Storm Gathering

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Moe peered around Grey to see Raze and Jax arguing furiously beneath their breaths. She couldn't hear the words, but their mouths were moving. Fast.

  “Apparently your brother wants to stay instead of Jax,” Damon muttered.

  Not with a bullet hole in his leg. Moe shook his head. “He needs a doctor.”

  Greyson nodded. “Jax? You and Raze aren't invited. However, if Tace would like to stay and guard Miss Shadow, the medic is welcome if he'll also act as our doctor for the week. We could use him.”

  Moe opened her mouth to argue and then remembered that Vanguard had several other doctors who could help Raze. “Good plan.” If Raze didn't get a move on, he wouldn't get that bullet removed in time. She released Greyson and, pretending a bravado she so did not have, she turned and walked casually back toward the stone wall, pausing at the entrance to turn and wave at her brother. “I'll see you in a week.” Then she slid around the barrier, waiting until she was out of sight before wincing at the fury she'd seen on his face.

  She took a deep breath. Well. That was probably a huge mistake.

  Chapter Thirteen

  We have too many enemies and no friends. Sometimes that makes things easier. Not this time.

  —Jax Mercury Journal

  Three hours after leaving Maureen in Mercenary territory, Jax watched as Dr. Penelope deftly finished sewing up the hole in Raze's leg in the Vanguard headquarters’ clinic. The soldier had sat quietly in the small examination room throughout the entire procedure, refusing anesthetic because supplies were so low. Sweat dotted his forehead, and his pupils had expanded into the odd blue of his eyes from the obvious pain.

  Marcus lounged by the door, deceptively calm with his arms crossed. Yet he watched every movement made by anybody in the room. He never left Penelope's side after being rescued from the Bunker weeks ago, where the government had experimented horribly on him. Penelope had been a doctor there who saved him, risking her life in the process.

  But apparently he didn't remember Jax or anybody else in his life. Only Penelope.

  Jax stretched, and Marcus turned, focusing on him.

  Geez. Jax wanted to smack him. Did his own brother really think he'd hurt the petite doctor? Jax had been giving Marcus time to get reoriented and calm down before talking to him. But that didn't seem to be working. So they were gonna talk—and soon. After Jax made sure Raze was okay.

  “Let me give you an aspirin,” Penelope murmured, gently placing a bandage over the wound. Her black hair was piled on her head and out of the way, while her almond-shaped eyes were calm and reassuring. The woman's features were Korean, her coloring dark, her stature petite, and her doctoring extremely competent.

  Raze shook his head. “I'm fine, Dr. Penelope.”

  “Just Penelope,” she said, pulling reusable plastic gloves off her hands. “I'm not sure how the nickname started, but I'm fine with people just using my first name.”

  Raze swung his leg over the end of the examination table and groaned. “The title reassures people. That we have a doctor around.” His fingers curled over the edge, and his knuckles turned white.

  “We should let Vinnie know about your injury,” Jax said again. The shrink and Raze were an item, and she'd be ticked that they hadn't told her about the gunshot wound.

  “I'll go find her now. She would've just fretted while Dr. Penelope did the surgery,” Raze said, breathing out.

  More likely the shrink would've hounded Raze until he took some sort of pain killer, and the soldier hadn't wanted to argue. “Sorry you got shot,” Jax said, hurting for his buddy.

  Raze cut him a harsh look. “I'm sorry we left my sister in that hell hole.”

  Hell hole? The Mercs lived on the ocean and had fresh fish to eat. Jax bit back his temper. “She wanted to stay, and she's doing important work to help us all. Plus, we left Tace. He'll protect her.” While also exploring what little of Merc territory they didn't know about as of yet. Just in case Vanguard decided to take over the fiefdom at the ocean. Fresh fish would be nice.

  “He's there on mission, and you know it.” Raze eased to the floor and accepted a crutch held out by Marcus. “Thanks.” Careful to give the doctor and Marcus both plenty of room, he hitched toward the door and headed out. “I'm finding my shrink and then taking a nap.”

  “Meeting tomorrow morning, first thing,” Jax said. “We need to strategize about the Mercs, the president, and what's next.”

  Raze might've growled something.

  Jax faced his brother, his chest filling. His lungs didn't seem to be working properly. “It's time you and I talked.” Would Marcus even try?

  Dr. Penelope gathered up the bloody bandages and tossed them into the garbage can. She straightened and stretched her back. “I'll leave you two alone.”

  “No,” Marcus said, not moving from his position. He'd always been big, but since Scorpius, he was even more tightly muscled and broad across the chest. His eyes were greener than Jax's, his hair a little darker, and his jaw squarer. At six-foot-four, they stood eye-to-eye. “You stay, Penny.”

  The doctor sighed. “Marcus, we've talked about this. You promised to work on time apart.” Her tone was gentle and her eyes concerned. “This is a good opportunity, and Jax is your brother. Family can be everything.”

  “You're everything,” Marcus said.

  Penelope blinked.

  Jax's formidable temper began to rise. He'd practically raised Marcus, and it was time to stop coddling him. Was the doctor afraid of his brother? He needed to talk with her next without Marcus around. Somehow. But Marcus first. Jax pressed a button on his watch. “Ten minutes. I'll time us.”

  Penelope nodded, relief in her pretty eyes. “Ten minutes. You can do that, Marcus. I'll be just down the hallway.”

  Marcus watched Penelope approach the door, his body visibly tightening. She kept her head high, went through, and shut it. He moved to put his back to the examination table, his gaze on the closed door, his arms still crossed.

  Jax shook his head. “Dude. You have it bad for her.”

  “It's not like that,” Marcus muttered, not moving an inch.

  Jax swallowed, searching for a way to get through to him. “Then what is it?”

  Marcus shrugged.

  Fine. Different subject. “You don't remember me at all?”

  “No,” Marcus said shortly, no emotion in the tone.

  Fuck. Jax scrubbed his hands down his face, the truth a punch to the solar plexus. His brother had been tortured for months, and part of that had included a drug regimen. The Bunker scientists had experimented on Scorpius survivors because some were stronger and smarter than before. So who the hell knew what Marcus had been through? Penelope knew some of it, but she refused to tell Jax anything without Marcus's permission. “Talk to me, Slam,” Jax said, using a childhood nickname.

  Marcus blinked and then focused back on the door. “There's nothing to say. How many minutes left?”

  “Not tellin' you,” Jax snapped.

  No reaction.

  Jax bit back anger. “Listen. If you want to stay in Vanguard, you have to work on this. You're scaring people.” Just how unhinged was his brother? Jax was the Vanguard leader, and he owed the members, all five hundred of them, safety. Or at least the attempt to gain safety. He also owed Penelope a safe haven. “If we kick you out, Dr. Penelope will stay.” That was an incentive.

  “I go where she goes,” Marcus said softly, the tone deadly. “Period.”

  “You seem to forget that I'm in charge here,” Jax said.

  Marcus finally turned to meet his gaze. “I don't care.”

  For a moment, a very brief one, Jax could see the kid deep down who'd once followed him around. “She does,” Jax said. “Are you scaring her?”

  Marcus cut him a look. “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Marcus lifted a shoulder and turned back toward the innocuous door.

  “She seemed pretty happy to get out of here,” Jax said slowly.
r />   Marcus's chin lowered, but he didn't reply.

  “We’re brothers,” Jax said.

  Marcus lifted an eyebrow. “Why do we have different last names?”

  Geez. “Different fathers, same mother. Doesn’t matter. We’re brothers,” Jax said quietly.

  Marcus breathed out. No emotion…no reaction.

  Fine. Enough. They weren't getting anywhere. “We're done. You can go run after her,” Jax muttered. He'd talk to the shrink before trying this again with Marcus.

  Surprisingly, Marcus stayed in place. “How many minutes left?”

  Jax frowned. “Who cares? I said we're done.”

  “Penny said ten minutes.”

  Jax studied this brother who was more like a stranger. A threatening one. “So you just stay here for ten minutes? No matter what?”

  “Penny said,” Marcus said calmly.

  “Aren't you an obedient little bitch?” Jax asked. Could he make Marcus angry? Maybe get some emotion—any emotion—from the guy? “She has you trained like a lapdog.”

  No anger. No emotion. No…nothing. Marcus just stared at the door.

  The alarm went off.

  Marcus launched himself at the door and quickly disappeared.

  Jax stared at the open doorway, his mind spinning. His chest hurt. What the fuck were they going to do with the guy? How could he get Marcus to remember him? His temples started to pound.

  Lynne Harmony poked her head in. “Why was Marcus running?”

  “He lost sight of Dr. Penelope,” Jax said, trying to unclench the fists he hadn't realized he made. He took a deep breath and studied the love of his life. Of any life. Lynne's blond hair was pulled back in some intricate braid, throwing the sharp angles of her stunning face into pale symmetry.

  Her green eyes focused on him. “You okay?”

  “No.” He moved for her, running his hands down her arms, soothing himself with her scent. She was the former head of the CDC, a kind woman, and one of the smartest people still alive today. She was also the only Scorpius survivor whose heart had turned blue from a failed cure after Zach Barter purposefully infected her. Jax wanted Barter dead as badly as Greyson apparently did.

  “Why aren't you okay?” Lynne asked. “Is it Marcus? He has to be getting better.”

  “He's not.” For now, Jax needed her insight. “Do you think Marcus is dangerous? I mean, to Dr. Penelope? To you? To the kids still here?”

  Lynne pursed her lips. “I'm not sure about Penelope. He seems to want her safe at all costs. But who knows. Obsession always comes with a breaking point.”

  That's what Jax feared. The Scorpius bacterium attacked the brain, sometimes robbing the victim of empathy. Of feelings. The plague had left sociopaths in its wake. Some were just cold, some crazy, and some brilliantly insane. Obsession was a problem with all three. “What about everyone but Penelope?” he asked quietly, his gut churning. How could he choose Vanguard over his brother?

  Lynne sighed. “I'm not a shrink, Jax.”

  “I'm well aware of who and what you are, baby. Answer the question,” he said.

  She bit her lip. “I don't really know. But if anybody is a threat to Penelope, or if Marcus perceives anybody being a threat to her, then yes. I believe that person is in danger. Definitely.”

  Yeah. That's what Jax thought, too.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I got her brother shot. Somehow I don't think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

  —Greyson Storm, Letters to Miss Julian

  Greyson parked the SUV outside the greenhouse that had once been a part of the university. Maureen sat in the passenger seat and reached for the door.

  “Wait,” Grey said.

  She paused and glanced over her shoulder at him. “Why?” In the strong afternoon light, her eyes looked more like a darkened sky than their usual lighter tone. Her lips were pink, and color had finally returned to her face.

  Man, she was pretty.

  His body reacted, and his jeans became too tight. “We wait until my scouts have secured the area,” he said, his voice lower than normal. “We don't come out here much, so there could be problems. Just hold tight.”

  “Is that where Tace went?” she asked, craning her head toward the greenhouse.

  Grey nodded, unable to stop himself from sliding the hair off her shoulder. “Yes. He wanted to make sure the area was secure before you came out.” Of course, Tace was more than likely scouting the territory to report back to Vanguard in case they decided to attack again. But there was no need to tell Moe that. “I hope there's food here.”

  She looked down at the stack of papers he'd found for her in one of the school offices. A blush covered her cheekbones. “You're always touching me.”

  He paused. “I'm sorry.” Shit.

  She looked his way. “I don't mind.”

  If that wasn't an invitation, he didn't know what was. But he had to be honest with her. “Listen, Moe. I'm trying really hard to be a gentleman, and I never want to scare you.”

  “I'm not scared,” she said, her gaze dropping to his lips.

  Hers looked beyond kissable. “Good. But I'm also not a casual date kind of guy.” In fact, he never had been. “That doesn't work for me.” He'd already tasted her, and he'd already had her. A part of him, one darker than before Scorpius, wanted to bind her to him no matter what.

  “I don't know what that means,” she said, her gaze lifting.

  “It means that if you're mine, you're mine.” There were probably better words, smoother words. But he didn't have them. All he had was honesty, and he'd give that to her. “Even before Scorpius, I was a possessive bastard. Probably too much so.”

  “You didn't hurt women,” she said, sounding sure.

  That was sweet. “Of course not. But I was way overprotective, and I'm more so now. I take care of what's mine, Maureen. You should know that.”

  Her mouth opened and then closed. “That's a bit primitive, don't you think?”

  He nodded. “Definitely. But it is what it is. And I wanted you to know.” He could actually see the pulse in her neck kick into gear.

  She swallowed. “Why?”

  “Because I want you.” Under him, around him, over him. He wanted her in every way there was. “But the decision is yours.” If she made it, he wouldn’t let her go.

  A scout whistled, and he jerked his focus away to see a sign. “We're clear on the right. Waiting for the left.” His hands itched with the need to touch her again.

  She licked her lips.

  He groaned and cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip. Her skin was so damn soft.

  She caught her breath.

  Just one kiss. He leaned in, his mouth brushing hers. Fire crashed down his spine, landing in his balls. He hadn't imagined how sweet she tasted. How good she felt. She made a small sound and pressed against him.

  The world narrowed, but he stayed alert, still enjoying the moment. They hadn't had nearly enough time that one night.

  He deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth. His instincts bellowed for him to take, to possess, and he quelled them, coaxing a response from her. She kissed him back with surprising force, moving closer to him, her hands pressing into his shoulders. Her fingers curled, and her nails bit through his T-shirt.

  The constant noise in his head went silent. Grasping her hips, he plunked her on his lap so she straddled him, deepening the kiss at the same time.

  His dick jumped against her core, shoving against his zipper. He flexed his hand and pulled her into his erection, nearly groaning at the contact.

  She stiffened and tore her mouth away, turning to the side. “Wait.” The breath panted out of her.

  He paused and relaxed his hold. Then he quickly surveyed the area outside the vehicle. All clear. For the moment. Gently, he took her chin again and forced her to face him. Her lips were rosy and definitely well kissed. Her eyes had darkened even more, and desire had flushed her cheeks a lovely pink.r />
  He blinked. God, she was perfect.

  What were the words? He should say some. But at the moment, his cock was trying to rip through his jeans, and every instinct he had bellowed for him to strip her bare and take everything she had. Everything she was. Oh, he'd keep her safe and protected. But she'd give him everything.

  Her eyes widened. “What are you thinking?”

  Sometimes the words were better left unsaid. His mouth twitched. “Unless you like an audience, we should probably—”

  With a muffled 'eek', she all but rolled off his lap and back into her own seat. “I forgot where we were.”

  Yeah. His pride might've swelled just a little. “It's okay. We'll finish this discussion later.”

  She swung toward him, righting her shirt. “Maybe. I mean, whatever.” She turned back to the window.

  The woman was adorable when riled. Okay. He'd hit her with enough for the moment. Time to back off. “Do you think we'll find food?”

  She cleared her throat and smoothed her hands down her jeans. “If there's food, this is the right greenhouse, Greyson. But don't get your hopes up.”

  He looked around at the empty buildings that had once housed students and faculty who had no idea the end was probably coming. None of them had. “If not, what are our options?” he asked, trying to sound normal and not in need of her body.

  “We'll see,” she said, her voice a little hoarse. “Where have you been getting fresh water?”

  “We had working water for the first two months, and we raided several warehouses for bottled water during that time, so we've had enough. Last month, we started taking the empty industrial jugs to Lake Cachuma and bringing it back,” Greyson said. “It's not ideal.”

  “No,” she said. “But Vanguard has been doing something similar, and they collect rain water as well. Water is going to be an issue.”

  Yeah, that's what he'd figured.

  His scouts came around the building and gave him the sign. Tace Justice was with them, no doubt taking tons of mental notes. “All right. You still have the gun I gave to you?”