Living on the Edge

by Shannon K. Butcher

  “Paranoia, delusions, hallucinations,” said Bob, shame filling his quiet voice. “I remember.”

  “It makes me wonder what he’s done to Gina.”

  “I have no idea, but I do know that my little girl is crawling around out in the jungle, looking for her friend, and it’s your fault.”

  Indignation burned off some of Payton’s fear. “Like hell it is. She’s a grown woman, and if it weren’t for all of her abandonment issues, she probably would have settled down to a nice, normal life with a couple of kids and a minivan instead of a couple of dozen guns and a need for violence. That’s your fault. Don’t you dare go blaming me for what you chose to do.”

  Payton could hear Bob’s fury coming through in the silence filling the line. It took several seconds before he spoke again, and when he did, his voice was a low growl of warning. “You know it was the only way to protect her, to keep her off the List. I never wanted her involved.”

  “Well, now she is. You said you’ve got a man with her. You’re just going to have to trust that he’ll do his job and keep her safe.”

  “If he doesn’t, I’m coming after you.”

  “You do that,” said Payton, completely unruffled by the general’s warning. “We both know how that will turn out.”

  Again, a long silence stretched on, but Payton let it, refusing to rise to the bait of trying to fill it.

  Finally, Bob spoke, sounding tired. “I can’t lose Sloane. I know we’re not close, but losing Abigail nearly killed me. If anything happens to my little girl . . .”

  Payton’s heart wasn’t completely made of stone. He knew what it was like to worry about someone you loved. He still didn’t get a decent night’s sleep whenever Bella went out on a mission. Not that he’d stop her. Women like Sloane and Bella could not be controlled. The best he could hope for was to appear harmless so when he offered guidance they would listen.

  “I’ll do what I can,” he promised Bob. “If Sloane gets in trouble, she’ll call for backup. It’s what I taught her—what Bella taught her.”

  “I should have been the one to teach her.”

  “We both know why you couldn’t. Let it go. It’s over.”

  Bob sighed. “I only wish that were true.”

  Payton’s muscles tensed and he pressed the phone harder against his ear. “What do you mean?”

  “There are too many coincidences to ignore. I’ve seen things, heard things that remind me of ... everything we did.”

  “We can’t talk about that now, but maybe we should meet.”

  “I’m on my way to your neck of the woods to wait for Sloane to come back, anyway. I’ll come find you.”

  “Not at work,” said Payton. “I don’t know if any of the mercenaries will recognize you.”

  “I was a lot younger back then. A lot thinner and had a lot more hair.”

  “Maybe, but I’d rather not take the chance. You know how their minds are—how easy it is to set off one of their memories.”

  “Fair enough. See you tomorrow.”

  Payton was not looking forward to the reunion.

  Four hours had passed by the time Sloane woke. Her fever had eased, and she felt better, though she still wasn’t at one hundred percent.

  Lucas wasn’t sitting around nearby, but she didn’t dare call out his name. She didn’t know how close they were to Soma’s men or how far her voice might travel.

  She pushed herself to her feet and searched the immediate area for signs of him. She saw none.

  There was no way she was going to be able to haul all the gear—both his and hers—so she grabbed a few necessities and left the rest behind. At least this way, he’d know she was coming back.

  Sloane had gone about half a mile when her head cleared enough to realize she wasn’t going to be able to find him out here. He’d left no trace of a trail she could follow—not that she was an expert tracker by any means. She was better off going back to the gear and waiting for him to show.

  Which put a nasty thought in her head. What if he didn’t come back? What if something had happened to him?

  She tried to tell herself that it was his own damn fault for following her here, but she couldn’t seem to make herself believe that, no matter how hard she tried. He’d come to help. Sure, he’d been sent by her father, but that didn’t make him the devil. He just worked for one.

  Sloane hiked to the top of a rise, hoping the elevation would allow her to see over all this damn foliage. She’d nearly cleared the top when she saw a blur of motion and a hard hand closed over her mouth. A heavy weight bore her backward to the ground, pressing down on top of her.

  Her arms were pinned to her sides, but she kicked, fighting her captor on instinct.

  His head pulled back enough for her eyes to focus on his face. It was Lucas, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was watching something in the distance.

  Relief made her sag in his hold and she suffered through an involuntary shiver.

  He leaned down so his mouth was against her ear. She felt the brush of his breath slide over her skin. “Two men patrolling at one o’clock, ten meters out.”

  Sloane did some quick calculations and realized that if she’d cleared that rise, they would have seen her. Lucas had saved their lives and possibly Gina’s as well.

  She nodded, telling him she understood, then stayed still and silent. He moved his hand, and she licked her dry lips, tasting the salt of his skin.

  He lifted his head and peered out over her again. His weight still held her down, but she didn’t dare ask him to move and risk detection.

  His heat sank into her; his scent filled her head. She felt surrounded by him, and surprisingly she found she didn’t mind. It had been a long time since she’d felt a man’s weight atop her, and she couldn’t help but enjoy the sensation, letting it trickle through her and calm her nerves. There was something primal in that feeling—a comfort in knowing she was protected from the world by a man who was more than capable of keeping her safe. Sure, she was independent and strong, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy knowing she could relax, if only for a few moments.

  Sloane blamed her inappropriate feelings on her fever. It was a lot easier that way than owning up to them.

  While Lucas watched the patrol, Sloane watched him. His face was shaded by the wavering shadows of leaves and the growth of beard stubble along his jaw. A smudge of dirt bisected his forehead. At this distance, she could easily see the paler blue starbursts in his eyes. His gaze was focused as it followed the men, his breathing slow and even.

  Sloane wanted to reach up and trace her fingers over the lines of his face. She wanted to feel the smooth texture of his mouth and the roughness of his chin. Even the messy drape of his hair over his forehead called to her.

  She didn’t do any of those things. She suffered through the want, feeling it flow through her body, making her languid and somehow soft.

  Lucas looked down at her, and because she was watching him so intently, she noticed the way his pupils flared.

  She told herself it was just the change in light, the shift from sun to shadow. But then he kept staring and his gaze roamed over her face, settling on her mouth. He licked his lips in an unconscious gesture.

  A crazy, screaming part of her begged her to kiss him. It would have been an easy thing to do. She only had to lift her head a couple of inches, make contact, let her mouth do the rest of the work.

  She didn’t. Wanting to kiss him was just the fever talking. He was one of her father’s men, and like all the men who came in contact with General Robert Norwood, Lucas would spend his life trying to emulate the Old Man. She’d rather die alone than end up with a man like her father.

  Wouldn’t she?

  The fact that she even questioned that idea was enough to break the spell. There was no way she was going to let another man control her and cage her for her own safety. She was not going to be ignored, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ever again let someone make her feel as inadequate a
s her father had. She was a strong, capable woman. Never again would she connect herself with a man who found her lacking the way the glorious general did.

  She kept her voice low, barely a whisper. “Are they gone?”

  He nodded, still staring at her mouth.

  This was the part where she asked him to move off of her. No words came out.

  Lucas reached up and snagged a leaf from her hair. His wide hand settled on her forehead. His skin was rough and warm and felt way too nice against hers. “Your fever’s better.”

  The contact wasn’t sexual. It was merely his hand on her head. It didn’t even involve any naughty parts, and yet Sloane felt like she’d been stroked from shoulder to thigh and back again. Her body vibrated with a needy kind of tension that was centered low in her belly.

  She swallowed, trying to free her voice. It came out as more of a croak. “Yeah.”

  “That’s good.” He slid his hand back over her hair, stroking her.

  She’d almost thought it was a mistake until he did it again, and again. She closed her eyes, unable to stop herself from enjoying the sensation of being petted by a gorgeous man.

  If he didn’t stop this soon, she was going to forget why she was supposed to dislike Lucas and let her body have its way with him.

  Chapter 9

  Lucas knew he should move. He knew that what he was doing was beyond inappropriate. He simply didn’t care.

  Sloane’s supple body fit beneath his as if she’d been made for it—and that was with the bulk of their tactical vests between them. Without them, he could only imagine how good she’d feel. But it was the way she closed her eyes and reveled in his touch that was going to be the death of him.

  He hadn’t meant to stroke her face and hair. He’d only intended to see if her fever had faded. But once his hand was on her skin, there was no turning back. She was as soft as she looked. Her dark hair was silky smooth despite the bits of debris clinging here and there.

  Sloane was a formidable woman capable of more violence than many men he knew, but right now, here, lying under him, she was simply a woman. One Lucas was having a hard time remembering not to touch.

  A soft sigh of pleasure lifted from her mouth and Lucas had to grit his teeth to keep from kissing her. He knew better. So far he hadn’t done anything irrevocable. He could still pretend his touch was platonic. Sure, it would be a lie, because his thoughts were anything but platonic, but it was a plausible lie.

  If he kissed her, that would change. She’d know how he felt—that he was attracted to her. It would make the rest of their mission awkward, and that could make things less safe.

  He was hard, and his wayward cock chose this moment to jerk toward her, giving away the erection he’d been trying to hide.

  Her eyes popped wide open. The look on her face was a mix of panic and need.

  Lucas let out a low curse and rolled aside. He was so busted. “Sorry.”

  She was silent for a long time before saying, “We can’t do this.”

  “I know.”

  “We’re . . . wrong for each other.”

  “I know.” But he didn’t like it. She didn’t feel wrong.

  “We need to think about Gina. Get her home safe.”

  “And then?” he asked, because he couldn’t stop himself.

  She pushed herself to a sitting position and looked down at him. “And then it won’t matter—this thing between us. We’ll be back in our own worlds. Where we belong.”

  Lucas didn’t tell her that he didn’t really belong anywhere anymore. All he had waiting for him was his parents’ desire for him to take over the family restaurant. He’d worked there growing up and hated every minute of it. They were horrified when he’d been injured, but overjoyed that it meant he was now out of the military for good. They assumed he’d come back and pick up where he left off, allowing them to retire.

  As much as he wanted to help his folks, he knew that job would kill him—at least the important part of him, the part that made him who he was.

  Don’t think about it now. The real world would come crashing down on him soon enough. For now all he had to do was focus on his mission and keep his hands off Sloane.

  “Where are the packs?” he asked her.

  “Where we were earlier.”

  “Go back there and wait. I’ll follow the patrol and see if I can figure out which way the airstrip is from here.”

  “I should go with you.”

  “I thought stealth wasn’t your thing. Besides, you need to take it easy. Once we find Soma, you’re going to need to be in fighting condition.”

  Sloane stood and brushed off her clothes. Lucas pulled another leaf from her hair, which was dangerously close to putting the two of them right back where they’d been only a moment ago.

  He couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of her, which was a mistake.

  She knew it too, judging by the way she took a long step back. “I won’t wait long. If you get back and my stuff is gone, you’ll know I went on without you. South.”

  “Fair enough. Give me an hour. I should be able to get a feel for their route in that time.”

  Sloane nodded, turned, and left.

  Lucas watched her until she disappeared into the vegetation, then hauled his ass after the two men he was convinced worked for Soma. With any luck at all, he’d find the airstrip and they’d be there before nightfall.

  Gina didn’t dare to even think about escaping again. She could still feel Julia’s sweet little arms hugging her neck, feel the wetness of her tears on her shirt.

  She hadn’t slept since the murder. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Shorty’s hopeful smile superimposed upon the splatter of gore on the shiny marble floor.

  She’d tricked him. It was her fault he was dead. Sure, he worked for a murdering asshole, but that didn’t mean he deserved to die. She certainly hadn’t intended to get him killed.

  No way was she going to let that happen to Julia.

  And there was no question in her mind that Lorenzo would follow through on his promise to kill the child.

  Gina paced the floor, wondering what she was going to do if Sloane actually did show up. She couldn’t go with her and risk the life of that child, which left only one option.

  Before Gina got out of here, Lorenzo Soma was going to have to die.

  A cell phone plopped onto Mira’s desk, making her jump and let out a fearful squeak. “Holy cats!”

  “Sorry. Did I scare you?” asked Bella.

  She was so worried about Clay, she must not have heard the door to the computer room open. But she sure wasn’t going to admit to her worry. If Bella thought something was wrong with him, she’d ground him, and if that happened, Mira wasn’t sure what Clay would do. He loved his job, but it was almost more of an obsession than anything normal or healthy.

  Mira wished for the hundredth time he’d go see Dr. Vaughn and figure out what was going on.

  Bella stood there, her slim hip propped against Mira’s desk. “All the data in my phone is gone. Can you fix it?”

  Mira pressed a hand to her heart, hoping it would help slow its frantic, frightened rabbit pace. “I can try. Did anything happen to it?”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. Like did you drop it in the toilet, or did it get hit with a hand grenade or something?”

  Bella laughed and shook her head. “I really need to get you out on the firing range more often.”

  “Uh. No, thanks. I’m good.”

  “You’re timid, but you’re freaky good at what you do, so you get a pass.”

  Mira let the timid and freaky parts of that comment slide over her and focused on the compliment. “Thanks. I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, you can take one of the spare phones.”

  “I need people to be able to contact me at my number. I also need my contact list so I can get in touch with others.”

  “Sure. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get you set up. You backed everything up to your
PC, right?”

  Bella nodded. “I’ll be in my office when you’re done. I’ll try not to sneak up on you next time.”

  Bella left and Mira grabbed a fresh phone from the shelf. She switched the number over and remotely accessed Bella’s hard drive to upload the data to her new phone. The old one would have to wait until she had time to tinker with it, which wasn’t going to be today.

  Once the upload was done, Mira tested the phone to check it out, making sure the calendar, contacts, and other data seemed to be all there. She got to the photos and what she saw made her hands shake.

  She had to be imagining it. That tiny little screen was distorting things. That was all.

  Mira frantically brought the photos up on her biggest monitor.

  It was one of the labs. She was sure of it. The concrete, windowless walls. The small, claustrophobic rooms barely big enough for a bed and a couple of people to move around in. Crooked IV stands. Abandoned CRT monitors.

  Everything was dated and dingy with age, but not dirty from disuse. Mira remembered when it had gleamed fresh and new. She’d been there. Maybe not in this particular lab, but she’d bet money her dad had been.

  Mira picked up the phone and dialed Bella.

  “Are you done already? That was fast.”

  “The pictures on your phone. Where did you take them?”

  “Mexico. Weird, huh? Even weirder was that the place was in the middle of nowhere. No roads, no helo pad. Nothing.”

  Mira’s voice was shaking, but she couldn’t seem to control it. “Was anyone there?”

  “No. The place was abandoned. But it spooked me, so I blew it up.”

  A wave of relief made Mira sag in her chair. Her head fell to the keyboard, causing the computer to bing in irritation at her. “That’s good. Thank you.”

  “What’s going on, Mira? Do you know that place?”

  “No,” she lied hastily. “It just seemed wrong.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I felt, too. At least you’re not going to gripe at me about it like Payton did.”