Edge of Betrayal Page 11

  That man got under her skin. She didn’t know how or why, but from the first moment she’d seen him, some intelligent part of her brain had simply melted into a puddle and leaked out her ears.

  Geez.

  She was such a mess. She had actually been feeling him back in her office—feeling him in a way that made her forget all about what he’d done to her. How he’d betrayed her.

  For his brother.

  What would Mira have done to find her brother if she’d had one? More important, what wouldn’t she have done?

  She glanced at Adam as he drove to the attacker’s place. Every move he made was fluid and smooth. There seemed to be no thought in his actions, only reaction and instinct. His gaze was watchful, on the road ahead as well as behind them. He constantly switched lanes and went around blocks to ensure that no one followed them.

  He was cautious, capable, and as sexy as hell.

  Admitting that was hard, but it was her only chance at denying the pull he had on her. And she had to deny it.

  Didn’t she?

  Of course she did. Bella had a strict no-fraternizing policy. Plus, Adam had betrayed Mira’s trust. She’d be a fool to trust him again.

  But what about forgiveness? What about understanding his motives and knowing she would have done exactly the same thing if it had been Clay she had lost?

  Her head thumped against the headrest. No way was she going to make sense of all the emotions rioting in her brain. Not when she was so recently concussed, sleep deprived, queasy, and confused.

  Best just to focus on the job and pretend Adam was a eunuch.

  Yeah, right.

  He pulled to a stop in the parking lot of an industrial building that was well past its prime. Even the FOR SALE sign had been there long enough to rust. It was a three-story construction, complete with both office space and a warehouse on one side. Boards covered more of the windows than not, and the parking lot was filled with enough potholes that their drive across it could be considered off-roading.

  “I don’t suppose there’s any point in asking if you would prefer to stay in the car, is there?” he asked.

  “None,” she agreed. “Based on the vertical component of the GPS reading, he spent a lot of time on the third floor.”

  “Then we shall as well.”

  He reached into the pocket behind her seat. That simple shift of his frame brought him close to her and gave her a girlish little thrill.

  She tamped down on the inappropriate reaction and steeled herself against his scent. No matter how good he smelled, she was keeping her hands—and all her other parts—to herself.

  Adam righted himself and handed her a flashlight.

  “Are you okay?” His deep voice wove its way into her chest and hung out there for a second before passing through.

  “Uh. Yeah. Fine.”

  “I should have fed you before coming here.”

  “Not interested. Let’s just get this over with.”

  She reached for the door handle. His fingers settled on her thigh, right above her knee.

  Instantly, her nervous system went haywire, shorting out all over the place. A whole cheering section in her brain lit up, chanting at him to slide that hand higher. While that was going on, her motor skills abandoned her, and she went completely still.

  “There’s something you should know before we go in there,” he said.

  She tried to say What? but all that came out was a pitiful squeak.

  “The man I subdued—the one who attacked at my house—he said something.”

  “What?” she managed this time, though she strained her vocal cords to do it.

  “He wanted to know where we were hiding Dr. S.”

  Mira went cold at the mention of her father. Just like that, all the heat drained from her body except for the wide patch of skin beneath Adam’s hand.

  “Did you tell him we killed him?”

  “I did, but he seemed unconvinced.”

  “Maybe he wasn’t looking for Dr. Sage. Maybe he was looking for Dr. Stynger.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why?”

  “Just a hunch.”

  “I thought Payton made sure that the word got out that Dad was dead.”

  “He did, which is why I thought you should know what I heard before we go in there.”

  “Why? What are you expecting to find?”

  “I don’t know. I just thought that if there were any mentions of your father, you should be braced for them.”

  “My father definitely left behind a legacy. Too bad no one in his right mind would want a piece of it.”

  “Another reason to brace yourself. If someone is searching for him or his work, this person might not be in his right mind.”

  “Lovely. The fun never ends, does it?”

  “If we make progress tonight, we’ll pretend it was fun.”

  “Deal,” she said.

  It was time to get out of the car, but his hand was still on her thigh, ridding her of all ability to move away. Adam’s hold on her was too strong in a way that went way beyond physical.

  She didn’t get it—didn’t even want to—but that didn’t change a thing.

  “Shall we?” she asked, hoping he’d release her from his touch even as part of her wished for him to touch her a little more.

  He stared for a long moment, and then lifted his hand. “Of course.”

  Getting inside the building was easy. The locks that had once been in place had long since been busted free of the doorframe. And even if they hadn’t, all they had to do was climb in through one of the broken windows.

  The air in here smelled damp and musty. Dead leaves and trash collected at the base of walls and in corners. At the end of the hall, Mira’s flashlight reflected off the beady eyes of at least three rats.

  She froze in place as a shiver of revulsion passed through her.

  “Not a fan of rodents?” asked Adam.

  “I only associate with wild creatures when forced.” Her reference to him was clear in her tone.

  “I’m hardly wild. My guess is that you have more of a social life than I do.”

  “Yeah, me, my couch, and my jammies are always having crazy parties.”

  “Were you cut off from other kids when you were young?”

  “Sometimes. Usually Dad would bring kids home to play with me just long enough for me to get close to them. Then he’d take them away, just to see how I’d react. If I was lucky, he would forget I existed and neglect to feed me for a few days rather than make me watch him hurt them.”

  “If I’d known what he’d done to you, I probably would have killed him on sight.”

  “He had that effect on a lot of people. I’m glad he’s dead.” And that made her feel as guilty as hell. It didn’t matter that he was a monster. She still felt like a traitor every time she remembered he was dead and felt a wave of relief.

  He couldn’t hurt anyone anymore.

  Mira reached for the door handle on the stairwell leading up. Adam covered her hand and held her still.

  “What?” she asked. “This is the right way.”

  “No foot traffic,” he said, shining his flashlight at the floor. “The marks in the dirt indicate that he never used this door. I suggest we don’t, either.”

  “Do you think it’s booby-trapped?”

  “Possibly. We’re smarter not to risk it. There must be other stairwells in a building of this size.”

  He was right. And as soon as they found the second one, it was clear that this was the way the man in Adam’s house traveled. There was no dust on the knob, and the floor was littered with footprints.

  “Stand over there,” said Adam, pointing down the hallway the way they’d come.

  “Why?”

  “To be safe.”

/>   “What about you?”

  “If things go badly, I won’t be missed nearly as much as you.”

  His words hit her in the gut, giving her a brief moment of sympathy. There was no question about whether or not he believed what he said. He was simply stating a fact—at least as he knew it.

  “Is that why you stepped in front of that bullet for me?” she asked.

  He lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. “I’d gotten you into that mess. It seemed fair that I would find a way to get you out.”

  The words welled up in her. All she did was open her mouth and “Thank you” popped out.

  His pale gray gaze settled on her. “After what I did to you, you’re going to thank me?”

  “If you hadn’t stayed, Clay would have killed Leigh. My father would have killed me. Your actions don’t make up for the bad things you did, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t appreciate the good things.”

  He nodded slowly, and something shifted in him. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she saw this change come over him. His spine straightened. He grew taller. The light in his eyes flared brighter. “I won’t hurt you again, Mira. Not ever. No matter the personal cost to me.”

  She wanted to believe him. Maybe that was part of his dark magic—to lure her in and make her trust him again.

  Now that Clay was with Leigh, Mira felt so alone. She never would have wished for her best friend to be anything but gloriously happy, but his relationship with Leigh was new. They spent all their time together. Just as it was supposed to be. But that didn’t mean that Mira didn’t feel left out. Lonely.

  And here was Adam, eager to please and working to find some way back into her life. He was so . . . present—a potent force standing only a few feet from her.

  Before she’d known anything about him, she’d been drawn to his charming graciousness and smooth strength. Before they’d even exchanged ten words, her body had responded to his.

  That never happened to Mira. It seemed a cruel trick that her hormones would lure her to let down her guard when she’d had little use for the pesky chemicals before Adam arrived. She’d listened to her instincts once, and it had nearly gotten her killed. How could she possibly listen now, when her bullet wound was still new enough that it sometimes ached?

  “You’re upset,” said Adam. “Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer to wait in the car?”

  She hated it that he could sense her moods so easily. Even when he didn’t seem to be looking at her, he still had some way of knowing what she was feeling. “I’m your partner. I’ll back you up.”

  He flashed her a warm smile that made her stomach do a slow dip and sway. The temptation to trust him was more than she could stand.

  The stairwell door opened with no kaboom. On the third step, however, Adam shone his light on a tightly strung wire blocking the path. “Watch your step.”

  He held out his hand to help her make the long, uphill stride. She took it without thinking and remembered too late how intoxicating his skin could be on hers. It didn’t matter if it was only a simple, helpful gesture—one he would have made to anyone weaker than himself—it still shook her down to her bones.

  She released his hand as soon as possible, then wiped it on her thigh. She could still feel his heat lingering in her skin, still feel the casual strength of his grip around her fingers.

  With a monumental force of will, Mira shoved out all feelings and emotions relating to Adam. She put her full focus on the task at hand and kept her eyes off his tight, muscular butt as he marched up the steps in front of her.

  “Another trip line here,” he said, showing her where to look with his flashlight beam.

  She braced herself for his touch as she once again accepted his help over the obstacle. As klutzy as she was, refusing his help would likely end with them going boom. Her pride and peace of mind weren’t worth dying for.

  They made it all the way to the third floor. The door here was locked, but a few seconds with a set of picks, and Adam eased it open.

  The area was cleared, with only support columns to break up the space. There were obvious signs on the floor that cubicle walls and desks had once resided here. A few rolling chairs with mouse-chewed cushions were clustered together in a corner. On the far wall, easily a hundred feet away, blue tarps dangled from the ceiling to section off an area.

  Adam pulled his gun. Mira didn’t know what prompted the move, but she followed his lead and took hers in hand, too.

  His feet were silent on the concrete floor. He moved at a slow, steady pace that made it look more like he glided than walked.

  Mira hung back, working through the sudden wave of apprehension that flooded her. She tried to tell herself that this was all part of the job—that being in the field meant her learning to cope with certain things. Like surges of adrenaline.

  For a long moment, she pined for her frigid, noisy office and the safety those walls provided. If only she was an adrenaline junkie like Bella and the other women at the Edge, this would be a piece of cake. Instead, her eyes kept wandering, looking for the closest hiding place.

  Adam disappeared behind one of the dangling tarps. Mira braced herself for gunfire, but none came. After a few seconds, she got brave enough to close in.

  He must have heard her approach. He lifted the tarp to give her room to pass. “Stay close. I’ve already seen a couple more trip wires.”

  She planted her feet on the dirty concrete and stayed put.

  The area inside the tarp walls had been turned into a sort of apartment. There was a bed, a minifridge with a microwave on top, a laptop on a rickety desk, and a worn office chair.

  “Did he live here?” she asked.

  Adam fired up the laptop. “Possibly. Or it could have been a place he came to work.”

  “Why here?”

  “Why not? It’s private, secluded enough that no one would track his comings and goings, and it has multiple exits if things go badly. Plus, there’s a lot of ground to cover to get up here, and with all the security cameras along the way, there’s little chance of someone sneaking in.”

  “Security cameras?”

  He used the tip of a pen to lift the cover of a notebook. “I counted eight. There were probably more.”

  She hadn’t seen any of them, which made her wonder just what else she hadn’t seen. And whether or not she even belonged out here.

  “Any idea what this is?” asked Adam.

  She holstered her weapon and took a look at the scribbled marks in the notebook. “It’s code.”

  “Can you break it?”

  “Not that kind of code. It’s a program. Software.”

  “What does it do?”

  She read through the few lines she could make out. “Looks like some kind of random word/number-combination generator.”

  “What’s it for?”

  “It’s not very sophisticated. Any college kid could have programmed it. My guess is he was using it to create passwords.”

  “Why not just make up something?”

  Mira shrugged. “Maybe he was worried that anything he made up could be guessed. The better question is what was he protecting?”

  The laptop screen blinked on, waiting for a password to log in to a user’s account.

  “Can you hack it?” asked Adam.

  “Probably.” She used one of the USB cords sitting nearby to attach her phone. After making a secure connection to the network back at the Edge, she accessed her decryption software and let it do its magic. Less than three minutes later, the current account opened up, giving her access. “What do you want to know?”

  “Check mail first.”

  She did. “Looks like he’s been getting orders from someone—someone who told him to go to your house and kill you.”

  “Can you tell who sent the e-mail?”

  She pulled up the
proper program and tried to trace the IP address. “They hid their tracks pretty well. I might be able to figure it out given enough time, but it wouldn’t be fast.”

  “What else can you find?”

  There wasn’t much on the hard drive, but she did notice one folder filled with large files. “There are some videos here. They’re all password protected, too. Hold on.”

  She started downloading the files to a server at the Edge, just in case she and Adam had to flee. While she did that, she focused on the most recent file and ran it through her electronic lockpick.

  A recorded image of a video chat from two days ago popped up on the screen. In the small window was the man who’d attacked Adam’s house. In the main window was a beautiful blond woman in a designer suit. She had an elegant look about her, with her hair in a fancy updo that showed off dainty diamond studs.

  Mira hit “play.”

  The woman spoke. “Did you find him?”

  “No,” said the man. “There’s no sign that he was taken anywhere. But I went to the cemetery. His grave was empty.”

  “I told you he was alive. They’re holding him, likely torturing him for information. Find him. Now.”

  “I’ve looked. Wherever they’ve got him hidden, it’s not nearby.”

  “Adam will know where to look. Find him. Question him.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And, Kyle?”

  “Yes?”

  “If you don’t find where they’ve taken Dr. Sage by Friday, the next call I make is going to be with the man I use to clean up loose ends.”

  “I’m not a loose end.”

  “You will be if you don’t find Dr. Sage. Understood?”

  Mira didn’t hear the rest. Her mind was reeling too hard and fast for her to concentrate on anything other than what she’d already heard.

  They were talking about finding her father. Who was dead.

  Wasn’t he?

  His grave was empty.

  Mira hadn’t made any of the final arrangements for her father. Payton had taken care of everything for her. He’d told her he didn’t want her to worry herself or go to any trouble for the man who’d ruined her life and killed her mother.