Edge of Danger (Edge Security Series Book 3) (6 page)

She handed the dog tags to the rookie, who held an evidence bag open. Then she stared again at the body. How bad had it been for him? She’d suspected he’d been in the military, just from his bearing. She should have done more for him. Forced him to get help.

“Let me know what you find out,” she said.

“This is my investigation, Harrison,” Raymonds said.

“I know,” she said softly. “But I considered him a friend.”

Raymonds nodded. “Fine,” he said gruffly. “I’ll make sure you get the report.”

B
ack at the office
, Alyssa looked up Rob Steiner and sighed.

Drew stopped in front of her desk with files in his hand. “What’s got you looking so depressed?”

“There was a subway jumper last night. He used to be a corporal in the Marines. Heavy action in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Discharged last year.”

“We’ve seen that type of thing before,” Drew said, not unkindly. “It’s just a sad truth that so many of the troops come back with hidden wounds.”

She tapped her fingers on her desk. “But this guy. He was different.”

Drew pulled up a chair. “Wait. You knew him?”

“He was a homeless guy who lived beside my building. He was harmless.”

“Wasn’t he the guy who stopped that lady from being mugged?”

Alyssa nodded, remembering the day when Mrs. Almadi had come looking for her husband in the coffee shop and had been assaulted by two men looking for a quick buck. Rob had stepped out of his alley and taken them both down before they’d done more than scare Mrs. Almadi. Alyssa had arrived moments later and arrested the two on the spot.

Rob had cringed when everyone wanted to thank him. Alyssa blocked his well-wishers and let him escape back to the alley. She’d taken his statement quietly afterwards and didn’t make him come down to the station. That day had started their unusual friendship.

“We can’t save them all, Al.”

Alyssa looked up. “I know.” A heavy weight seemed to rest on her shoulders; she had to strain to sit up straight. But the bad guys never waited until they were ready. She didn’t have time to grieve for a man who had no one.

Drew stood up and picked up his files. “Come on. Masters wants us to track Al Shabah’s movements for the last two years.”

“I’ve done most of that already,” she said, following him to the big workroom in the back. The rest of the team already sat in there working at terminals, listening to chatter, or delving through the black net.

“Yes, but the big boss thinks there are too many holes and together we should be able to fill them.” He smiled apologetically. “You’re on crazy watch.”

She scowled. She’d already studied the videos from every crazy group known as, or wanting to be known as, a terrorist organization. Some of them, she swore she could recite their rhetoric word for word. “How did I get so lucky?”

She settled in front of a monitor. Zach and his friend Marc sat at monitors on the other side of the room. True to his word, Zach had stopped watching her. She found she missed his gaze. And that made her wonder if having pizza with him, even just as friends, was a good idea.

Z
ach sat
in the small crowded restaurant wondering what the hell Jake had been thinking when he’d suggested this place. The smells coming from the kitchen were divine and the thin-crust pizzas the waiters carried looked delicious, but people jammed the restaurant. Three deep at the bar which ran along one wall, and no room before the tables started. A person literally leaned against the chair that Alyssa was supposed to sit in.

He’d come early and was able to get a table for two, but the people on either side of him were so close he almost had to hunch so he didn’t touch them. He’d put his back to the wall, only in part so he could watch for Alyssa. She entered a few minutes later, wearing a black leather jacket, jeans, and boots. She may not have been very tall, especially compared to him, but she drew gazes when she entered. Her red hair hung in a loose braid down her back, little wisps of curls framing her face. She looked gorgeous, and he wondered what her hair would look like undone and draped around her shoulders.

He caught her gaze and nodded. She scowled back, not even attempting to hide her irritation. For some reason it made him want to laugh, though he suppressed the urge. She had absolutely no fear of him, and he loved that.

She pushed her way through the crowd to his table. Her face was pinched by the time she shrugged off her jacket. She scanned the room before she sat across from him and let him see her stormy eyes. She wore a soft-looking black sweater that hugged her curves, making him hungry for something other than pizza.

“Are you going to tell me why you look like you’re going to shoot someone?”

She pressed her lips together and her gaze darted behind her again. “I hate crowds.”

Now he noticed that her skin was paler than normal. Her hands were hidden under the table, but he bet they were clenched together. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I had no idea it would be so packed.”

She stared at him, her scowl deepening. “Really.”

What was she accusing him of? He cocked his head. “You think I brought you to a crowded restaurant on purpose? For what?”

She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at him.

Then he got it. “You think I’m testing your PTSD.” He huffed a laugh. “You don’t think very much of me, do you?”

She didn’t say anything, but her scowl lessened. “You didn’t plan this?”

He didn’t need this. He’d spent all day slogging through the darker corners of the black net looking for any word on Al Shabah, and now all he wanted was a beer and a good slice of pizza. He’d get his concierge to order him something decent.

“Come on,” he said, standing up.

She continued to sit. “Where?”

His drawn-out sigh made the couple beside him frown. “Do you have to question everything?”

“Of course,” she said, sparks lighting her stormy gaze. “I was in military intelligence and now I’m a cop. Did you expect me just to do what you tell me?”

He leaned down so she could hear him over the noise. “For your information, I dislike crowds too. Let’s go somewhere else.”

He walked to the door, people watching him out of the corner of their eyes. He was used to that. People had been nervous around him since he was a teen and passed six feet. Now at six-two, he stood above most everyone here.

He stepped outside and immediately his chest loosened, the May evening air cooling his heated skin. He rolled his shoulders and then looked at the woman beside him.

“You hide it better,” she said.

“Hide what?”

“Your dislike of crowds. But I can see it now in the way you stand that you’re more relaxed out here.”

He shrugged. “Who likes pretending to be a sardine?” He started walking. “Please tell me you know somewhere good to eat around here. I’m starving.”

They grabbed slices of pizza to go from a little joint two blocks over before walking up Madison Avenue and then began crossing through the park back toward her place and his hotel. The sidewalks had streetlights placed close enough together that they were never in the dark. And it was quieter here, though New York was never silent.

They didn’t speak as they devoured the pizza—though the little moan of delight that Alyssa made pricked his interest. They walked side by side and he watched her out of the corner of his eye. His muscles tightened at the look of rapture on her face. He swallowed hard and looked away.

Focus on the pizza. She’s Jake’s sister.

Alyssa was not someone he could pursue, no matter how much he might want to at the moment. He couldn’t have a one-night stand with his friend’s sister. And not many women could handle the absences of a special operations soldier.

He polished off his two pieces of mushroom, meat, and cheese heaven and wished he’d gotten more.

Alyssa laughed. “You look so sad right now, staring at your empty plate.” She took it and crumpled it along with hers, tossing them into a trash can they passed.

“Tell me there’s another good pizza place near you.”

She spread her arms. “It’s New York. There’s good food everywhere. If it’s not good, then it doesn’t survive.” Her lips quirked into a smile. “Well, except near Times Square. That’s a tourist trap, so I can’t vouch for the food there.”

Her smile caught him by surprise, like a sucker punch to the gut. He couldn’t help but reach out and trace a finger down her cheek. “It looks good on you.”

They’d stopped walking when he touched her. Her skin was so soft. Her eyes widened as she watched him. He used the same finger to trail down her neck to the pulse pounding there. Those gray eyes heated and his stomach clenched with need at the sight.

“What…” She cleared the rasp from her voice. “What looks good on me?”

He wanted to taste those lips. “Your smile,” he said. Unable to stop himself from closing the distance between them. He brought his other hand up and cradled her jaw and cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned her face into his palm.

But then she stepped back.

The movement woke Zach from the trance of desire he’d been in. He dropped his hands. She was Jake’s sister, and he was leaving as soon as they stopped Al Shabah. This could not happen.

He wrapped his iron control around him. Alyssa stared at the ground, her breathing a little fast.

“I’m sorry,” Zach said quietly. “I was out of line. It won’t happen again.”

She looked up at him then and her eyes glittered in the streetlight. “It wasn’t just you.”

It took all of his will not to go to her. He clenched his fists instead of running them through her hair. The need to kiss her fired his blood.

“Let’s get you home,” he said, and if his voice was rougher than usual, then that was beyond his control. She fell into step beside him, their pace now brisk where before it had been leisurely.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” she said.

“Do what?” he asked. His voice still wasn’t even. He could tell she watched him and he wanted to tell her not to. Not to show any interest. It was playing with fire.

“You don’t have to walk me home,” she said, and started ticking points off on her fingers. “I’m armed. I’m a cop. And I’m ex-military with a ton of training.”

He nodded. “You’re right. A mugger wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

She frowned at him as he kept walking beside her. “Are you making fun of me?” she asked, looking at him suspiciously.

“You’re fully capable of handling almost any threat. And there is no way I’d make fun of you because, as you said, you’re armed.”

“You’re going to walk me the whole way, aren’t you?”

He didn’t say anything, just kept walking. He didn’t want to argue with her about this. He’d learned early that even if a woman could handle herself, he should be there to support or back her up.

“Did you know that you still owe me two answers?” At her look of confusion he continued. “From the run two days ago.”

She sighed. Her face showed resignation, but her lips quirked into a tiny smile. His steps lightened when he realized she wasn’t going to fight him on it.

“Question two: why have you been tracking Al Shabah for so long?” he asked.

Her shoulders hunched inwards. He’d touched a nerve of some sort. But what had Al Shabah done to her?

Her haunted eyes made him want to hug her and reassure her he’d keep her safe. But he couldn’t do that. In fact, his job was to ferret out any information on Al Shabah he could, anything that might help bring the terrorist down.

“Alyssa, how do you know Al Shabah?” he asked.

Her sigh shuddered out of her. “From Iraq.”

She spoke so softly he had to lean toward her to hear what she said. He knew enough not to say anything, but to wait for her to continue her story. The skin around her mouth and eyes was pinched as if what she was going to say pained her more than anything he’d seen her deal with so far.

“He killed my friends,” she said. “It was a bombing at a market. I swore I’d find him and bring him to justice.” She looked up at him, her jaw set. “And that’s what I’m going to do.”

A
lyssa could do
nothing but scowl as Zach kept walking beside her. He kept silent, as if waiting for her to keep talking. But she’d already almost kissed him and told him part of her darkest secret. What more could he possibly want from her?

They walked past Lattes and More and she slowed as they came close to her apartment entrance. She rolled her shoulders to settle her jacket and zipped it up to the top before shoving her hands into the pockets.

The silence had gone on so long that her ire had cooled by the time they landed in front of her building. With a calm head, she realized she’d been madder at herself than him.

This was her brother’s friend. Sure he was gorgeous and he’d seemed like he wanted to kiss her before, but she was probably making more of it than it was. They were on the same task force. She should act like that, and not expect anything different.

No matter how his hard-muscled body, gorgeous face, and fun attitude made her feel. This was not a date and she should not expect anything except a civil wave as a good night.

She paused in front of the glass door of her building and turned to Zach. “Thanks for walking me home, even though you didn’t have to.”

“My pleasure,” he said, but his body language belied his words. The skin around his eyes was tight and he pressed his lips together. She frowned slightly and stepped closer. He stiffened.

Some female part of her that had been asleep for the last two years woke up and took notice. It made her move closer to Zach. He didn’t move away, but he watched her with an intensity that heated her skin.

Compelled by whatever was between them, her thoughts on hold, she put her hands on his hard biceps and stroked up to his broad shoulders. He still didn’t move, like he was afraid she’d bolt if he did. Like everything else in life, there were no half measures for Alyssa. She pulled his head down to hers.

His lips were warm and firm, pressing against hers. Her temperature shot up. For one beat of her heart she thought he might pull away, but then he groaned and his arms came around her. Strong. Hard.

The faintest scent of a spicy soap clung to him. She inhaled and closed her eyes, losing herself in sensation; in Zach.

She gripped his wide shoulders, trying to anchor herself as she opened her mouth under his. Liquid fire swirled through her, burning where he touched her. Her tongue darted out to meet his and her muscles clenched at the first brief contact. A moan slipped out.

Her thoughts scattered. She sank into his embrace and the fire inside her surged beyond anything she’d known before. The kiss was more than she’d bargained for. More than she could handle.

She pulled away, breathing hard and staring at the man before her. His face all sculpted angles, heated brown eyes, and soft lips. Her hands clutched at his shoulders. She swallowed and stepped back, even as his hands reached for her.

He paused before touching her and his eyes clouded with a wariness that made her want to step back into his arms to reassure him. But she didn’t move.

His arms dropped to his sides and his face smoothed to a blank mask. “I’m s—”

She held up her hand. “Please don’t say that.”

He raised his eyebrows and didn’t speak. She wanted to stand on her tiptoes and kiss those lips, but she couldn’t. She was a cop. An ex-sergeant in the military. She wasn’t some wishy-washy college girl who got dewy-eyed when some gorgeous hunk kissed her. She could handle this.

She swallowed. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I got carried away.”

“We both did.” The humor in his eyes made her want to smile, but she pressed her lips together.

“It’s not going to happen again,” she said. No freaking way. She couldn’t kiss a member on the task force, no matter how much she wanted to. They had to focus on the job.

The humor leaked from his eyes to his luscious lips and they curved into a smile. “Of course not,” he said.

The slight bit of arrogance in his glance sparked anger inside her. Did he think she was easy, or that she was kidding?

He must have seen her temper rising because his smile dropped and he stepped back. “Is this your building?”

She nodded and looked up. There was a light on in her apartment. She frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Zach asked.

“My light’s on. I never leave my lights on,” she said slowly, heading for the building door. “The super must have let himself in for some reason.”

Zach followed on her heels when she entered. She shook her head at him. “It’s probably nothing. You don’t have to come up.”

He just stared at her and didn’t say anything.

She sighed. “Fine, but stay behind me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said softly, his deep voice sending a shiver through her.