Page 71 of Storm and Tempest

“All right, that’s enough.” Four crouched, a needle in his hand. “Let’s do this quick before the other guy comes back.”

“Should’ve just stunned both of them.”

Jax wasn’t sure if he recognized that voice. He couldn’t turn and look at the guy. He could only lie there while they wrapped a strip of rubber around his bicep and tied it tightly.

“How much do we need to take?”

Four said, “I’ve got three vials.”

“We could just kill him,” the companion muttered. “They can get a genetic profile from a dead guy.”

Four shoved Jax’s shoulder, and he flopped to his back, the prongs of the stun gun still embedded in his back. Fire of a different kind burned in his shoulder. Jax winced in his mind. He didn’t know what happened to his face but was pretty sure he had zero control over his features.

At least he hadn’t blacked out.

Four inserted a needle in Jax’s arm and started taking his blood.Genetic profile.That’s what the guy had said.

As soon as they’d zapped him, the comms channel likely went dead. Maizie and Ramon would know something was wrong, and they’d come over here as soon as they could.

Four pulled the vial out and replaced it to fill another, lifting it and looking at Jax’s red blood contained in that small tube.

The other man moved into view above him. Jax had seen the guy before, at the retirement home. This one was Five. At least one of them had murdered Two when he’d been about to defect and tell Kenna everything. Just a few months ago, and yet itseemed like a lifetime. Back when he had her with him and their lives were good.

“Geez, you see this? The guy is crying.” Five huffed. “That’s worse than when they fight back.”

Four said, “Shut up. Let’s just get this finished.” He switched out the tube again.

Five ignored the order. “Once we get dad here’s blood back to the rendezvous, we can get a new assignment. I’m thinking Florida.”

“Sure, that always works.”

“Actually, Florida is way too hot this time of year. Maybe somewhere north is better.”

Four shot him a dangerous look Jax didn’t miss.

“Come on. I feel bad for the guy. He’s missing his wife, missing all those pregnancy things that saps like him want to be around for.”

“Not like me and how I didn’t see any of that with Dana?”

Five said, “I didn’t mean that. You did the best you could with her, and when it didn’t work out, you ended it peacefully. She’s in a better place and all that.”

Jax’s stomach clenched, and his arm moved. Both men reacted immediately.

“Hold him down,” Four said. “And don’t let him bite you.”

“Give…ideas.” Jax managed to get the words out. If they gave him the chance, he might be inclined to bite one of these men. Then he would smash the vials of blood so thatDominatuscouldn’t have his genetic profile. They had already taken far too much from him.

His thoughts stuttered. What if Kenna was hurt? What if there was something wrong with the baby? What if…?

Four pulled out the last vial, then extracted the needle from Jax’s arm.

Jax gritted his teeth and swung out with his hand. He grabbed Four’s wrist.

The other guy swore, but Jax refused to let go—now that he had a good grip on the guy and was regaining his ability to control his own body.

Jax managed to bite out the words, “Where…is…she?”

“Tough, this one. Kind of like her,” the other guy said. “Want me to hit him again with the stun gun?”