Edge of the Season

C
opyright
© 2015 by Trish Loye

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, incidents, and places is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

T
his is
for all of you who asked for more Jake and Dani.

Merry Christmas!

J
ail disgusted him
. The smells. The dirt. The guard who wore contempt as if it were a weapon. He’d like to kill that guard, but he couldn’t. It would be bad for business.

He entered the visitor’s section of the jail and felt a sense of revulsion. His lip curled when the guard pointed at the hard plastic chair in its own booth. A length of gaudy red garland hung around the viewing window. The color reminded him of arterial blood. He loathed this time of year.

He tugged at the sleeves of his Armani suit, but it didn’t need it. The quality of the cut assured that it would sit well. He always dressed his best when meeting a client. He loved the fact that with his horn-rimmed glasses and briefcase, the guards always mistook him for a lawyer.

The Plexiglas windows separating the visitors from the inmates had smudges and handprints on them. He sat in the chair and sniffed when he picked up the phone. He was not putting that germ-ridden thing next to his ear.

Besides the brief stint in juvie, he’d never been in jail. He’d never been caught, and not one of his killings had been connected to each other or to him.

That’s why he was the best.

The door on the other side of the glass opened. An older man walked in, his orange suit clean and his black hair combed neatly. The gray at his temples gave him what women referred to as a distinguished look. Maybe he should put a little silver in his own hair.

Maybe it would make him look more trustworthy.

The man sat down and frowned. “I don’t know any Arthur Grenville.”

“Good day, Mr. Rusakov. Grenville is one of the names I use with my clients. In most circles, I’m known as the Huntsman.”

“You’re British.”

Grenville didn’t say anything to the man’s obvious statement.

Rusakov leaned back. “Excellent. Did Sergei give you the file on the bitch?”

Crude. But he was the client. “Yes. I can see why you’d like her dead. Both you and your son are serving time in prison because of her.”

Rusakov scowled. “If you have the file, why are you here?”

“Because I like to meet all of my clients in person. I need to know how far they want me to go.”

Rusakov’s eyes narrowed. “I believe the file was specific. Are you looking for more money?”

“No, Mr. Rusakov. That would be unprofessional.” He pushed up his glasses and leaned forward. “There are, shall we say, three packages you may choose from, with the price you’ve paid.”

“And they are?”

“I specialize in terror and torture, as well as death. It just depends on how far you would like me to go.”

Rusakov smiled. “I hired you because you’re the best. We took that bitch, Danika, in when she was a girl and she turned on us. Calls herself Danielle now. My son’s in prison because of her. Make her suffer. I want the full package.”

Grenville bowed his head. “As you wish. Danielle will receive your Christmas present.”

D
anielle Everett stretched
under the duvet, her limbs languid with sensual heat. “Can I say,” she said to the sexy dark-haired man next to her, “I think you’re getting better at that?”

Jake Harrison, her best friend, her partner, and her lover, arched an eyebrow. “You don’t have to say it, you just screamed it a minute ago.”

She swatted his arm, but only half-heartedly. He did speak the truth.

“I like this B and B,” she said. “Do we have to go to your family’s house?” She rolled over and tucked her head on his shoulder. Her hand wandered over his sculpted chest with a mind of its own. “We could just stay here and…enjoy ourselves. We only have three days off before you have to be back for the mission prep.”

Both of them worked at E.D.G.E. Security, an international agency that specialized in covert operations. They didn’t have much downtime together, and the thought of wasting any of it made Dani cranky.

Jake captured her hand and kissed her fingertips. The heat in his eyes stirred things inside her. How the hell did she get lucky enough to have this man look at her like that?

“You’re an amazing woman, that’s how,” he said softly.

She blinked. “Did I say that out loud?”

He snorted. “I love that I can make that brain of yours short-circuit.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “And I love you.”

She stiffened, then winced inwardly when Jake’s sharp gaze picked up on it. She forced a smile. “Ditto.”

Jake’s face dimmed and he looked away.

She bit her lip, but couldn’t undo her answer. She hated the thought of saying those three words aloud. Would he understand if she told him why she couldn’t say them? Why she feared those words even more than the thought of disappointing him?

Jake didn’t prod her for more. She wanted him to. Maybe this time she could say what was in her heart. But he continued their conversation as if she hadn’t just hurt him.

“I haven’t been home for Christmas in four years, Dani. I’ve been living with a woman for almost a year and my mother is frantic to meet her.” He nipped one of her fingers. “You’ve avoided her long enough.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to roll away, but Jake grabbed her and flipped her underneath him.

“You don’t know what I’m talking about?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes narrowed on her face.

“I haven’t been avoiding your mother.”

“You’ve managed to be out of the city each time she’s come to visit.”

She made her eyes wide and innocent. “I had missions.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That you volunteered for.”

“They needed someone with my expertise.”

“Really? I believe the last one was ground surveillance on a drug lord. Why would they need a computer expert for that?”

She pressed her lips together to stop from smiling. “They were short on people.”

He frowned at her. “We are going to visit my family. You will not pretend to be sick or be called away for an
important
mission.”

“What if—”

He shook his head. “Blackwell is going to go through me if he needs you this weekend. You have no excuse, Danika.”

He was the only one who called her by her real name. And only when he was serious. Her jaw jutted out. “Fine. We’ll go.”

He rolled off her and sat up, revealing his broad chest in all its muscled glory. “Why are you so freaked about meeting my family?”

“I’m not—”

“Danika.” His gray eyes went steely on her. It was the same look he leveled at people he interrogated.

“I’m not,” she huffed, and jumped out of bed. She stalked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. “I’m meeting your family now, aren’t I?” She turned the tap hotter. “Even if I am being forced to,” she muttered.

“You’ll like them,” he said in a gentle voice from behind her. “Trust me.”

She jumped, but didn’t turn around. Those words always made her remember the first time he’d said them to her. Jake had saved her from a thug who had a gun to her head. He’d asked whether she trusted him and she’d admitted she did, though the admission had stunned her at the time.

Her shoulders slumped and she turned to him. He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I got your back, Hacker Girl.”

Her lips twisted and her insides went to mush. “I know.” She sighed. “I want you to know that I’m good with meeting your family. Maybe before I thought it was too soon, but now I’m okay.”

“Good to hear. Now we can move on to more important matters.”

His gaze went molten silver as it slid down her body.

She sucked in a breath. “And what would those be?”

“We need to get you clean before we go anywhere.”

She smiled coyly. “I think I can do it myself.”

He shook his head and moved closer. “Oh no. You definitely need my help in this matter. One can’t be too careful about cleanliness.” He opened the steamed glass door. “Get in,” he said, his voice low and rough.

She shivered and backed into the shower, her eyes never leaving Jake as he followed her in.

J
ake wanted to laugh
. Dani sat silent and pale beside him in the rental car. She looked as if she were being hauled to prison. Part of him wondered whether he should be offended that she didn’t want to meet his family, but he’d learned enough about her past in the last year to know it wasn’t anything but her own doubts about herself that were making her freak out.

Maybe it was those same self-doubts that made her unable to say those three little words he’d been waiting for. He knew she loved him, but she never said it. He couldn’t figure out why, and lately it was driving him insane.

He pulled into the driveway of the two-story home his mom and dad shared with their border collie. His sister, Jessie, should be there already with his two nieces. She’d recently gone through a divorce, and he was glad she’d moved back to New York.

Alyssa, his youngest sister and an NYPD detective, was coming tonight too, and apparently Zach, her boyfriend and a fellow E.D.G.E. operator, would fly in tomorrow for a night. Jake suspected the house would be over-the-top busy later, especially if his parents invited any friends over. But for now it should just be them and his parents.

A perfect setting for everyone to meet. And what better time than Christmas? Because there was no way he was going to propose without her meeting his family.

The front door opened. Their border collie, Sammy, barreled out, barking. Jake’s mother wasn’t far behind. Dani stared at them both like they were wild animals.

“Lose the knife, Dani.”

Her head snapped toward him. “What?”

“The knife,” he repeated. “The one in your boot? You won’t need it.” He pulled out his Sig and put it in the glove compartment. “Go on. My mother doesn’t like weapons in the house.”

He ignored her muttering as she put her knife beside his gun. She was just nervous.

He took her hand and squeezed. “Brace yourself, Hacker Girl.”

They got out of the car. His parents waited on the steps, with huge smiles on their faces. Jake went up and hugged them both before turning to introduce Dani.

“So this is the woman who’s been avoiding us,” his mother said.

Dani scowled and he looked skyward. He wasn’t sure whether he should duck and cover, or just give up entirely and head back to the B and B.

D
ani stood
to one side of the marble island in the very white, very large kitchen. It looked like something from a design show. In fact, the whole two-story house looked like something from a design show.

Mrs. Harrison bustled back and forth. Jake and his dad sat in the living room, watching a football game. Alyssa had shown up while Dani had been getting the tour from Mrs. H.

Alyssa had begged off kitchen duty saying she had to wrap presents, but Dani had seen her go into the office and call someone. She glared down the hallway in that direction. Maybe she should offer to help wrap presents. Anything to get out of the kitchen and away from the woman commanding it.

Normally on December twenty-third, she spent the night with Chuck, the cop who’d helped save her life and also convinced E.D.G.E. to hire her. He was all the family she had. This was the night they’d have one too many beers while watching the
Die Hard
movies. It was a good tradition; she wasn’t sure why she was messing with it. The Harrisons seemed nice enough—they just weren’t her type of people, really.

And who were her type of people?

Criminals?

No, not anymore. She traced a silvery vein in the white marble of the island.

The fact was, besides the family she’d started to collect at E.D.G.E., she didn’t have outside family or friends. And she was okay with that. She didn’t need anything else. Or anyone.

“So, Danielle,” Mrs. Harrison said. Apparently it was time for the let’s-question-Dani-while-pretending-not-to-question-her game again.

“You can call me Dani,” she said for the tenth time.

“Danielle is so much more elegant, don’t you agree?”

Dani shrugged. If the woman wanted to call her Danielle, why should she care? It’s not as if she’d have to see her that often. Hopefully never again.

Mrs. H handed her some peppers, cucumbers, and other vegetables, along with a cutting board and knife. “For the salad, dear.”

Dani nodded. At least she had something to do now.

“You said you grew up in Montréal and that your parents died when you were a child.” The older woman pursed her lips and shook her head. “Poor girl. But what happened after that? You were adopted?”

“No,” she said, unable to stop the slight edge in her voice as she sliced through a red pepper. She hated talking about her past. “I grew up in foster homes.”

“Homes?” Mrs. H pounced on the word. “More than one? I thought they try to connect a child with a single family.”

“They do try.” She wanted the hell out of this conversation. “Did you grow up in New York, Mrs. Harrison?”

“Oh, please. Call me Emily.”

“Did you grow up around here?”
Mrs. Harrison.
She couldn’t bring herself to call her Emily.

“Well, I’m not very interesting, Danielle, but I grew up in Pennsylvania.”

“What brought you to New York?”

She turned to Dani. “Why, my husband, of course. He got a job here.” Then she waved a hand. “Well, it was a different time. A time when women cared about their families more than making money.”

Dani frowned. What was that supposed to mean? She opened her mouth to ask, but Mrs. H had moved on, speaking about Dr. Harrison’s job at the college and how they’d moved to this neighborhood decades ago and how it had changed over the years. Dani mostly tuned out Mrs. H as she continued to chop the vegetables for the salad.

“Don’t you think that’s correct, Danielle?”

Dani looked up. Mrs. H waited expectantly.

“Ummm, yes?” Dani said.

Mrs. H beamed. “I’m so glad to hear that you’re a traditional woman too.”

What the hell had she just agreed to? “Traditional?”

“Well,” she huffed. “Some women believe that if you stay home with children that you’re
traditional.
”

Dani’s radar beeped an alarm. “Children?”

Mrs. H frowned. “You are planning on children one day, aren’t you?”

“No.” She set down her knife before she plunged it into the butcher’s block.

“But, my dear—”

“I’m not your dear.” Dani left the kitchen before anything else could come out of her mouth. She had to get out.

In the hall, she passed Alyssa, who looked at her face and laughed. “You look like you could use a drink.”

“Not just one,” Dani muttered.

“Come into my refuge.” Alyssa swept a hand toward the office she’d just come from. A large window looked out over the front lawn. There was a polished wooden desk in front of the window, and two wingback leather chairs by a small fireplace. Bookshelves lined one wall, and Dani noted the book that sat open on the small table near the fireplace.

“You’ve been hiding in here.”

“Damn straight.” Alyssa moved to the liquor cabinet against another wall. She poured two shots of amber liquid into glasses.

Dani took hers and, after a quick cheers, took a swallow. It burned going down her throat.

“This is where my dad escapes from my mom,” Alyssa said cheerfully. “It’s a family tradition to hide in here.”

“Your mother…” Dani shook her head and went to stand in front of the window. She was in some kind of suburban nightmare.

“I know,” Alyssa said from behind her. “Believe me, we all know. She’s worse than the FBI when she wants information. She will dig and dig until she gets it.” She heaved a sigh. “You might as well tell her what she wants to know.”

Dani turned to face her. “She wants me to have children.”

Alyssa laughed loud and long.

Dani frowned. “It’s not that funny.”

Alyssa wiped her eyes. “Sorry, but at least she’s concentrating on you.”

Dani sipped the firewater, not sure what type of alcohol it was and not really caring. Jake’s family made her want to grab the bottle and drive back to the B and B.

“I’m driving into the city later this afternoon. I still need presents for my nieces. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”

“I might.” Dani flopped into a leather wingback chair while Alyssa leaned against the desk. Alyssa’s gaze turned speculative.

“You don’t have a military background,” she stated.

Dani groaned. “So it’s your turn to grill me now?”

A smile tugged at Alyssa’s lips. “I’m just trying to figure out what you do at E.D.G.E. Security. I also know that it’s some sort of a cover company full of special operations soldiers.”

Dani swung her feet over the leg of the chair, sprawling out even more as she gave herself time to think before answering.

“Did Zach tell you that?”

“Zach hasn’t told me shit. But funny enough, I’m good at ferreting out information. It might have been why they made me a detective.”

Dani tapped her foot in mid-air. “What has Jake told you about me?”

“He said you work in computers.”

“He’s right.”

Alyssa watched her and waited.