It was a mistake to take three vehicles. Too much gas, too much noise. Raze kept his temper at a slow simmer as he drove the battered truck with Vinnie sitting across the seat. Jax followed on a dirt bike, while Tace and Sami brought up the rear in another truck.

The plan was to hide all three within running distance just in case the Mercs took out one or two of the machines.

A warm breeze, even at the midnight hour, promised the warmth of the oncoming summer. The moon shone bright and strong over the deserted land, its glow illuminating rusting car carcasses lining each side of the once busy 101.

“Is the good reverend crazy?” Raze asked, twisting the wheel to avoid a downed ice cream truck.

“Define crazy,” Vinnie said, planting her tennis shoes on the dash. “He’s determined, and he’s focused. I haven’t met with him enough to really diagnose him, but if I had, I think I’d discover that he suffers from either narcissistic personality disorder or borderline personality disorder. Or something else. Who knows?”

“So he’s nuts.”

“Not really.” She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin between her knees.

“Lean back, sweetheart.” He winced. Calling her an endearment would backfire.

“Kiss my ass,” she muttered, not moving.

He nodded. Yep. Backfire. “We’re on a mission, Vinnie. Put your legs down and your back to the seat just in case we hit something.” All he needed was for her to get hurt while outside the Vanguard walls. “Obey me, or I’m taking you back.” Which was what he wanted to do anyway.

She gave a long-suffering sigh and dropped her feet to the floor. “You are so bossy. I bet you have a disorder or two.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” He kept an eye on Jax in his side mirror. The Vanguard leader rode a bike like he’d been born on one. “Do you think Lighton is dangerous?”

“Yes. If his beliefs are threatened, or if the Pure don’t follow his lead, I think he might resort to violence.” She wiped her hands on her jeans. “I wish we could provide April Snyder with some sort of backup while she’s attending church services.”

“Me too.” Raze drove around what looked like a satellite dish in the middle of the interstate. “I don’t know who we can trust.”

“That’s because you’re a hidden-agenda kind of guy,” she muttered.

“No, I’m not.”

“Right.”

He glanced her way. “I lied to protect my sister. When I got to know Jax and you, I changed my plans.”

“Whatever. If I wanted to leave Vanguard, could I? Would Mercury let me go?” she asked.

A hollow emptiness ached in Raze’s chest. “You have your freedom, I’m sure. While Jax definitely needs you to do your job, and while he thinks you might be able to unlock the secret of the Bunker, I don’t think he’d force you to stay.”

She breathed out. “All right.”

“Are you thinking of leaving?” If so, he’d really pegged her wrong.

“No.”

“Good.”

She turned, her knee bending on the bench seat, her gaze sharp on his. “Would you try to stop me?”

He liked that. That she used the word try. There was a right answer. He knew there was a right answer, but he’d just said he was finished keeping secrets. “Yes.”

“Damn it, Raze. You’re no better than the Reverend Lighton.” She wrinkled her nose.

“I never said I was better than him,” Raze said. He kept his hold firm on the steering wheel but still looked her way. “Listen. I don’t know what’s going on between us, and I don’t know what’ll happen next, but what’s happened already happened, and that means something.”

A cute frown drew down her brows. “You mean sex?”

“It was more than sex, and you know it.”

Even in the meager light, he could see pink flood her face. “I did not sleep with you to get something more, you idiot.”

“I know.” The woman couldn’t be any less manipulative. Period. “Yet it did create something, whether you like it or not.” They hadn’t made promises or a commitment, but he’d been inside her, and she’d cried out his name. To him, that meant he protected her, which he couldn’t do without Vanguard. And considering his initial plan had been to turn her over to the Mercs, he owed her. “Could we fight about this later? We’re almost at Thousand Oaks.”

She huffed back in her seat. “I could leave if I wanted to.”

He sighed. “Fine.” Then he’d have to follow her all over hell and back just to make sure she stayed safe. If their training session the previous night had taught him anything, it was that she was a creature of thought and not action. Though he liked that about her, it would get her killed on the outside. “You’re a free, independent woman.”

She snorted. “You’re an ass.”

The woman was into name-calling all of a sudden. “Speaking of which, how is yours?” he drawled.

She sucked in air.

He tried not to grin. His training methods had proved effective finally, but she had to be sore. He tried really hard to feel bad about that. “You’re right, by the way. I am an ass.”

“Acknowledging that fact gets you no points. Changing that fact might.”

He breathed out. “Thanks, but I’m good.” If smacking her butt a few times kept her thinking and moving when danger eventually came, he could live with being an ass.

Her mumbled retort included a creative litany of more names.

He pulled into an alley about six blocks from the meeting point at the Thousand Oaks Civic Center and cut the engine. “Just a quick double-check. You have your gun and knives?”

“Yes.” Her voice trembled just a little.

“If you pull your gun . . .”

“I shoot. Pull and shoot.” She wiped her hands again. “I know what to do.”

He nodded. “If there’s shooting, you run. I’ll get Maureen and follow you back here. No matter what, you protect yourself.” He’d cover her back. “Let’s go.”

She nodded and jumped from the truck. He waited for her to reach him and then started at a brisk pace, keeping her in the shadows and slightly behind him.

Jax, Tace, and Sami would approach from different directions.

They passed an unmoving pool full of stagnant water. The fountains were silent now, but at one time, the area had been spectacular.

He made sure they stayed away from the steps and motioned for Vinnie to crouch near a column. He turned to look for sniper positions. Finding a couple, he reached out and moved her closer to the building, where the shadows covered her position. Hopefully Tace had found a good spot without running into a Merc.

While Raze didn’t think Greyson’s plan was to shoot Vinnie, he wasn’t taking that chance.

His heart thumped hard, and his blood roared through his veins. Adrenaline swamped his system. Damn it. The smell of calla lilies was sending him into overdrive. Focus. He had to focus.

Several deep breaths later, and he went cold. Good. He kept an eye on Vinnie. She tugged down the bulletproof vest and did some sort of weird shimmy inside it, no doubt trying to get comfortable.

A form stepped away from a nearby column. “Shadow.”

“Greyson.” Raze went on full alert. He’d only seen the guy once across a small camp, but he recognized him. Dark hair, light eyes, rugged features. Hopefully Raze’s team was in place. How many men had Grey brought? “Where’s my sister?”

“Contained nearby,” Greyson said, most of his body still in the dark.

Raze strained his ears but couldn’t hear any signs of life. “If she’s dead—”

“She’s not.” Grey stepped into the moonlight. He stood well over six feet and was muscled tight. The energy rolling from him was coiled and smooth.

Raze moved toward him, noting they stood eye-to-eye. “We didn’t know each other in the service.”

“Just by reputation, although I did see you once in the desert across a camp.” Grey appeared relaxed and on alert at the same time. “I have snipers in three positions and men surrounding us.”

“As do I,” Raze said smoothly.

Grey glanced around the nearby rooftops. “Maybe, maybe not. Did you kill Ash?”

“No,” Raze said truthfully. “Rippers got him. Saw the body.”

“Figures.” Grey paused, his voice dark and gravelly. “I want the woman.”

Raze leaned in. “Why? Why do you want Dr. Wellington so badly that you’d kidnap a fellow soldier’s sister?”

“Your sister was in the right place at the right time, and her insight into food production has been invaluable. I’ll be sad to let her go.” A gun tucked into Greyson’s hip glinted in the night. “As for the doctor, that’s my business.”

“I think it’s my business.” Vinnie stepped out from behind the column, her gun pointed at Greyson’s neck. Not his chest, not his head, but his neck, just like she’d been taught. “I’m Dr. Wellington. What the fuck do you want from me?”

Vinnie kept her aim steady, even though her knees wobbled. Maybe the f word had been too much. Yeah, it probably had, but perhaps she’d sounded tough? Not classy, but tough. She’d always—

Man. Now her thoughts rambled like her mouth. She had to concentrate, damn it.

Greyson Storm was very tall and looked like a soldier with flak boots, black jacket, and worn jeans. He held himself much the same as Raze did—graceful and watchful. Even now, with the moon shining down, she couldn’t place his expression. “Doctor.”

She nodded. “What can I do for you?”

“Come with me.” He held out a large hand. “The second we reach my truck, I’ll let Maureen Shadow go.” His voice remained steady, as did his gaze. This guy was a trained liar, but she was the best of the best. His eyes ticked a little, and his chin was down slightly.

She shook her head. “He’s lying,” she whispered to Raze.

Raze instantly drew his gun. “Get behind me.”

She inched closer to him but remained in the open with her gun trained on Greyson. “Where’s Maureen?” she whispered, her heart aching in her chest.

Greyson dropped his hand. “She’s close by, but I won’t free her until you come with me.”

“She’s not here, or if she is, he doesn’t intend to turn her over.” Vinnie set her stance and tried to keep from freaking out any more than she already was. “Why do you want me so badly?”

Greyson studied her for the briefest of moments. “Zach Barter.”

Vinnie’s head jerked. The crazy Ripper who’d purposely infected Lynne Harmony with the Scorpius bacteria cure? “Excuse me?”

“You chased him, right?” Greyson asked.

Raze didn’t look her way and kept his gun trained on the threat. “Not another word.”

Just a few more. “I did chase him,” Vinnie said slowly. In fact, Barter had been one of her first Ripper cases when she’d still worked for the FBI. A former scientist, Barter was brilliant and crazy. He’d worked with the initial CDC team when the outbreak had first occurred, had gotten infected, and then had gone crazy. His boldest move was to try to kill Lynne Harmony, but he’d turned her heart blue instead. “Why are you asking about Zach Barter?”

“I just want to know where he is. Tell me where he is, and I give you Maureen.” Greyson’s body didn’t tense in the slightest, despite the guns pointed at him. “Now.”

She swallowed. “We’re at a standstill. I do know where Barter is right at this moment. Well, where he was a week ago, anyway.” Her voice hitched a little, and she hoped he thought it was from fear and not because she was bluffing. At the moment, she had no idea where Barter was or if he even still lived. She edged closer to Raze just in case one of them needed to fire.

“Tell me where he is, and we’re done,” Greyson said, tension swelling from him.

“No,” Vinnie said softly. “However, we’d like to negotiate an alliance with you.”

“Yeah?” Interest glimmered in the Merc leader’s eyes.

“Yes. What do you say?” she asked.

“Tell me where Barter is, and we’ll negotiate,” Greyson said.

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Greyson lifted his left hand. Men came from every direction, at least ten of them, all with guns.

The ground exploded all around them, dirt popping up. The men surrounding them scattered like rats, jumping out of the way. Raze leaped sideways, catching Vinnie in a tackle and slamming her to the ground. She fell hard, the wind swooshing from her lungs.

“Up.” Raze grabbed her vest and yanked her up and in front of him, shoving her into a run. Bullets pinged all around them. “I think it’s Tace, but I’m not sure he’s the only one firing.”

“Raze!” a female voice yelled.

Raze paused and half-turned. “Moe?” he yelled.

A red truck careened by with a woman in the passenger seat struggling furiously against some man. The truck continued on, flipping around the corner.

Jax came running from the left, shooting at the fleeing Mercs.

Bullets continued to ping the earth.

A motorcycle roared to life, and Greyson rode out from behind part of the building, following the truck. His soldiers ran, and three more vehicles started up.

“Fuck.” Raze turned just as a beat-up pickup careened around the corner and screeched to a halt with Sami driving. “Get in,” she yelled.

Raze pushed Vinnie toward Jax. “Get her to safety.” He turned and leaped into the truck.

“Hell no.” Vinnie shoved Jax in the stomach and turned to follow Raze into the cab. She flew over his lap and landed next to Sami. “Go, go, go.” Raze yanked the door closed.

Sami punched the gas, and the truck leaped forward, following the motorcycle. “Did Tace manage to hit anybody from the sniper’s position?”

Raze shook his head. “I don’t think so, but he did save our asses. Faster, Sami. We’re losing them.”

Vinnie coughed. God, they had to hurry. Up ahead, she could barely see the taillights of the motorcycle. The truck was already out of sight.

Sami slammed her foot down on the accelerator.

Vinnie scrambled to keep her seat. “Was that Moe? Really?”

“Yeah.” Raze’s jaw clenched hard enough it had to hurt. “She was so fucking close. We have to get her.” Panic edged his strong voice.

Vinnie nodded, her fingers digging into the worn cloth of the seat. “She’s alive. We’ll get her.”

The motorcycles turned around a sharp corner. Sami had to slow down and then punch it.

Greyson Storm stood in the center of the street, legs wide, gun pointed at them.

“Shit,” Sami said, jerking the wheel.

Gunfire plowed into their front tire, and the truck swerved wildly. Vinnie screamed, her hands going to the dash. The truck smashed against a solid brick building. Metal crunched, and glass blew in every direction.

Pain exploded through her body. Her head jerked back, and she fell sideways into Raze. Without missing a beat, he kicked open the door, already firing toward the street.

Her head rang, and her body ached. She struggled to shove her way out of the vehicle. Her feet hit the ground, and then she kept on going down. The last sound she heard before darkness claimed her was Raze yelling her name.