Page 58 of Summer's Edge

I gulp, thinking he’s accusing me of something too. But he grins darkly. “A rat would never take a bullet for me the way you did, Edge. You got nothing to worry about.”

He looks at Ruin, who turns as pale as the bright while walls in this office. “You’re in the clear too.”

The gasp of relief that Ruin lets out would be funny if this wasn’t such a serious conversation.

“I need you two to rekindle your close friendship with those guys,” Cross goes on. “Get them to trust you. Tell them you’re unhappy. Tell them whatever you must to get them to open up.”

I used to be a killer through and through. No soft tissue. No middle ground. The three guys he’s talking about are worse. There’s no trust to be had from those guys. No real friendship. I share a look with Ruin and I’m positive he’s thinking the same thing.

“We’ll get it done,” I say anyway and Ruin nods.

“Good,” Cross says. “Anything you need is at your disposal while we’re gone. Tank will be in charge.”

“We better get started,” I say and get an approving nod from Cross.

Ruin follows me out the door and I can read it in his face he’s about to lay out all the ways this mission will be impossible for us to complete. But Ice catches up to us before he can do that.

“You’ll probably have to sneak around with Summer for a while longer,” he says, and I almost tell him to shut the hell up. But I manage not to. “Tell them I’m not letting you see her. Use that to gain their trust. Something like how you expected more after taking a bullet for Cross.”

“Summer’s not gonna like that,” I say, can’t help it.

Ice grins. “And you’ll know it. But you two already have some practice at keeping secrets.”

Once again, there’s no arguing with his logic.

“I’ll make it work,” I tell him.

“I’m sure you will.”

He goes back to Cross’ office and Ruin and I exit the mansion. We decided to meet up again at the clubhouse after dark, since the three we’re going after aren’t much for being up and about during the day. We don’t talk about the mountain of the task in front of us. There’s no need. We’ll get it done. Whatever it takes.

But first I need to hold Summer some more.

“Told you I’d be right back,” I tell her as she opens the door for me.

She’s still naked, wrapped only in the enticingly see-through sheet.

“And I didn’t believe you,” she says, the sheet dropping as she wraps her arms around my neck. “Sorry about that.”

I lift her up and carry her back to the bedroom, back to the bed that’s still warm and soft like the stuff dreams are made of. Summer’s the stuff dreams are made of. My dreams, every day and every night from right now onward.

“What did they want?” she asks.

“They gave me a job to do,” I tell her. “I get to stay right here, by your side. But we gotta pretend we’re not allowed to be together.”

Her eyes widen, the glint in them as sharp as a knife. “Are you messing with me?”

I shake my head. “Sadly, no. But don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you.”

“You better.”

“You’re my family now,” I tell her. “And I would die for my family.”

All anger leaves her eyes, making them as soft as a peaceful lake somewhere far from anything bad or nasty.

“You mean that?” she whispers.

“With my entire soul,” I say. “Which you helped me find again.”

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