Scorpius Rising

by Rebecca Zanetti

  And forgot he had her hand.

  She jerked to a stop and let out a low snarl.

  He fell into step beside her. “I say this time around, any time we wanna fight, we do it naked.”

  She snorted. Though she’d never admit it out loud, if they fought naked, she’d lose. “Sounds like a good way for you to be seriously damaged, McDougall.”

  He paused. “Good point.”

  She laughed, catching herself off guard with the sound. When was the last time she’d laughed? She pondered the question as they climbed into his truck and drove the block to the apartment building. In the parking lot, she paused to look at him. “We both know you’re done creating strategy. What’s next for you?”

  He blinked and stepped out of the truck, crossing to open her door. With a gentleness only a big man could show, he helped her from the vehicle. “You and I will make a decision as to our future. Afterward.” His hand at the small of her back felt both familiar and new as he propelled her toward the door. At the entrance, he swept her up.

  She yelped and grabbed his chest. “What are you doing?”

  He grinned and carried her through the entryway and up the flights of stairs to his apartment door. “Figured we’d do it right.”

  Her heart hummed in her chest as he crossed his threshold and finally set her down inside. “You said we’d discuss your career afterward? After what?”

  He kicked shut the door. “After we consummate the marriage. We wouldn’t want an easy out, now would we?”

  The breath caught in her throat, and she took a step back. “Ah—”

  “Ah, what?” he asked, crossing his arms.

  She blinked, desire weakening her knees. He wanted to consummate. Her nipples hardened instantly. Man. She had it bad. “We should talk now.”

  He stared down at her, not blinking, obviously contemplating. Heartbeats later, only a twitch of his jaw showed he’d reached a decision. “Nope.” Faster than a man his size should be able to move, he ducked, and she found herself over his shoulder. Air blew through her hair when he stood, and the blood rushed to her head.

  She smacked him as hard as she could on the ass.

  His smack beat hers, hands down. Pain rippled through her butt, followed by instant heat. “Damn it, Deke,” she muttered. She caught a glimpse of the sofa, a doorway, and then a bed before he flipped her back over in the bathroom. He used one hand to steady her shoulder and the other to reach in and turn the shower knob.

  She tried to clear her mind. “You want to consummate in the shower?”

  “Aye.” He tugged her shirt over her head along with her bra. “We’ve been at the CDC all day, and I want warmth and woman. I can get both in the shower.” He unbuckled her jeans and shoved her clothes down her legs.

  Her mind spinning, she kicked out of the jeans and her sneakers, leaving her completely nude. She swallowed.

  He lifted an eyebrow in a silent command.

  Oh. Well, okay then. Her hands trembled as she unhooked his belt and jeans to push them down his legs, revealing a fully erect cock. Her body sizzled with hunger at the sight. He helped her by toeing off his boots and kicking everything across the room. “Shirt,” he said.

  She thought about defying him, but then she’d be without the sight of his impressive chest. He had to duck to help her, but soon he stood nude.

  A soft sigh breathed out of her. He was strong and scarred, with hard ridges of muscle down his arms and across his chest. She flattened her hand over his heart. “You’re beautiful,” she whispered.

  He grasped her and kissed her in a combined move of strength and gentleness. Lifting her, he walked into the shower, setting her shoulders against the dark tile, protecting her from the spray with his body. Holding her aloft, he leaned back. “I wanna be married to you again, Nora. Truth be told, I’ve never felt without you.”

  Such sweetness from such a dangerous man ambushed her every time. She ran her hands through his wet hair. Life had changed, and things were going to get worse. One or both of them could be gone in a week if the bacteria continued to spread. She couldn’t hold back any longer. “I’ve missed you.”

  His eyes darkened, and he pressed between her legs, slowly pushing all the way inside. The second he filled her, it felt like coming home. Finally. She swallowed and leaned forward to drop a kiss above his heart, her entire body vibrating.

  His chest hitched, and his fingers tangled through her hair, drawing her head to the side. “You’re willing to give us another chance? A real one?” he asked.

  She looked into his eyes, absorbing the different colors of green, noting the question in them. Had she ever felt separated from him? Really? Probably not, and life was too short to miss out on Deacan. He was difficult and deadly, but he was hers. “Yes,” she breathed.

  At her acquiescence, a lump of pain he’d become accustomed to having in his gut disappeared. Gone for good.

  Her pretty brown eyes sparkled, and a light flush covered her high cheekbones.

  Deke gripped her harder, sheathed to the root, feeling as close to heaven as he’d ever get. “I won’t let you down,” he said softly, leaning over to brush his mouth across hers. Soft as petals, her lips opened under his, taking him. This petite woman had owned his heart since he was sixteen years old and a newcomer to her country, and she’d never given it back.

  He pulled out and gently worked his way back inside her. Where he belonged.

  She gasped, and her thighs trembled around his hips. He grinned and leaned down to suck one pink nipple into his mouth. Her curves had filled out in the years they’d been apart, but during the last few weeks, she’d lost weight from stress. As her husband, he’d do a much better job of taking care of her this time.

  Steam rose around them in a cocoon of intimacy.

  He licked down her shoulder and over her breasts again. The second he scraped a nipple, she rippled around his dick. His groan mingled with hers. She clasped him tighter with her legs, and he slid out and then back in. Harder this time.

  Sharp nails scraped his chest, and sparks lit his balls.

  There were so many things he needed to say to her, so many decisions to be made. But at the heart of it all was right now. He wanted the night, and he needed to make her his. For good this time, no matter what the future held. They’d been married, and while he’d aroused her by promising a consummation, the primal male deep inside him wanted that union. Proof that they were man and wife.

  Her eyelids fluttered closed, and her head rested back on the tile. “Deacan,” she moaned.

  The sound torpedoed right to his heart, blowing it wide open. For her. He thrust harder, holding her up, tilting her pelvis to take more of him. He’d tried. God, he’d tried to be somebody else. To have a quiet life and be a quiet man.

  That was over, and he figured they both knew it. Even so, the words would come later.

  Now he fully intended to claim her and go deep enough she’d never be free of him.

  Electricity burned down his spine. He released her hair to flatten a hand against the tile by her head, hammering inside her, his mind blanking. Only here and now mattered. Only this woman forever.

  Little ripples cascaded inside her, milking him. He pounded faster, and her body arched against his. She opened her mouth and cried out his name, vibrations moving through her to grab his cock and hold on tight.

  He shoved hard, holding her to him, and exploded.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Morning light filled the office at the CDC, and Nora readjusted her weight on the chair and bit back a wince. The previous night had been wild, and they’d certainly consummated their marriage.

  Three times. Enough that the soreness extended to places inside her she hadn’t realized could become sore.

  Yet they hadn’t talked. The night had overcome them, and they’d run with it, finally succumbing to sleep. Deke had been called to the office early in the morning to update the White House, and he’d dropped her off at the CDC labs, which were
nearly in lockdown.

  Experts milled around the building, ranging from CDC health workers to FBI agents to MPD. The CDC was about to hold a press conference and announce the truth, finally.

  At the moment, as they tried to contain the infection, the world seemed to be holding its breath.

  Whether it knew it or not.

  She glanced at the newest printout on her desk. Several of Zach’s local victims, including the first one, Mandy, had died from Scorpius. Her shoulders slumped.

  Nora’s phone buzzed, and she picked it up. “Yes?”

  “Nora? It’s Bobbi.”

  Nora sighed. She’d taken over for Lynne as the head of infectious diseases and had left Bobbi in the lab cataloging results. “Hi, Bobbi. Have you finished with the new samples?” The test results from the previous week were dismal, so she’d kept systematically trying different methods and different materials for the nanoparticles. They’d also tried using several different catalysts to get antibiotics through Scorpius’s protein shell, and the results should be ready soon.

  “Um, yeah, but well, we have a problem.”

  Nora lifted her head. “Define problem.”

  “Two vials of altered Scorpius, the new green strain, are gone. No record, no transfer . . . nothing.”

  Nora’s breath caught. “I’ll be right there.” She hung up.

  Deke poked his head in, his gaze roaming her head to toe as if taking inventory. A feminine part of her bristled, and she lifted her chin. He grinned with no small amount of masculine smugness. “You’re looking a bit worse for wear, darlin’.”

  The endearment, normally used with a nice Southern drawl, came out as dorilin in his deep brogue. She lowered her chin as her mind spun. As she tried to deny reality. “No more so than you.”

  “True.” Someone called his name from down the hall, and he turned and gave a jerk of his head before focusing back on her. “Just got word the FBI is tracking Zach Barter back this way. There are guards posted by the labs and at the end of this hallway. You don’t move without me by your side. Got it?”

  Fear sizzled along her skin, yet she kept her composure and lifted an eyebrow. “Did you take Scorpius samples from the lab?”

  He stilled. Then his head lifted, and his green gaze lasered right in on her. The atmosphere in the small room was charged. “No.”

  She stood and planted both hands on the desk. “Do you know who did?”

  “Aye.” His eyelids dropped to half-mast in a curiously dangerous look.

  “Damn it all to hell, Deacan,” she exploded. “Scorpius is not a weapon.”

  He drew in air through his nose. “It could be if used against us.”

  She pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers and fought the urge to punch him in the face. “I won’t be part of creating a weapon we might use against other human beings. No matter what happens.”

  “We need a secondary location to keep Scorpius, just in case something happens to this one,” Deke said levelly. “Nobody is asking you to be part of weaponizing anything. Your job is to find a cure, so I suggest you do it.”

  Her chin lifted. “What’s your job?”

  “To protect and defend by any means necessary.” He lifted a shoulder. “It’s who I am, and I’m not garna change. What we have, you and me, it’s good. Maybe we don’t agree on much, but we agree on each other. We shouldn’t have given up so easily last time.” He glanced down at his vibrating phone. “I have to go. We’ll discuss us later. Don’t leave the building, wife.” Without another word, he turned and disappeared down the corridor.

  Her temper exploded inside her head with enough force to rattle her teeth. How could he?

  The phone on her desk buzzed, and she snatched it up. “What?”

  A pause came across the line for a moment. “Um, Dr. Medina?”

  Nora took a deep breath and tried to keep from throwing something. She and Deke were going head to head at the nearest opportunity. “I’m sorry, Bobbi. What’s going on?”

  “Well, I, I’m not sure what to do. I tried to call Lynne because I heard she still wanted to be informed of major developments, but she’s out of range, and maybe not even conscious, and I, just—”

  “It’s okay.” Nora lowered her voice to soothing. “I’m covering for Lynne, and I can help. What’s going on?”

  “I found the missing samples,” Bobbi whispered, her voice muffled.

  Nora’s head jerked up. “Where?”

  “By Loading Dock C. After I saw they were gone, I figured I should do something since Lynne wasn’t here, so I went to talk to Geo Flanks in the security room? The cute one with the beard?”

  “Bobbi—to the point, please.” Nora skirted the desk and headed into the hallway. Where was Loading Dock C? Somewhere south, right?

  “Well, he let me watch the security cameras and recordings, and I saw the vials being removed. The cooler containing them is in C right now. Just waiting.” Bobbie cleared her throat. “What should I do?”

  Nora sped up, smiling at people she passed. “Nothing. Do nothing right now—I’m on my way.” She sucked in air. “Who took the vials?” Please, don’t let it be Deke.

  Bobbi sniffed. “Don’t get mad, but it was the sexy-as-hell Scot. Your man.”

  Nora doubled over as if punched in the gut. If he thought she wasn’t smart enough to stop him, to stop the government, he didn’t know her at all. “Hold tight. I’ll be right there.” She tried to remember the map she’d been given earlier so she could maneuver around the CDC and find the vending machines. They probably hadn’t figured she’d use it in order to avoid the guards.

  While her memory wasn’t as good as Zach’s, it was darn close. Nora avoided the guard points, took several more hallways, found the stairs, went down, took several more hallways, and finally ended up at Loading Dock C. Quiet and boring. She shoved open the double doors to a quiet warehouse-like room.

  Dust filled her nose and trickled like a warning across her skin.

  Bobbi slowly came out from behind a box of masks. Her blue eyes sparkled and her color was heightened. “Dr. Medina. Or is it Dr. McDougall now?”

  Nora swallowed and glanced around the deserted area. A chill swept through her. Something was definitely wrong. She casually reached for her phone. “McDougall.” Awareness spiraled through her stomach, and she edged away from the girl. “What’s going on?”

  The assistant smoothed down a yellow T-shirt. “I needed to see you.”

  Nora peered closer. Something was definitely off. Had Bobbi been infected? “How are you feeling?”

  “Better.” Bobbi rubbed her pointed chin. “The Scorpius bacteria is a bitch to get over. I was so sick.”

  Heated air burst from Nora’s lungs. “You were infected?”

  “Yes. Zach came over the night before he left town, and we, ah—” She blushed and swayed.

  Oh shit. “Did he rape you?”

  “No. Well, not really. I mean, I fought him, but after the fever, I see that it was love.” Bobbi tilted her head to the side. “I was sick for twenty-four hours—thought I was going to die.” She frowned. “I kept in touch with Lynne, saying I was searching for Zach, but I didn’t die, and now Zach and I can be together. I mean, once you’re out of the picture.” She drew a pointy gun from the back of her waist. “There are a couple of ways this can happen. I can shoot you, but Zach would be pissed. Or I could bite you, but Zach . . . would be pissed.” She sighed. “He wants to bite you himself.”

  Nora glanced around for some sort of weapon. Going hand-to-hand with the girl was a bad idea, since the bacteria still lived in the saliva of a host, even one that had recovered from the infection. “Why does he want to infect me?”

  Bobbi wrinkled a very pert nose. “He thinks those who survive the infection become immortal.”

  “And you don’t?” Nora asked, peering closely.

  “Nah. I feel stronger and maybe smarter, but I don’t feel like a god.” Bobbi jerked the gun toward the outside door. “Th
ere’s a nice, quiet parking lot out there that nobody uses.”

  Nora eyed the weapon. If she rushed the girl, she’d get shot. “Why are you doing this?”

  “I love him.” Bobbi’s aim wavered. “When you love somebody, you’ll do anything to make them happy. Right?”

  “No.” Nora shook her head. There was an odd glint in Bobbi’s eyes. Fever? Or possibly insanity. “So there weren’t vials stolen?”

  “Oh, we’re missing two vials, that’s for sure, but I have no idea who took them and don’t really care.” Bobbi shrugged and pointed the gun at Nora’s chest. “I’d love to just shoot you.”

  Nora blinked and tried to remember the layout of the building. The exit let out at the side parking lot; there was a chance somebody would be out there. Not a great chance, considering the main parking area was on the other side of the building. If she let Bobbi take her outside, she’d be at a disadvantage. So she set her feet. “I don’t think so. And if you try to bite me, I’ll knock your ass out.”

  The girl’s head jerked back. “Well, Zach figured you’d say that.” She fired, and three red darts plugged Nora in the neck.

  So, not bullets. Interesting. Nora’s eyes fluttered shut, gravity took over, and the last thing she felt was the hard cement floor.

  Deke finished meeting with the FBI profilers, and his temples pounded at the newest update. Zach Barter was probably back in town. Fair enough.

  “We’ll get him,” FBI Director Siles said around a worn toothpick as they maneuvered down the hallway. “We knew he’d come back.”

  Deke nodded and headed toward Lynne’s office. Well, Nora’s office now. She was probably still pissed at him, but they both had their ways of dealing with life, and they’d have to agree to disagree. He wasn’t losing her again, damn it. “Aye.” They’d known Zach would return for Nora, but Deke had thought he’d have a little more time to prepare. “Warn your men about Zach. There’s no cure for the bite, and you can only hope to beat the fever.”