Page 2 of Edge
Mickey gave him his most bored-looking nod while keeping his face blank. “Edge.” There. Now they could just not speak.
They headed for the garage.
Edge was so close to his heels that Mickey had never been more self-conscious. “How are you today?”
Laughter dripped from every word. Edge knew he made Mickey uncomfortable, and it pissed him off. Mickey chose to flip theswitch. He pasted on an overly bright smile. “I’m awesome, actually. No one kidnapped me, so overall a top-notch morning. How about you? Did you squeeze in an abduction before breakfast?”
Edge rolled his eyes. Even that was hot. “Don’t be absurd. Kidnapping isn’t my usual style. I shot someone between the eyes about two this morning, though. Do you count that as before breakfast or the middle of the night?”
At some point, Mickey forgot he was only toying with Edge. “It depends. Did you go to sleep afterward?”
“Just a quick two hours.”
“Middle of the night,” Mickey said, finding his answer.
“Then, no. I was a good boy before breakfast.”
Mickey practically felt Henry roll his eyes. He thought all the Agafonov boys were just that—boys. Henry didn’t want the responsibility of them and didn’t understand why Beau brought them in for their upcoming drop. They had always kept Beau safe without extra help. Henry was a little bitter over it. They would do as told, though. Following orders kept everyone alive and paid. Mickey just wished he didn’t feel Edge’s stare from the back seat. That was the only thing making him think he couldn’t do this.
If Edge made Mickey uncomfortable with his constant stare, he didn’t show it. It was rare for Edge not to have someone’s number at first glance. He couldn’t read Mickey. Every time he thought Mickey might show some real emotion, he turned all fake smiles and joking. The way his eyes swam with laughter at Edge’s expense always fascinated Edge because that faked humor hid a killer. The guy was deadly. He was the perfect personal guard for Kylo. In fact, Edge was surprised Beau had sent Mickey with them today. Mickey likely didn’t leave Kylo’s side often. In fact, Edge was shocked by this entire outing.
Beau Bosi wasn’t a man who needed help. He employed his own army. But apparently, one of their longtime clients asked to meet at a different location for their next drop. Something about the situation had Beau’s senses tingling. He wanted people his client wouldn’t recognize working reconnaissance on the building. By drop time, his brother, Tracker, would have every inch of the place wired for sound and video while the team stayed in position to massacre the entire lot of them if they pulled any bullshit. It was a fairly easy assignment for Edge’s people. Usually, they were up against people as trained as they were. That made it a little harder to get the upper hand other than having the element of perfectly planned surprise. This wasnothing. Still, it was best to do a walkthrough before they got started tonight. He didn’t want any mistakes.
The building was located deep inside the warehouse district in Tecate. It was insane how easily Henry and Mickey crossed the border. No one even looked their way. At first glimpse of anything Bosi-related, everyone turned their head. Edge wondered what it must be like to wield so much power. It was equally crazy how everyone already knew Edge’s family by association and also didn’t question their actions.
The district where the meeting was being held had dried up decades ago, leaving empty buildings filled with nothing but old equipment, dust, and rats. Edge understood why Beau was reluctant to trust this new venue. His client claimed heat was on him at their usual spot near the ports, but a two-hour drive one way to a new location left for a lot of room for shit to go wrong.
Edge spotted his team’s van parked a few streets over before they reached their destination. Tracker would be inside the vehicle, readying his surveillance. When they reached the warehouse, Henry cautiously stepped from the vehicle. Mickey waited for a few beats before following, as if they always worked together the same way. They did a quick tour of the building before regrouping outside. He didn’t see a single member of his team, but he knew they were there.
“Henry, you’ll be with Beau, correct?”
Henry dipped his chin. “They’ll immediately become suspicious if I’m not at his side.”
Edge nodded. He glanced Mickey’s way, trying his damnedest to not get distracted by gorgeous green eyes. Between his eyes and his blond hair, he was the sexiest creature Edge had ever seen.
“How are you with heights?”
Mickey shrugged. “Pretty unbothered.”
“Good. You’ll come with me.” He headed for the side of the building without looking to see if he was obeyed. Edge was the team leader. People didn’t question him.
Like the good soldier, Mickey was right on his heels when Edge turned. “How are you with scaling buildings?”
A wicked light flashed in Mickey’s eyes. “I grew up homeless. The roofs of businesses were the perfect place to get some sleep without worrying about getting attacked.”
Damn. Every time he opened his mouth, Edge liked him more. “Good. Let’s go. I want to make sure you can actually get up, down, and out of dodge if shit goes sideways.”
Mickey shrugged and headed to a nearby fire escape. He had to jump to grab the bottom rung, but he got it on the first try. Mickey tested its strength before swinging himself upward. In no time, he disappeared on the rooftop. His head peeked over the edge. He was smiling. Edge didn’t bother with the ladder. He easily scrambled up the side of the building. Getting high for the best shots was his thing.
“Impressive.”
Edge flashed Mickey a smile at the compliment. “Well, if you spend over a decade of your life being tortured into compliance, you’ll move your ass up a wall.” Edge moved to where his gear waited for him without looking to see Mickey’s reaction. He didn’t need anyone’s pity. His spine was steel, and he was richer than he could have ever dreamed possible because of what he had suffered. Life moved on.
He unzipped his bag. “We still have a long while before Henry gets back with Beau and the shipment. Put this in.” Edge handed Mickey an earpiece. “You’ll hear everything I do. How’s everything coming together, Tracker?”
Mickey put the earpiece in his ear while Edge scanned the area. He spotted Ridge on a rooftop next door. Field and Shore would be hidden inside nearby buildings, setting up for ground fire.
“Good. Scout is still out canvassing the area. Beau was right to find this odd. Everything about this gig has my neck hairs crawling. This dude best not get us killed, or worse, locked up.”
