“Or I’ll just shoot him in the head, and we won’t have to worry about it any longer,” Raze finished. “It could go either way.”
Tace studied the former sniper. “Are you joking?”
“Eh.” Raze lifted a shoulder.
“Works for me,” Jax said, his gaze returning to the board. “Just make sure he’s dead if you shoot him. Don’t leave him for Rippers to finish off.”
Tace finished his drink. “You’re both all heart.”
“You’re off mission except to go with Raze or me,” Jax said, shaking his head. “We can cover you, but other than that, you’re here until the passing out ends.”
Tace grimaced. “Fine.” Yeah, that was fair.
“You should’ve told us you were having issues,” Jax said.
“Yep,” Raze agreed.
Well. If nothing else, it appeared as if Jax and Raze had buried the hatchet—right in Tace’s back. “I thought it was just another aspect of Scorpius that would go away.”
“Why didn’t you say anything anyway?” Raze asked.
“We have enough going on, so I thought I’d just hold tight and be strong.” Tace rubbed both hands down his face. “I’m sorry. I should’ve said something.”
“You’re forgiven,” Jax said.
“Ditto,” Raze echoed.
Tace settled, and the world righted. Circumstances had forced them to bond quickly, but even in a different world, he would’ve trusted these men. Now they all wore the mark of Vanguard, and that meant something. They truly were brothers, and he needed them. He thanked God he’d found them. “Thank you for understanding. Are the two of you all right now?”
“Yeah,” Jax said as Raze nodded.
“Good.” Tace shoved to his feet. “See you guys tomorrow.” He needed to go sleep it off before facing Sami.
Leaving the war rooms, he headed up to bed. Feeling a thousand years old, he trudged up the steps and turned at the landing.
Sami waited for him by his door.
That quickly, he went from tired to full alert. His heart slammed against his ribs, and every nerve in his body perked up to full attention. And he hadn’t even touched her yet.
Ah, hell. This was bad. She had her fighting stance already in place, and it was all he could do not to take her down in the hallway and teach her a lesson. A lesson that lying to a guy like him, the guy he’d become, was a seriously bad idea. He reached her in long strides. “Now is not a good time.”
She crossed her arms, her gaze tumultuous. “We need to talk.”
Anger roared through him, and he shoved the door open behind her, backing her into his room. “You asked for it.”
Chapter Nineteen
Whoever said that truth sets you free was a moron.
—Sami Steel
Sami knew in an instant that she’d miscalculated. Not in keeping secrets or finally confessing . . . but in forcing her way into Tace’s night. She should’ve given him time to work out his thoughts and dealt with her nightmares on her own. Waiting at his doorway close to midnight had been a colossal mistake. “Um, maybe I should—”
“Too late.” He used his big body to maneuver her into the room, giving her no choice but to walk backward. The door closed with an audible click that sent a shiver down her spine.
She blinked, and her breath heated. “You’re angry.”
A swell of vibrating heat rolled through the room, and she actually took another step back.
