Edge of Betrayal by Shannon K. Butcher Page A

all need to do what we can to make her happy for a little while.”
    “You mean you need all of us to make her happy so she won’t take out her anger on you.”
    “Bella’s anger toward me is none of your concern.”
    “The hell it isn’t. You two have barely spoken in weeks. If you think that doesn’t affect the way this company runs, you’re insane.”
    “Leave Bella to me. You worry about Adam. Despite how you feel about him, he’s proven he’s willing to go to extreme measures to keep you safe. He deserves a chance.”
    Mira wasn’t sure how safe she’d be with Adam, but at least she understood why he was such a jerk. She even felt sorry for him, but only a little. She’d been used, too, and it hadn’t made her abduct anyone. “How long will Gage be?”
    “I’m not sure. Bella won’t tell me what he’s doing.”
    “She’s keeping secrets from you? That’s not good news. I’ll talk to her when she—”
    “Leave it alone, Mira. I mean it. Bella has every right to be angry with me. I can handle it.”
    “She’s pissed that you knew about the Threshold Project, isn’t she? You knew that she had people working here that had been victims, and you didn’t tell her.”
    Payton’s voice hardened. “I said leave it alone.”
    “Geez. Chill. No need to bring out Scary Payton.”
    “Just do your job, Mira. There’s way too much work to go around, and every minute you sit around playing peacemaker is another one in which all those people are suffering.”
    He was right. They all had bigger problems to dealwith than interoffice bickering. “If you see any more of those AE files, you’ll send them my way, right?”
    “No promises, but I won’t hide things from you if I think you need to know them. Which is why I’m going to tell you this: Adam is dangerous, Mira, but he’s a logical creature. You’re better at seeing patterns than any of the other kids in the project. You’re more likely to see changes in him than anyone else.”
    “Adam fooled me once before. I believed he was a nice guy. Hell, I almost fell for him. What’s to keep him from fooling me again?”
    “Simple. Now you know it’s possible. Your eyes are open. Make sure you keep them that way. And, Mira?”
    “Yes?”
    “If you see any changes in him—anything you don’t like—run. Fast. And don’t look back.”
    The line went dead as Payton hung up. A greasy ball of fear sat knotted in her stomach.
    It didn’t matter if she ran or not. Adam was likely a hell of a lot faster than she was.
    She set down the phone and turned slightly to get back to the familiar feel of her keyboard under her fingers. Sitting right beside her in her guest chair was Adam. He’d come in and she hadn’t even heard him.
    That greasy ball of fear exploded, snaking through her veins until her whole body was trembling. “How much did you hear?” she asked.
    His expression was as cold and blank as a sheet of ice. “Everything.”

Chapter Nine
    A dam watched the color drain from Mira’s face and wished he’d chosen his words differently. “Don’t worry,” he hurried to say to ease her fear. “I know you all talk about me when I’m not around. I’d expect no less. I’m the fox in your henhouse.”
    It took her a minute to regain the ability to speak. He watched her delicate throat move, waiting patiently until her nervous system had settled down from the scare he’d inadvertently given her.
    “Why do I suddenly feel like a little yellow chick?” she asked.
    “I can’t convince you I hold no ill intentions, so I’m not going to waste my breath.”
    She scooted her rolling chair back as far as the confines of her desk would allow. “Payton says you’re dangerous.”
    “You didn’t need Payton to tell you that. You’ve seen what I’m capable of doing.”
    “He thinks I’ll be able to see it if you start to crack.”
    Adam nodded to the computer screen, where his file still glowed as a reminder of what he really was.