Ah hell. “I don’t want to risk it,” he said, his voice lowering.
She blinked. “I thought you saw me. The real me.”
“I do.” Every instinct he’d ever had screeched at him to get her the hell away from a block of skyscrapers about to explode. “I can’t lose you.”
“We need the resources here,” she whispered. “The bomb was activated by computer—I can deactivate it.”
Tace shook his head. “Too risky.”
“Don’t stop me,” she said.
In that instant, that one little instant, he knew he’d lose her if he stopped her. Yet what else could he do? At least she’d be alive and hating him.
“Trust me,” she whispered.
She was killing him. “Promise me you can do it,” he said.
She blinked. Once and then twice. “I want to promise, but I said I’d never lie to you again. I can’t promise I’ll be able to turn it off, but I want to try. Ineedto try, Tace. Let me be who I’m supposed to be.”
Who she was supposed to be was fucking alive and in his heart. In his life. He slowly stood up and pulled her to her feet. “All right.”
Surprise and then gratitude glowed in her eyes. She ran for the chair and sat, her fingers already moving across the keyboard. “Get everyone out, and if the building doesn’t explode, you can all come back in about fifteen minutes from now.”
Tace nodded at Jax. “Go.”
Sami partially turned, her fingers still working somehow. “You too, Tace.”
“No.” He crossed his arms.
She paled. “You have to go. I can’t risk you.”
He shook his head. “It’s you and me. Remember?”
Tears filled her eyes. “Just in case this doesn’t work, one of us has to go on. To remember the other one.”
“Sorry, baby. I’m staying here with you. There’s no life for me without you.” He’d give her until five minutes left on the bomb, and then they’d try to outrun the explosion. Probably unsuccessfully, but at least they’d be together.
She looked over his shoulder. “Jax? Vanguard needs a medic. Please take Tace out of here.”
Tace partially turned to face one of the few remaining men alive he’d die for. “Jax?”
Jax breathed out. “You’re like a brother to me, Tace.” He glanced around Tace at Sami. “If he took me away from Lynne, I’d never forgive him. I love you, Sami. You’re the sister I never had. Get typing, because I ain’t losing either of you.” He clapped Tace on the arm. “I . . .”
Tace nodded. “Me too.”
Jax’s eyes darkened.
“Go, Jax. Get Marcus out of here and make sure Raze gets free. Doc Vinnie needs him, and he’ll try to stay and find the bomb to strip. Get him clear,” Tace said.
Jax took another look and then nodded, turning for the corridor.
Tace moved toward Sami, standing behind her chair and putting his hands on her shoulders. “I suggest you get typing, because you and I need to have a little discussion about you hitting me in the throat.”
She gave a half chuckle, half sob, turning back to the keyboard. “That sounds like a threat.”
“It is.” He noted the clock in the corner of the screen. Ten minutes. She had five minutes, and then he was carrying her out of there whether she liked it or not.
“You should go,” she whispered, leaning over the keyboard.
