Rough Edges

by Shannon K. Butcher

  She was afraid.

  He wanted to pull her against him and offer her what comfort he could, but not only was this not the time or place, what had happened between them complicated things. She’d been clear that sex had been a onetime deal. Trying to force physical contact now was only going to make him look desperate—something a woman like Bella would never appreciate. Not in an employee, and sure as hell not in a boyfriend.

  Victor’s thoughts stilled as that concept entered his mind. Did he really want his relationship with her to deepen like that? To what end? A few good times?

  Truth was, he loved this job. He loved working with the people at the Edge. Sleeping with her once had jeopardized that. Trying to have a relationship with her would almost certainly ruin any chance he had at maintaining his position as her employee.

  Once General Norwood found out that he was sleeping with her, he was going to throw a fit. And the only hope Victor had of the general not finding out was if he kept his pants firmly zipped for the duration of the mission.

  Easier said than done around a woman who called to him on such a deep level. It was more than just her beauty that drew him in. If it had just been that, he would have passed on her as he had countless other beautiful women. But none of them had her spirit, her fire. He had no desire for a woman who didn’t know how to grab life by the horns and enjoy the ride. Though even he had to admit that she was more the type to grab life’s balls than its horns.

  She watched the guard, eyeing the room and the visible cameras. He could see the wheels turning in her head as she planned an exit strategy and contingencies. He’d been through too many scrapes with her not to know how her mind worked.

  And right now, she was about two minutes away from jumping the guard and busting through this place like some kind of human tornado.

  The door to the break room opened. Payton walked in, his face grim.

  He found them pretending to sip bad coffee at a quiet table in the corner. Bella looked at him once, then went back to her drink, dismissing his presence.

  “Aaron is dead,” he said. “He killed a nurse, an orderly and one guard trying to escape, but not before the guard managed to get in a kill shot.”

  Stunned silence filled the space for a moment as they absorbed the news.

  Aaron was dead, taking with him everything he knew. No more interrogation. No more chance to pull from him Gage’s location.

  “We did this, didn’t we?” Bella asked. “We pushed him too far. I pushed him too far. That’s why he tried to escape.”

  Victor found her hand and gave it a squeeze. “This wasn’t your fault.”

  “No,” Payton said, his face grim. “It was mine. I know how strong these men are from what Stynger does to them. I shouldn’t have let his injuries lull me into a sense of false confidence.”

  “If anyone is to blame,” Victor said, “It’s Stynger.”

  Bella’s jaw bulged with anger. “We’re leaving,” she told Payton. “I’m done playing games with that bitch. She’s going down, no matter what I have to do to make it happen.”

  “Do you have a new idea of how we find her?” Payton asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “Bait. If I dangle myself out there far enough, she’ll have no choice but to take a nibble. And when she does, she’s dead.”

  No way was Victor going to let that happen. Bella might not know it yet, but she was no longer running the mission. As of right now, he was taking over.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Gage wasn’t sure how much farther he could carry Jordyn’s limp body. He’d already lost a lot of blood from his gunshot wound. He could feel his heart fluttering, struggling to keep up with the demands he placed on it.

  Still, there was no other choice. She was unconscious from a blow to the head, and if they stayed in that wrecked car, it was only a matter of time before Stynger’s men found them.

  At least the man who’d crashed into them wasn’t a threat. There was no way he was ever walking again—not with his legs pinned the way they’d been.

  Walking away from a man in need had been one of the harder things Gage had ever done, but he was short on options. He couldn’t carry two people, and even if he could, the scar at the base of the man’s skull said he’d be toting around one of Stynger’s puppets—a move far too dangerous with Jordyn in tow.

  Gage shifted her weight on his shoulder and forced himself to take one step after another. The creek he trudged through made walking harder, but he had no doubt that the people searching for them would set dogs on their trail. His only hope was to mask his scent the best he could in the running water.

  He had no idea how far he’d hiked when a giant wave of dizziness drove him to his knees.

  Rocks bit into his skin. The sudden shift of Jordyn’s weight tore at his wound. He felt a fresh trickle of blood glide down his abdomen.

  Weakness bore down on him, holding him in place in the cold water. He was losing heat fast, but didn’t have the strength to regain his footing.

  He didn’t know how long he stayed there, shivering and panting. Every second he delayed was a risk—a risk they’d be found, a risk he’d pass out from blood loss.

  He had to keep moving. Find a place to hide until his strength returned.

  Gage surveyed the area. He couldn’t see much from the wooded ravine he’d been traveling through. He needed higher ground.

  It took far too long for him to gather enough energy to climb the creek bank. In the end, he had to set Jordyn down on a grassy spot so he could finish the climb.

  There was nothing around but rocky countryside. No people, no structures, just pasture and scrub in the low-lying areas.

  This was the kind of land that could go on for miles without anything more than cattle. He’d come across a ranch or farm eventually, but it could take days at this pace.

  Jordyn didn’t have that kind of time. Neither did he.

  Gage looked back down the bank to where she lay. She was still and so incredibly pale he wondered if her skin had ever seen the sun.

  Had she spent her whole life underground in her mother’s labs?

  Just the thought was enough to give him the strength to carry on. He couldn’t let her be found. He had to get her far enough away from her mother to give her a chance at a normal life.

  She’d risked everything helping him escape. It was his job to make sure her efforts were not in vain.

  Gage eased her limp body into his arms, ignoring the pain pounding through his system. All he had to do was put one foot in front of the other for just a few more miles.

  He pulled her hard against him, hoping the pressure would slow his bleeding. But once he got her there, a strange sense of peace consumed him. He’d never felt anything like it before. Whatever it was, he welcomed the sensation, letting it ease his pain and wash away his weakness.

  He didn’t know what it was about this woman that compelled him, but he knew that one way or another, without a single doubt, that he would find a way to see her to safety.

  Or die trying.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  As soon as there was no more reason for Bella and Victor to remain at the holding facility, he grabbed her hand and hauled ass out of there. Not even Payton had a chance of slowing him down.

  Bella stayed quiet on the way out, knowing that Victor never did anything without a good reason. She’d been in too many tough situations with him for her not to know his patterns.

  And right now, he was following the bat-out-of-hell pattern.

  The second they were out of the helicopter and back in their own ride, away from Payton’s men, she popped the cork from her mouth.

  “What the hell was that about?” she asked. “I haven’t seen you move that fast since we were taking enemy fire down south.”

  He started the engine and left rubber on the pavement as he sped
away from the parking lot at the Edge. “I didn’t like being in that place. I liked you being there even less.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re on the List. The way some of the guards were eyeing you, I wonder if they weren’t told about that little fact before we arrived.”

  “You think they were worried I’d break down and turn on them?”

  He spared her a quick glance. “Wouldn’t you be if you were them?”

  As points went, that was a sharp one. She had to clamp her lips shut to keep the grunt of pain from leaking out. The last thing she wanted was for a bunch of people to know her past and think she was teetering on the edge. Sure, they’d all seen what that looked like, but she was solid. Stable.

  Wasn’t she?

  “I’d know if I was about to go sideways, wouldn’t I?” she asked.

  He didn’t look at her. “You’re surrounded by people who care about you. Nothing bad is going to happen, but if it did, one of us would make sure you didn’t hurt anyone. Including yourself.”

  “So you’ve thought about it.”

  “Would you have hired a man who hadn’t thought through the possible outcomes? Worst-case scenarios are what we face every day, Bella. As close as you and I work together, I’d be an idiot not to consider yours.”

  She stared out the side window. The streets became more familiar as they neared her neighborhood. “I don’t like you thinking about me like that.”

  “Too bad. It’s reality, and wishing it away isn’t going to change that.”

  “Once people at the Edge find out that I’m on the List, they’ll worry about me. Maybe even lose respect and trust for me.”

  “How are they going to find out? Are you planning to tell them?”

  “I’ve considered it. I know how pissed I’d be if one of them didn’t tell me.”

  “Do you feel out of control? Having strange thoughts? Want to commit violence?”

  She ignored the time she’d freaked out at the gym. That was just stress. And the strange hallucination she’d had at the surgical facility had merely been something she’d inhaled—some medicine that had burned and was lingering in the smoke from the fire. Nothing more. “I feel fine, and the only violence I condone is the kind that’s well deserved. Some of the people we face won’t respond to anything but violence. And I’m fine sending them a message.”

  “That’s not what I mean and you know it. Do you want to hurt people you know don’t deserve it?”

  She shook her head. “I save my ire for the scumbags who have it coming.”

  “Then we’re fine. I’ve got your back, Bella. If you start to do anything you shouldn’t, I’ll call you on it. Or stop you.”

  He would, too. She could see his resolve shining in his eyes.

  “And if you’re not around?” she asked.

  “I will be.” He pulled into her driveway, next to Franklin’s car. The engine fell silent. He turned to her. “And this is the part where you accept that. From now until this whole mess with Stynger is over, I’m living in your hip pocket. And I’m calling the shots. Just in case you aren’t thinking clearly.”

  Calling the shots?

  A swirl of outrage started at the base of her skull and exploded behind her eyes. She kept her voice quiet, knowing those wing-nut ears of Franklin’s would pick up any raised voices, even behind closed doors. “You’re not the one who gives orders here. I am. And if you think I’m going to step aside and let you take over the mission, you’re the one who needs a rubber room.”

  Victor unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over the console, crowding her space. He got right in her face, his clear blue eyes showing no signs of backing down. “You’re compromised. Your friend is missing. A crazy bitch of a scientist is on the loose. Countless lives are on the line. There are more important things in the world than your ego. I don’t give a shit if you’re the boss. You could be the damn president for all I care. My job is to see Stynger’s reign of crazy come to an end, and neither you nor Payton nor Norwood nor anyone else is going to stand in my way. If that means locking you in a closet until this whole thing is over, then so be it. Your only choice now is whether you fight me, or come along quietly so that I can at least take your opinion into consideration.”

  She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. The scent of his skin invaded her, dulling her anger for a split second. “No one takes away what’s mine. I’ll always choose to fight. You should know that by now.”

  He pulled in a breath so deep it strained the seams of his shirt. When he let it back out again, he was completely calm. “Okay, then. You’ve made your choice. So have I.”

  He got out of the car and came around to her side. She had no idea what to expect from him. When he opened her door and held out his hand for her to take it, she was confused. This was the move of a chivalrous date, not an angry employee trying to usurp her authority.

  The second her fingers touched his, he closed his grip, pulled hard, ducked low and tossed her over his shoulder.

  She was too stunned for a moment to do more than hang there. He carried her up the steps to her front door with his hot hand splayed across her ass.

  All sorts of nerve endings fired off in glee at his touch. They had no idea they should have been outraged on her behalf.

  “Open the door, Franklin,” he said, not raising his voice.

  Bella’s shock wore off in a heartbeat. Seconds from now, Franklin was going to see her in this state, tossed over Victor’s shoulder like a duffel bag. Minutes from now, everyone at the Edge was going to know about it, too.

  She started to move in an effort to get down. Maybe she hadn’t even gotten that far—maybe she’d only thought about fighting her way free. Whatever it was, Victor swatted her ass and whispered, “Settle down or I won’t cover for you.”

  Cover for her?

  The door opened. Her time was up. She went still as embarrassment swept over her.

  Franklin’s worried voice hit her hard. “Whoa. Dude. Is she okay?”

  “Fine. She’s punishing my insolence by making me do practice drills,” explained Victor. “Fireman’s carry for the next hour. If you don’t want a piece of this, then you’d better go. She’s in a hell of a mood.”

  As pissed as she was, she still had to hand it to Victor for thinking fast on his feet. He had her at his mercy. He didn’t have to save her pride. If not for the fact that it was his fault her pride needed saving, she would have thanked him for the thoughtful gesture.

  “Less talking, more lifting,” snapped Bella. “Or you can carry Franklin next.”

  “No, thanks,” said Franklin. “I’d puke down his back.”

  “Is the house clear?” asked Victor.

  “Someone’s been here the whole time she was gone. Call if you want me to come back.” The young man scurried off.

  Victor carried her into her house and locked the door behind them. “If I set you down are you going to attack me?”

  “No,” she lied.

  He leaned forward and eased her onto her feet. The second the blood rush to her head cleared and she had her balance, she swung for his pretty-boy eye, fist balled for a hard strike.

  He caught her fist in his hand before she’d had time to build up any momentum, killing the power of her swing.

  With a shake of his head and a tsking sound, he spun her around and levered her arm behind her back.

  Bella went up on tiptoe to ease the strain in her shoulder. He wasn’t pushing hard enough to damage her, but after all the beatings she’d been through lately, she still felt her body bitch and moan.

  “You really are predictable,” he said. “I don’t mind sparring with you if that’s what you need, but I’d really rather not have you damage my face. The ladies like my face.”

  That shoved a surge of jealousy through her system. “It’s not your face t
hey like, sweetheart. It’s that fat wallet you carry around.”

  She felt him flinch and knew she’d hit a nerve.

  “You think I have nothing to offer a woman but money?” he asked, his voice silky smooth. “Have you ever come as hard in your life as you did with me?”

  “Fine, so you have a nice cock, too.”

  “Damn right. And I’m good in a fight, too. Admit it.”

  “Bite me, sweetheart.”

  His teeth closed against the tender skin where her neck and shoulder joined. Hot streamers of sensation jolted down her spine, melting low in her belly. Against her will, a low whimper of need slipped out of her.

  Victor’s tongue swiped across the sweet sting his teeth had left behind. “Admit it, Bella. You and I make a good team. You’ve put your life in my hands when bullets were flying. You’ve put your body in my hands and I’ve sent you flying. Trust me to give you what you need now. Trust me to do what’s right.”

  His lips opened against her neck, sucking lightly on her skin. Whatever she’d been about to say was lost in the sweep of pleasure that passed through her.

  His arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her up against his chest. Her hand was free. She could have fought him now, flipping him to the ground. She could see the move in her mind, feel what it would be like for her body to flow through the motions. He was easy prey. Distracted.

  She couldn’t do it. Hurting him was unthinkable. If she did, his mouth would stop weaving pure, blissful sensations over her skin.

  One big hand splayed across her abdomen, while the other cupped her breast. Suddenly, anger evaporated into hot, steamy need, and there were far too many clothes between them.

  She would deal with his insubordination later, but right now, running her company was the farthest thing from her mind.

  Bella stripped her shirt off, baring herself to his touch. The raspy heat of his fingers slid over her, lighting up nerve endings that had lain dormant until he’d walked into her life. She didn’t understand what it was about him that made her glow, made her burn, but Victor held the key to unlocking some kind of magic inside of her—a kind of magic she desperately needed to free.