She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she didn’t press him for more. “So what was your nickname?” Her talented hands kept moving, and some of his tension slid away.
“Sometimes they’d call me Fast Eddy. Kind of a takeoff on Edge. Mostly they just called me Fast or Edge-man.”
“Is Edge your real name?”
“Edgerton. It was my grandfather’s surname. My mom saw it as a tribute to her father, but my dad never liked it. He always just called me Edge.”e s
She kissed the nape of his neck, and a sliver of heat wound itself around his groin.
“So you’re not going to tell me what the call was about?”
“Keep those talented fingers working, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Skye laughed, and more of his tension slid away.
“The man who got me tossed out of the army is resigning. Probably to spend the illegal money he’s made trafficking military weapons.”
Her fingers froze. “You knew about it?”
“I heard rumors, stumbled across a cache of guns that was part of a deal he was making. I went to the higher-ups. I thought they would at least look into it, but by then the guns had disappeared. Instead of investigating, they gave me a choice: resign or face disciplinary action for making false accusations against a highly respected officer. I should have considered Major Bradley Markham’s connections. His dad was a full bird colonel on his way to becoming a brigadier general. No way were they taking my word without any proof.”
“So now Markham is retiring.”
“That’s right.”
“And that’s important because . . . ?”
“Because he’s the kind of guy who’ll never have enough. He’s got valuable contacts, the sort that can be extremely profitable. I don’t think he’ll get out of the weapons trade. The money’s too tempting. I think he’ll just move his business somewhere else, somewhere he can live the high life he believes he’s earned.”
She mulled that over, returned to kneading away the tightness in his shoulders. “Kind of like Daniel Henson.”
Who was likely starting up in a new location.
Edge turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. “Now that you mention it, yeah. And if that’s what Markham does, this time I’m going to nail him. I’m going to prove I was right and make sure he gets the justice he deserves.”
He pulled her around and into his lap and took her mouth. The kiss deepened, and things got heated, as they always seemed to when they were together, and they ended up back in bed.
Afterward, they showered together and got dressed. Skye pulled a brush through her long, dark hair and drew it back in a low ponytail, held in place with a scrunchy. He loved her hair, the way the soft curls slid like silk through his fingers.
“So if you catch him,” Skye said, “you plan to make the army grovel and welcome you back?”
His jaw tightened just thinking about it. “That’s the general idea. The army’s been my dream since I was a kid. It’s my life. It’s where I belong.”
Skye’s gaze found his, locked, and she didn’t look away. “Is it?” Turning, she set the brush down on the dresser and walked out of the bedroom.
Edge realized his stomach was churning. What the hell had just happened?
Things were finally going his way—Markham was leaving the army, and there was every chance he would continue his illegal activities somewhere else. If he did, Edge would catch him. He’d prove he’d been right from the start, and the army would let him rejoin his old unit.
He should be ecstatic. Instead, he felt sick.
It was Skye, he knew. He was getting in too deep, beginning to care for her too much. He needed to pull back, put some distance between them.
Conn’s words echoed in his head.Don’t hurt her, Edge.Easing things back would be best for both of them.
In the meantime, while he waited for news, he had a job to do. Skye’s family was still in danger. Callie’s friend Lila was in danger. He walked into the living room, ready to talk to Skye, go over their plans for the day.
There was a brief note on the kitchen counter.
