Mercury Striking (The Scorpius Syndrome #1)(35)

“Too bad.” Jax stomped across the room and yanked open a drawer to return with a syringe. The least he could do was ease his buddy’s pain. Why the hell hadn’t he known Tace hadn’t taken B? He should’ve double checked. “Suck it up, Texas.” He smoothly slid the needle into Tace’s vein and pressed the stopper.

Tace sighed, and his body went limp.

Lynne eyed him. “You’re pretty good at that.”

Jax exhaled slowly, gaze on his friend. “Not my first time, unfortunately.” He tossed the empty syringe across the room and into a trash can.

April rushed back into the room with semiclean and damp towels. “We’ve been keeping them in the basement where it’s kind of cool.” She glanced at Tace, secured to the bed. “Oh no. What happened?”

Jax moved from Lynne to slip an arm around April’s shoulders and escort her back to her chair. “Haylee bit him. I need you to assist Lynne while we’re out securing more vitamin B.”

April looked at Lynne, Tace, her daughter, and then back to Jax. “I need a gun.”

Jax blinked.

“We might have a problem with Lynne, and I may need to protect her. In fact, we should both have guns.” April’s eyes hardened. “I’ll do what I need to do to protect everyone in this room. You can trust me.”

Jax reached down and retrieved Tace’s ankle weapon to hand to April and then did the same with his own for Lynne. Both women glanced at the small guns, holding them in hands that shouldn’t hold weapons.

He scratched his head. “April, you know how to use that?”

“Point and shoot.” She shrugged. “I can do it.”

“Lynne?” he asked.

Her gaze met his, filled with nightmares. “I’ve been trained, and I know how to shoot.”

The pain in her eyes hit him right in the gut, so he focused on April again. “What did you do before, well, all of this?”

April snorted. “I was the head of the PTA, the softball team mom, and my husband’s helper at his dental office. I did the books.”

“Sounds like a nice life,” Jax said.

She glanced at her daughter, her shoulders slumping. “It really was.”

Jax had already heard the husband had died of Scorpius. “I’m going to shut the door, and you two lock it. Don’t open it for anybody but me or Wyatt. I’ll leave orders you’re to be left alone, and since you have two patients here, people will probably give you a wide berth.” He’d take Sami with him so she couldn’t harass Lynne.

Here he was already worried about Lynne.

He needed to keep some distance from the wounded scientist or he’d completely lose perspective. If he’d been more on his game, perhaps Tace wouldn’t be fighting the fever right now. Women and relationships complicated things, which was why he’d remained alone.

Yet even now, watching Lynne Harmony settle her shoulders, gun in hand, worry in her eyes, he couldn’t help but be drawn to her. The urge to place a reassuring kiss on her forehead before he left had him turning on his heel and heading for the door. “Stay in here and stay safe,” he said before shutting the door firmly behind him. He waited until the lock engaged before striding down the hallway to find Wyatt.

It was time to hunt.





Chapter Twelve





Nature has never truly favoured humanity over the countless other species who have already perished. We just like to believe otherwise.

—Dr. Franklin Xavier Harmony




Two tension-filled hours after Jax had left, Lynne pressed a hand to Tace’s sweating forehead, rubbing over the deep creases. His body fought against the restraints, stiffening until his back arched off the bed. Blood beaded on his lips.

Chances were, he was going to die. If he survived, he stood a good chance of going insane. It was hard to imagine the good-natured doctor as a crazy man. If she had vitamin B, she’d shoot him up. Unfortunately, there was nothing to do but ride out the fever and pray he didn’t die.

She reached for a cup of water and held it to him. “Don’t bite yourself,” she tried to murmur in a soothing voice.

He coughed out the liquid, spitting blood.

She sat back, glancing sideways to check on Haylee. The girl had quieted to soft mutterings and incoherent spurts of crying.

Her mother held her hand, lines of fatigue and fear cutting into her face. “I can’t believe this,” she muttered.

Lynne wiped her brow. “I know. She’ll be okay. She’s young and in good shape.”

April’s eyes filled with tears. “I hope so.” So much pain filled her voice that Lynne’s heart clutched.

April dug out a rough angel figurine and placed it near Haylee. “Little Lena gave me this yesterday. Must’ve found it in one of the apartments inner territory.”

“Lena?” Lynne asked.

April swallowed. “Lost seven-year-old who hangs around soldier headquarters and gives presents. Pretty petite blond who I’ve kind of taken in. You’ll see her, and she’ll probably give you some sort of present, although she doesn’t speak. She loves Haylee.”

Haylee seemed pretty lovable. “What was Haylee like before Scorpius hit?” Lynne asked softly.

April’s lips trembled into a parody of a smile. “Amazing. Straight As, good kid, played shortstop on a competitive team.” She chuckled. “We traveled all the time—every summer. Don used to say softball was our life, but he was so proud of her. No matter his schedule, he made it to every game.”