Edge of Betrayal by Shannon K. Butcher Page B

“You’ve read my file. What do you think?”
    “I think I’m glad I have a concealed-carry permit.”
    Adam leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The move put him closer to Mira, more on eye level with her.
    She had such pretty eyes. Bright green with little strands of gold weaving through them, nestled right up against her pupils. They weren’t always visible, but right now, in the bright light of her office, with fear so recently her companion, he could see every one of the fiery threads.
    He waited until her gaze was fixed to his before telling her, “If you feel the need to use your weapon on me, I won’t hold it against you.”
    “What?” she asked in disbelief. “You’re giving me permission to shoot you?”
    “If you feel as though you’re in danger from me, yes.”
    “Why in the world would you tell me this?”
    “Because you have a soft heart. Because you might hesitate if I don’t give you my blessing. Because I’m stronger and faster than you, and while I have no intention of hurting you in any way, I’ve seen the things that the other subjects of the Threshold Project were capable of doing—what Clay would have done to you, a woman he loved. I would be a fool to think that what happened to him couldn’t happen to me.”
    She shook her head, making her dark hair sway slowly about her shoulders. “You’re nuts. Completely certifiable. I’m not going to think about shooting you just for fun.”
    Before she could so much as flinch, Adam pulled her weapon from the holster under her arm. While she was gasping in surprise, he wrapped her fingers around the butt and held the barrel against his chest, pinning her hand in place with his own. She tried to pull away, but he didn’t loosen his grip. Her finger wasn’t on the trigger, but for this demonstration it didn’t need to be.
    In a calm voice he said, “I’m faster than you, Mira. Stronger than you. If things go badly, and I come afteryou the way Clay did, this is where you aim. Don’t think. Don’t hesitate. Just pull the trigger.”
    She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m not playing your game.”
    “It’s not a game. If it helps, just remember what I did to you. Remember how I shot your best friend.”
    The tension vibrating through her arms went still. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “If you hadn’t done that, Clay would have killed all of us. He told me you didn’t hit anything vital—that it was the shot he would have picked to take given the choice.”
    “I also have good aim, which is one more reason for you to listen to me now.”
    She lifted her chin. “I’ve dreamed about hurting you. Besides my father, you’re the only other man I’ve ever considered killing.”
    “Use that, then—whatever it takes to get the job done. You won’t get a second chance.”
    He let go of her hand and watched as she holstered the weapon. She was shaking so hard it took two tries to seat the gun in place.
    Adam hated it that he’d done that to her, but it was for her own good. Now that she knew how easily he could disarm her, she had a marginally better chance of surviving if he snapped.
    She lifted her chin and gave him a warning stare. “Don’t make me shoot you, Adam. I really hate the sight of blood.”
    “I’ll try to remember that.” He stood and took a long step back so he wouldn’t be towering over her, adding to her tension. “Corey Lambert is being released from the hospital in a few hours. I intend to intercept him on his way home and have him escorted to one of our facilities where they can help him. Care to join me?”
    “Escort him? You mean force him to go along with what we want him to do.”
    “I feel I’m being generous, given the bruises on yourface. The next time he snaps, that frail little woman he was with might be his next victim. It’s our job to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
    She pushed to her feet with a sigh. “You’re right. We can’t let the wild animal roam around free to