Edge of Betrayal by Shannon K. Butcher Read Free Book Online Page A

ignored her comment as absurd. “Did she give you something for pain? I bet your head is throbbing.”
    “It’s not that bad. And yes, she gave me some ibuprofen.”
    “When did you eat last?”
    She paused as if trying to remember.
    He went back into the kitchen and got the box of crackers he’d found. “Here. Eat some of these so the pills won’t upset your stomach.”
    “I’m really not that much of a wuss.”
    He set them beside her. “Fine. Just know that if you throw up, I’ll assume you have a concussion and move in here for at least a week, just to make sure you’re safe.”
    She opened the crackers and stuffed one in her mouth. “Happy?”
    “Deliriously.”
    He settled in a chair as far from her as possible. There was no getting rid of him tonight, and the last thing he wanted was to make his life difficult by putting her more on edge than she already was.
    Adam watched her eat, enjoying the shape of her mouth. Of course, he liked the way the rest of her was shaped, too. She was curvier than the other women at the Edge, and with the way she sat with her legs curled under her, her entire body was one intriguingly sinuous line.
    The lamp beside her made her dark hair shimmer with glossy highlights. She wore no makeup, or so little he couldn’t detect any trace of it. Even so, she always had a lovely pink tint to her cheeks and mouth that was more alluring than any blush or gloss could ever be.
    “Are you tired?” he asked.
    “No. But if you are, feel free to go home. If you want, I can text you every hour so you know I’m not dead.”
    Not good enough. Not even close. “I don’t sleep much.”
    She froze in the act of eating another cracker. “Neither do I. Is it the dreams, or what was done to you?”
    “I don’t dream, or if I do, I don’t remember them.”
    “Count yourself lucky.” She tried to stifle a shiver, but he saw it anyway.
    He crossed the room and reached past her for the throw on the back of the couch. It was printed with large blocks of Swiss cheese and made absolutely no sense to him as a decorative item.
    Mira flinched as his hand passed her shoulder.
    Another inconvenient burst of anger flew through his veins, forcing him to freeze with his fist around the fabric while the emotion faded. He didn’t dare move when he felt like that—not when she was so close. The last thing he wanted was for her to see his fury, rush out into the rain to escape him, slip, and hit her head again.
    When he was once again calm enough to control himself, he lifted the ridiculous blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders.
    “You look cold,” he said, to ease her apparent worry over what he might do.
    He was close enough to her to smell the shampoo she used—something sweet and tart that made his mouth water. Beneath that was a hint of warm skin and a single note of fear.
    The need to bury his nose against her neck and breathe her in was nearly uncontrollable. He had no idea what it was about Mira that distracted him so deeply, but he needed to find a way to make it stop.
    She was the key to his future. Without her trust, no one at the Edge would every truly welcome him as one of their own. And he needed his brother to accept him. Desperately.
    After all the years he’d spent searching, for Eli to reject him now would be a mortal wound.
    Mira clutched the edges of the fleece blanket, gripping it tightly enough that her knuckles bleached. The urge to unclench her fingers and rub the tension away hit him hard.
    Instead, he arranged the fabric around her body, covering as much of her as possible. Maybe if he couldn’t see her curves, they wouldn’t distract him so completely.
    When he was done, he picked up the mug of tea and handed it to her. “This will help you warm up.”
    She blinked up at him. Her green eyes were lovely, even narrowed in skepticism the way they were now.
    “Why are you doing this?” she asked.
    “Doing what?”
    “Being nice to