Edge of Betrayal (19 page)

“Not born?”

“Yeah. I was just thinking how I’d never be the kind of parent mine were. Mom just ran off. Dad . . . well, you know what a gem he was. I kinda thought I’d get a chance to set everything right with my own kid, but that didn’t work out, either.”

“You’re going to be a great mom one day.”

Sophie wasn’t so sure. Just how deep did her dysfunction go? Was it in her blood? Would she pass on her damage to her children?

“In all of this research you’ve uncovered, was there ever any sign that what Sage did to us could be passed on to our kids?”

“None that I’ve seen. Besides, any kid that got your brains, looks, and strong will would be lucky.”

She let out a hollow laugh. “Yeah, right. The daughter of a junkie and an alcoholic gambler. Real top-notch genetics.”

“You’re not like them.”

“How do you know? You’ve known me for about forty-five seconds. I could be conning you right now—just like I did all those other men.”

He pushed away from the door and stalked toward her. “What other men?”

She hadn’t meant to tell him. She didn’t want him looking at her like that—like he was right now, all skeptical and fierce.

Sophie backed up a step and tripped over the leg of the coffee table. She started to topple backward, but Riley grabbed her arms and held her up.

“What other men?” he asked again.

She lifted her chin and tried not to let him see just how terrified she was. “There were too many to remember.”

“What did you do?”

“Whatever it took to get their money.”

“Did you ever sleep with them?”

She’d never gone that far, but it had been close. Dad was pushing her to step up her game. He needed more money and told her it was no big deal. Women gave it up all the time for cash. She wasn’t any better than any of those women.

But she wanted to be.

“It’s none of your business,” she said, raising the emotional shields that had kept her safe for years. She couldn’t let this man hurt her. He had way too much power over her, and any blow he delivered would be devastating.

Slowly, he let go of her arms. He stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets. “You’re right. It’s none
of my business who you sleep with or what you had to do to survive. I’m just glad you stayed alive.”

“That’s it? You think I’m a whore and that’s as mad as you’re going to get?”

“What did you expect?”

“Screaming. Throwing things. At me.”

“That’s not the kind of man I am. Besides, I have no right to judge you. I’ll admit that the idea of you being used as an ATM machine gets under my skin, but it’s only because no one should have to be used like that. You deserve better.”

“I got exactly what I deserved—getting abducted, knocked up, and nearly killed by a man I thought would sweep me away from my old life.” She shook her head. “I was such an idiot.”

“You didn’t deserve that, Sophie. It happened and it sucked, but it was something that was done to you, not something you asked for. Not something you earned.”

“You can’t know that. You have no idea what I’ve done.”

He pressed his hand over her heart, just above her breast. Her body lit up at his touch, and her soul ached for more. “Did you ever hurt anyone for fun?”

“No. But I did hurt people.”

“By choice?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you con anyone your dad didn’t make you con?”

“Just you,” she admitted.

“Me? I never gave you money.”

“No, but I let you think I was good so you’d save my life.”

“Honey, I would have saved your life if you’d had horns sprouting from your head. I saw you standing there in that white nightgown, terrified and vulnerable, and I was a goner. No way was I leaving that place without you in tow. It didn’t matter who you were or what
you’d done. All I knew was that I saw you and knew I had to make you safe.”

If she hadn’t already loved him, she would have now.

She reached up and kissed him before she could think better of what she was doing.

His response was immediate and powerful. He grabbed her and lifted her feet from the ground while he took her mouth, kissing her hard enough to steal her ability to think.

Her back hit the wall, freeing his hands to slide along the sides of her waist and down onto her hips. She wrapped her legs around his waist to help support her weight and gave in to the demands of his mouth.

So good. So right. He tasted like the sweetest dreams.

Sophie’s body heated so fast she thought her skin might ignite. Her nipples tightened against the hard planes of his chest. She needed to feel his skin on hers—as much as she could get.

With a hard tug, she ripped his shirt over his head and bared him to the waist. Delicious.

The second his lips left hers, she felt him stiffen, felt the heat of his skin go cold.

“I can’t.” His words were a choked strand of sound.

He eased her feet to the floor and backed away like she was on fire. His lips were red, and the slashes of color across his cheeks and forehead matched. His chest expanded and contracted heavily with several deep breaths.

She had to bite her lip to keep from reaching for him, but she did. She didn’t have much to claim as her own, but her dignity was still mostly intact. Pawing at a man who refused her would change that.

He ran his hand over his face. “I can’t . . . you’re too . . . I just can’t.”

“I’m too what?” she asked, sure she would regret her curiosity. “Whorey? Needy? Broken?”

His gaze met hers, so dark she was completely drawn in. “Too sexy. You make me forget the things I need to remember. Important things. Vital things.”

She wasn’t buying it. He was just letting her off easy. Man and woman alone together in a house with lots of tension and danger around? It was a potent hormonal stew. He might have been turned on by her, but he was smart enough to know she wasn’t a keeper.

No matter how much she wanted to be.

“I understand,” she said. “Won’t happen again.”

She went into his bedroom—the one he’d let her claim as her own—and closed the door. She was about thirty seconds from tears, and she didn’t want a witness to her waterworks.

Tomorrow she’d leave. Either go to her new life, or get another bodyguard, or just take her chances alone. The longer she stayed with Riley, the harder she’d fall for him, and she was smart enough to know that if she fell any harder, she wouldn’t survive the landing.

P
ayton was waiting in his office when Adam and Mira arrived that morning. His hair and clothes were in perfect order, as usual, but Mira had never seen him looking so tired. Haggard.

He looked ancient.

“Have a seat,” he said as they walked in.

“I’m not sure why I even showed up,” said Mira. “You’ve been lying to me for weeks. Doubt that’s stopping now.”

“You showed up because you want your father back in custody as much as I do.”

“Actually, I was happier with him dead.”

“If it makes you feel any better, he detested every second of his stay.”

“It’s something,” she said. “Not enough for me to forget you lied to me, but something.”

Payton’s face sagged a bit more. “I did what was necessary. I hope you’ll come to see that one day.”

“Whatever. Let’s just get this over with. Bella sent a new assignment to me and Adam. I can’t waste all day listening to you not apologize for being a flaming asshole.”

“We know where your father is. Generally.”

“What?” she asked, rising from her chair. “Why the hell aren’t we out there getting him?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Where is he?” asked Adam. His tone was casual, but his posture was anything but. Mira could feel some kind of intense vibe shivering out of him.

Payton shook his head. “Not yet. I tell you that, and you’re out of here before I finish the sentence.”

“Then say what you want us to hear. Fast.”

“Sage was badly wounded when we captured him last year. We sewed him up, but not before surgically implanting him with a tracking device. I don’t think he’s aware it’s there.”

“You mean you’ve been able to find him all this time?” bellowed Mira.

Adam grabbed her hand and urged her back into her seat.

Payton’s gaze zeroed in on the contact, and his eyes narrowed. “Nice the two of you are getting along so well.”

“Fuck off, Payton,” said Mira. “You’ve got sixty seconds before I start figuring out how to track him down myself.”

“You can’t. The tracker isn’t activated. We didn’t want his people to sweep for bugs and detect the signal, so it’s deactivated until we send a signal.”

“And then what?”

“We move in. Take him down.”

“What the hell are you waiting on?” asked Mira.

Again, Adam calmed her down by stroking her palm. His touch had the desired effect, and she could actually feel her blood pressure drop.

“We need to find his labs. I’m almost certain that that’s where he’ll head, but not until he’s sure he’s lost us.”

“How long are you calculating that will take?” asked Adam.

“I can guess. I was hoping Mira might do a better job at it.”

“Guessing?” she asked. “What makes you think I can do any better?”

“He’s your father. You know him better than anyone alive.”

“Only because he’s killed everyone else who ever loved him.”

“Still, it puts you in the valuable position of helping us determine when to strike.”

“Now is good,” she said.

“You know better. Just think about it—think about what could be gained from having access to his current lab. All the data, all the lives we can save before he can ruin them.”

“You’re sure he’s still doing research?” she asked.

“I am. A team of forensic accountants traced some offshore money to him. We followed the trail and it led back to a group that’s also been contributing to accounts we think are linked to Dr. Stynger. That’s not a coincidence.”

Mira slumped back in her chair. This was all supposed to be over. The experiments, the terror and pain—it was all supposed to have ended last year with her father’s death.

“What do you want me to do?”

“He needs a reason to go back to his lab. I need you to find one.”

The muscles in Adam’s forearm shifted as he gripped the chair. She had no idea what had made him tense, but she had bigger worries.

“Like what?”

“You know him. You lived in a home with one of his labs. What made him scurry off, unable to stay away from his work?”

“A new subject—a new toy to destroy—but there’s no way in hell we’re giving him someone to play with.”

“Agreed,” said Payton. “What else?”

“He’s fiercely competitive. If he thinks that someone else is about to surpass him, that might get him to act.”

Payton nodded. “Someone like Stynger?”

“Yes. He hates her. His professional jealousy is
definitely a big lever we could use. But how? We know less about her than we do my dad.”

“We could make something up,” suggested Payton.

“It won’t work,” said Adam. “He has spies at her facilities. He’ll detect a lie and he’s smart enough to figure out why we would.”

“We can’t raise his suspicion. One body scan or X-ray would reveal the tracker and give away our only advantage.”

“There is one other thing he wants,” said Mira, trying hard not to sound as terrified as she was.

“What?”

“Me.”

“No,” said Adam.

“It could work,” said Payton. “We’d have to be careful, but—”

“No,” said Adam again, and this time the word carried a sledgehammer’s worth of force. “It’s not an option. We’ve been looking for his location for months. If even the slightest thing goes wrong and Mira is taken, we may lose her, too.”

“It’s not my idea of a good time, either, but it could work,” she said. “I can go in armed. Get my own tracking device installed.”

Payton shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. Even if things went perfectly, we already know that your father isn’t beyond shedding your blood.”

“Or taking her life,” said Adam. “But there is another option. I could go in.”

“No,” said Payton. “He saw the way you reacted to Mira being taken hostage. There’s no way he’d ever believe you would cooperate.”

“So where does that leave us?” asked Mira. “We can’t just wait for him to relax enough to go back to his work. That could take weeks. He can do way too much damage in that time and it gives him too much of an opportunity to find the tracking device.”

“There is someone else,” said Payton. “Someone skilled enough to be at minimal risk. Someone Sage would kill to get his hands on.”

“Who?” asked Mira.

“Gage.”

Adam exploded from his chair, sending it toppling backward. “No!”

Payton held up his hands. “Whoa. Easy. I know you two are partners, but it’s a logical choice.”

“It’s not a choice at all.”

“Think about it. Gage can handle himself in a bad situation. He was one of the few subjects from a lab we shut down early. Sage has been itching to get his hands on the research that came out of that facility for years. If he thinks he’s got a shot at getting Gage in his lab, he might just take it.”

Mira looked from Payton to Adam. There was something going on here—more than what it appeared. “Gage was one of the kids on the List?”

Payton nodded. “He was one of the first ones I found. I got him trained, set him up with a job, made sure he was on the straight and narrow. He doesn’t remember anything that was done to him, but he knows it was. We’ve talked about it recently.”

“I had no idea,” said Mira. “I’ve worked with him for years and didn’t even suspect.”

“That’s because he’s quiet,” said Adam. “Keeps to himself.”

“That’s true. I doubt I’ve heard him utter more than a dozen words in a day before.”

“We’re not using him as bait.” Adam gave Payton a hard stare.

“He’s right,” said Mira. “I’m not going to volunteer people for my dad to torture. We’ll find another way to drive him to his current lab.”

Adam righted his chair. “You said you had a general idea of where Sage was.”

“We’re turning on his tracking device at random intervals for short bursts of time so he doesn’t get too far away. The last two contacts we made indicated he was moving north.”

“Where?” she asked.

“You don’t need to know.”

Mira stared at Payton across the desk. “You know I could find him if I put my mind to it.”

“Please don’t. This is bigger than your own personal vendetta.”

How long could she sit back and wait? How long could she let that monster wander around, planning out his next move? He was smart. He had people to do his bidding and apparently an income stream to pay them. “If we don’t move soon, he could go underground. Even the best trackers are going to have trouble with that. And once he’s settled, he may not come out for years.”

“We could use Ruby,” said Adam. “If she’s not with him, then she could lead us to him.”

That was right. They still had bugs in Ruby’s place. “Or she might say something that could tell us where he’s headed.” Mira used her phone to access the cameras in Ruby’s apartment. “She’s not home, but I’ll set up an alarm to alert us if there’s any movement or sound at her place.”

“You do that,” said Payton. “I’m going to work another angle. Let me know if you learn anything useful.”

“Will you do the same?” asked Adam. “Or is this a one-way street?”

“I want him found as much as either of you. Possibly more. I won’t do anything that will get in the way of that.”

“That wasn’t an answer,” said Mira.

Payton crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s the only one you’re going to get.”

*   *   *

“I’m not sitting around waiting for Dad to do something horrible,” said Mira as they followed the hallways to her office.

“Of course you’re not. Neither am I.”

“So what are we going to do?”

She unlocked her office door. He held it open for her and followed her inside.

The cold hum of this room was something he would forever associate with Mira. Beneath the scent of plastic and electrical components, he swore he could smell her in the air here. Every time he came in, his senses perked up and his shoulders relaxed. It made him wonder what his chances were that she’d let him set up his desk in the corner, so he could be close to her.

“Do you really think you can find the signal they’re using to track your father?” he asked.

“I know I can. It’s just a matter of how long it takes and how many laws I have to break to make it happen.”

“Okay. You do that. I’m going to begin working on another angle.”

“What angle?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“I don’t like the way that sounds.”

Adam leaned down and kissed her the way he’d been dying to do since they’d stepped foot into the office. Something about the forbidden called to him, making him want her even more than he had only an hour ago.

He hadn’t thought that possible.

When he pulled away, her eyes were glazed, and the sweetest flush colored her cheeks. “What was I saying?”

“How anxious you were to start breaking some laws to find Sage.”

“Oh, right. That.”

“I’ll be back to pick you up for lunch.”

The smile she gave him was so pretty it weakened his knees. He realized in that moment that of all the people he’d encountered in his life, she was the most dangerous.
She had the power to tear his world apart if she chose, and she didn’t even know it.

He hoped she never would.

Somewhere in the part of his mind he kept boxed away, the idea of never swirled. It was such a long time, and yet every second of it was filled with thoughts of Mira. He’d never had a romantic relationship before. He’d dated. Had sex. But it was almost always as part of a job or a plan to angle himself better in his search for his brother.

This desire to be with a woman? It was completely new to him. Completely strange and terrifying.

What if she changed her mind? What if she walked away and never came back? It happened all the time.

An odd, jangling panic built at the base of his skull. “You will be here when I come back, won’t you?”

“Will you kiss me like that again?” she asked.

“Twice.”

“Then, hell yeah. I’ll be here.”

Adam waited until she sat down and started working. Once her fingers started flying across the keyboard, he was finally able to inch away.

He’d never been needy before. Or clingy. He’d never felt the desire to be close to someone the way he felt with Mira. And this time, there was no obligation involved. He wanted to be near her simply because he wanted to know she was safe and happy. He wanted to be close enough to touch her.

He forced himself to leave and shut the door behind him. He’d made a few contacts in his work gathering test subjects for Stynger. With any luck at all, one of them would still take his call.

As soon as that happened, they’d have the bait they needed to take Sage down for good.