“We were also tipsy.” And they hadn’t had a chance to sleep. “I kept point. It’s good to sleep.” Every time he’d closed his eyes, he’d seen visions of Sami being torn apart by Rippers, so he’d concentrated on the darkness outside. He’d deal with the darknessinsideonce they were safe. Fucking her had been a mistake, because all he wanted was to have her under him again. Now. “Let’s go inside.”
She nodded and pushed away from him.
He fought every urge he owned not to yank her back into his side. Instead, he stretched from the vehicle, did a quick inventory of any threats, and then extended his hand.
She faltered and then slid her palm against his.
His hand easily enclosed hers. Sometimes he forgot how damn tiny she really was. He helped her from the truck, wanting to get her inside the fence. Wanting? Hell, needing. Every nerve he owned screamed for him to put her into safety. The nightmare seemed to have shaken her, and a part of him, deep down, wished she’d share. The other part knew she was probably smart to keep her distance.
What the hell was going on with him? He tapped his free hand three times against his hip.
As her feet touched the ground, he pivoted to keep the outside world away from her. Every instinct in his body went on full alert to protect her.
Damon strode around the truck and reached in for a wide box. “Stuff from Greyson. We’ll be in touch.”
Tace took the box and led Sami toward the now-opening fence. He couldn’t exactly blame Damon for making a fast exit. Jax would probably torture him for information about the Mercenary territory if he stayed. Or perhaps hold him hostage to be exchanged for medicine and guns.
Sami shook her head in the cool air.
Yeah, his brain was a little muddled, too. “We drank too much,” he murmured.
“I thought that was your grand plan to gain info?” She tripped and he steadied her with a hand at her waist, the box in his other arm.
“It was my plan, but then the bourbon went down so smoothly.” He nodded at a couple of guards, and then his chest eased as they passed through the opening in the fence. Good. That was good. The headquarters building rose high and silent in front of them on the other side of the crumbling parking lot. Well, what used to be a parking lot.
“Was it your plan to get me drunk?” she asked.
It took him a second to interpret her words, and when he did, fire shot down his spine. He pivoted her to face him. Moonlight caressed the delicate angles of her face and made her look like an angel. Yet her words cut deep. “Are you kidding me?”
She shrugged, her gaze dropping to his chest. “You seem awful strategic all of a sudden, Tace.”
He breathed in sharply and grasped her chin with two fingers. No way was he letting her hide from what had happened between them. Yeah, they’d fucked up, but it was both of them. “I didn’t plan to get you drunk, no. Last night happened and we let it. I own my part in it.”
“So do I.” That chin firmed beneath his fingers. “Just wanted to ask, that’s all.”
“Well, you did.” Why that made his chest feel like she’d hit him with a hammer, he wasn’t sure. He released her and strode toward headquarters, holding the door open.
She swept inside where Jax Mercury waited, surrounded by candlelight. The Vanguard leader wore ripped jeans, combat boots, a dark T-shirt, and a scowl across his face. His eyes were the exact color of the bourbon they’d been drinking without the welcoming warmth.
Tace handed over the box. “Shit from Grey.”
Jax set the box down on an old table that had always sat in the building’s entryway. He ripped it open.
Tace peered over his shoulder. Two bottles of bourbon, twenty vials of B, various antibiotics, and a letter with Maureen Shadow’s name on it. He whistled. “That does look like a good-faith gesture.” His vision went black.
“We’ll see. Is there anything we need to discuss immediately?” Jax asked.
Sami answered when Tace kept silent. “No. We found one of the storage depots, and they’re well stocked.”
“All right. I want a report from the two of you tomorrow morning that includes estimates of Merc holdings, provisions, and soldiers. Then I want an infiltration plan,” Jax said. “Get some shut-eye before you do that.”
Tace stepped back, trying to picture the vestibule in his mind. Two more steps back, and he put himself against the wall. The darkness over his vision dug deep and pierced his brain with pain. “Not a problem,” he managed to say.
Weakness attacked his left arm. He drew in a breath.
“You okay?” Jax asked, his voice sounding far away.
“Yep. Just had too much bourbon.” Tace forced a grin. The world lightened, and he could see again. What the hell was going on? A residual pounding remained in his temples, and he tried not to wince. Or cry like a baby. “I’m not tired. Maybe I’ll hit the lab and get some work done.”
