Page 66 of Edge of Danger

Her eyes went wide, her mouth falling open in surprise. “Because he wouldn’t have gone if I wasn’t going to be there. Weren’t you listening?”

“You never let the target dictate the terms, Tessa. I don’t want you going anywhere near him.”

“Do you think I want to be near him? This isn’t something I’m looking forward to, you know.”

“Okay, you two.” Chance tried to get in between them, but all Tessa did was sidestep so she could continue glaring at Brax like he was the bad guy.

“I’ll do anything to keep Walker safe. Got it?” she asked, hands on her hips. “Don’t ask me not to do whatever it takes. If showing my face is going to get Hawkins to relax and believe Robert’s there and he isn’t in any danger, that’s fine by me.”

“It’s a solid plan,” Chance reminded him. “Weston’s already out there with Rick and his guys. We’ve wired the entire warehouse, and you’ll be wearing a wire and recording every word Robert says. The cops will pick up Robert and Hawkins a couple miles from the warehouse. And I’ll be outside watching Tessa. Once Hawkins leaves with Robert, I’ll follow and keep Hawkins from killing him before they reach the police.”

Brax nodded. “Right, right. I know that. But there was a plan in place for this call, wasn’t there? And here we are, going completely off-script. I don’t want Tessa there.”

“You might want to try not talking about me as if I am not here,” Tessa suggested, raising an eyebrow.

He scrubbed his hands over his head, at a loss. “You know it’s not like that. I’m not trying to talk around you or like you don’t matter. If you didn’t matter, I wouldn’t be so against you getting yourself wrapped up in this.”

“Newsflash—” she went to him, looping her arms around his waist “—I’m wrapped up in it. I’ll show my face, Hawkins will trust Robert is inside, and that’ll be it.”

“Come on. We’d better get moving.” Chance motioned for them to follow him outside.

Brax knew there was nothing more he could do. No time. The plan was already in motion. He had to be there before Robert showed up.

They walked outside together, hand in hand. “Listen to me, please,” he urged on the way to the car. “You can’t get too close to Hawkins. Play your part, show your face, then get out of there. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“You promise?” He turned to her, taking her precious face into his hands. She would never understand how important she was. How her well-being meant more to him than his own. Why, if it seemed like he came down too hard on her, it was done out of love.

“I promise.” She covered his hands with hers, smiling. “Hey. After all I’ve been through to be with my baby, to be with him without looking over my shoulder, do you honestly think I’d risk getting killed? Risk leaving him alone? No way. I promise you I will play it safe.”

He kissed her once, firmly, before letting her go. There would be time for everything else later. He could show her and tell her everything she meant to him. How his life had meaning now thanks to her and Walker. How he’d waited so long without knowing he was waiting, because he could never have imagined somebody like her existed.

Somebody so perfect for him. So perfect in general.

As long as she stuck to her word and Hawkins didn’t decide to do something crazy, he’d have the opportunity to tell her everything he held in his heart.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Weston. Come in.” Brax adjusted the earpiece, setting it deep inside his ear.

“I hear you, brother. Loud and clear. ETA?”

Brax checked the GPS on the console. “Five minutes.”

“Great. We’re ready and waiting out here. You know what you’re doing once he shows?”

“I’ve been through it a hundred times in my head, beginning to end. Believe me.”

“Remind me anyway.”

Brax rolled his eyes. Weston, ever the cop. “I have to get Robert to confess to what he did. Trust me. I know. I have my wire, and there’s recording equipment all over the warehouse. Chance will watch the exterior. Tessa will meet Hawkins outside the warehouse so he knows—”

“Tessa?”

Right. He didn’t know. “Believe me. I don’t want her involved. Hawkins insisted she show her face so he’d know she wasn’t lying.”

“Wonderful. I should have guessed he wouldn’t let it go that easily.”

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