed to a seat. “You wanted to see me?”

  Vinnie watched Lighton approach. Easy gait, calm manner, gaze unblinking. She sat up, her instincts humming. His gaze was too unblinking.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, but my main congregation is having concerns, and I promised to speak with you.” Lighton sat and clasped his hands on the table.

  Jax lifted one eyebrow. “You’re a reverend?”

  “I am now. Scorpius has created new lives for us all.” Lighton crossed his legs.

  Jax studied him. “Fair enough. You mentioned concerns?”

  “Yes.” Lighton barely shrugged. “Most of my congregation hasn’t been infected by Scorpius, and they’re concerned about staying safe. I’m not sure what to tell them.”

  Jax leaned back. “I suggest you tell them to wash their hands.”

  Lighton’s eyes widened. “Is there anything else we can do?”

  Jax shook his head. “I’m not ready to run two separate camps. We don’t have the manpower or resources, unfortunately. If folks want to strike out on their own and create their own Scorpius-free zone, then that’s up to them.”

  Lighton sighed heavily. “I understand and will pass on that information. Thank you for your time. If you require clergy here at headquarters at any time, please call on me. I have the education, experience, and now the calling.” He smiled at Vinnie, stood, and quickly exited.

  Jax glanced at Vinnie. “Where were we?”

  She pressed her lips together. It wasn’t her place, but . . . “You can’t trust that guy.”

  Jax glanced at the closed door. “He’s harmless.”

  “No.” She reached out and grabbed Jax’s hand. “He’s not harmless. He’s on a mission, and he was here to check you out. His body language was slightly off, and you need to keep an eye on him.”

  Jax studied her, his gaze thoughtful. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Vinnie hadn’t read Lighton’s mind or anything, not like she’d done the other day when that kid had passed out. But she definitely had some weird stuff going on. Was she becoming psychic? Had Scorpius really changed her mind?

  “Doc? You still with me?” Jax asked.

  She started. “Yes. Sometimes I daydream.”

  “Great. For now, tell me more about serial killers and whether or not I should let the president live. If he’s doing a good job, I may need him to keep doing it, if I can protect you and Lynne from him.”

  She shook her head and concentrated on the current conversation. “He won’t ever give up on reclaiming us.” Then she spent almost an hour going through history, facts, and statistics with the Vanguard leader. After a while, she forgot he scared her.

  Finally, the same soldier as before poked his head in. “We have a problem, and it’s about to erupt into a full-out brawl.”

  “Shit.” Jax stood and motioned toward Vinnie. “Stay here and guard her. She
doesn’t leave this room.”

  The soldier nodded. “Understood.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Faith secured by force is fractured.

  —Dr. Vinnie Wellington, Perceptions

  Jax met two other soldiers outside the back door, one of them Sami. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  She gestured toward inner territory. “Apparently we have a new group called the Pure that wants to be left alone. They’re trying to put up a fence around a couple of the apartment buildings in the southeast quadrant.”

  Ah, damn it. Jax moved into a jog. “Tell me they aren’t led by a new reverend.”

  She nodded, her black ponytail bobbing. “Yep. Reverend Lighton. The guy was a condom salesman out of Portland before heading south when Scorpius hit.”

  A fucking condom salesman? “Jesus.” This was the last thing Jax had time to deal with. The guy had seemed decent, but it sure hadn’t taken him long to cause problems. Dr. Wellington had been correct about him.

  Apparently Vinnie knew her shit. He could use her mind for sure.

  Jax turned the corner and took in the situation. The Pure group had taken over the three apartment buildings in the far right corner of Vanguard territory. Somehow, during the night, somebody had placed fences around three-quarters of the apartment buildings, including barbed wire over the top so nobody could climb over. “Were they up all damn night?” Jax snapped.

  “Must’ve been,” Sami said.

  Six Pure members stood near the fence, all armed, two of them behind a massive gate.

  Several of Jax’s soldiers stood on guard and fanned out, facing the fence.

  Tension and stress rode the air.

  “Did they get that gate out of our western storage warehouse?” Jax asked when he was a few yards from the men.

  “That’s the only explanation,” Sami said, halting next to him.

  Reverend Lighton strode out the front door of the crumbling brick apartment building. “Master Sergeant Mercury. I’m so glad you’re here. Please tell your men to stand down.”

  Jax held a hand up. “Everybody point your weapons at the ground. Right damn fucking now.”