Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1)(31)

Lynne tried to remain calm. If there had been a cure, it would’ve been discovered at the CDC months ago. She’d tried everything. The best they could realistically hope for was a way to ameliorate the effects of the disease. “As far as we can tell, the only sure way to be infected is to be bitten.”

Sami hissed. “Looks like you have a good set of chompers.”

“I have no interest in biting you,” Lynne said dryly.

Sami’s gaze turned sly. “Since you’re sleeping with our leader here, he has a good chance of being bitten, and we wouldn’t know it.”

More murmurs.

The blond guy glanced at Jax and lifted both eyebrows.

Jax settled his shoulders. A vein swelled along his neck, and his stance widened. “I’ve already survived the fever.”

A small roar whipped through the crowd. Several folks reached for weapons.

Jax’s two pals in the back of the room whipped out guns, pointing them at the ground, clearly preparing to defend him.

“Hold on.” Jax held up a hand. “There will be no shooting. The first person to lift a gun gets shot by me.”

Nobody even twitched.

Whoa. So he could get to his gun and shoot somebody first? Lynne scanned the crowd. The people believed him, because not one raised a weapon. Even so, the tension grew so thick the air seemed clogged. Her heart sped up and adrenaline flooded her system.

The redheaded guy’s mouth gaped open. “You never said a word.”

Jax lowered his chin. “Have I infected anybody?”

“Well, no,” Red said.

“See? If I don’t bite you, you don’t get infected. I’d bet more than a few of you have been keeping the same secret.” He turned to the blond guy, who just shrugged.

Was he the main medical doctor? Lynne pursed her lips. “Even when a patient survives the infection, Scorpius remains in saliva, blood, and semen. Keep those to yourself, and you won’t spread the disease.”

Jax crossed his arms. “We’re done talking about this. You have tonight to decide whether you’re staying or going.”

Sami pressed both hands on her hips. “I say we vote.”

The air changed. The atmosphere grew heavy, and tension emanated from Jax Mercury.

Lynne swallowed and barely kept her knees from buckling. Why had she stood?

Jax settled his stance, threat and violence in every line of his hard muscled body. “If you’re under the impression that this is a democracy, get the fuck out now. I’m in charge, and you’ll follow my rules if you want to stay.” His gaze swept the entire room. “Tace and Wyatt have already decided to stay with me. If any of you decide to go, you’ll be given a backpack of provisions to take with you.”

As he concluded, the blond guy and the broad black guy maneuvered toward the front of the room to flank him. Must be Tace and Wyatt.

Lynne found herself behind a wall of muscled men, their message perfectly clear. She peered around the side of the blond to see reactions.

The sound of milk crates scraping against concrete filled the silence, and soon people filed out. A seriously hot Native American guy was the last to reach the door, his movements graceful, his gaze not leaving her.

“That’s Raze,” Jax told her quietly as the man left. “I think he’s on our side. Maybe.”

Finally, the three men turned toward her.

“Tace Justice,” the blond said with a Texas twang, holding out a hand. Sizzling blue eyes sparkled in a rugged face. “Former military medic and current only doctor with combat experience here.” He frowned. “Of course, that’s changing. More and more combat, you know.”

She shook his hand. “Lynne Harmony, former head of the CDC division of infectious diseases and current carrier of Scorpius. Only one with a blue heart, however.”

The other guy held out a hand bigger than her greatgrandma’s apple-patterned roll platter. “Wyatt Quaid. Second soldier in command, I guess.”

She smiled and shook his hand, appreciating his gentle touch. Had he been a soldier, too? “Nice to meet you. What did you do before all this?”

He blinked.

Jax chuckled, and Tace full out grinned.

Crap. “Not that it matters, I just—”

“He played football,” Tace drawled. “Not well, but . . .”

“Super Bowl champ, asshole,” Wyatt snarled. “Well, before I went to the Niners.”

Oh, so he was famous. Lynne tried to smile. “I didn’t much keep up on sports, to be honest, but I’m sure you were really good at the game.”

He lifted one dark eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Dude, you’re huge,” she burst out. Heat climbed into her face. “I mean, you move gracefully, and—”

Jax took her arm. “Quit while you’re ahead.”

She closed her lips.

“Did you watch any sports?” Wyatt asked, his lips twitching.

“Um, water polo,” she admitted.

The three men all looked at her with identical expressions of surprise.

Jax coughed out first. “Water polo?”

She crossed her arms. “I went to Pepperdine as an undergrad, and water polo was big there. The combination of grace and muscle needed to play is impressive.”

Tace snorted.