Edge of Control: An Edge Security Novel (Edge Security Series Book 1) by Trish Loye Read Free Book Online Page A

biceps when she’d gotten out of the ring.
    “Where’d you learn to fight?” Rhys asked as she manipulated his hand to get his thumbprint next.
    “I used to work at an MMA gym,” she said.
    He smiled and nodded. “You looked like you could handle yourself. Ever been in a real fight?”
    Dani busied herself with her laptop. She’d been in more fights than she could count and had the knife scars to prove it. That was the gang way of life. And Vladimir hadn’t minded her learning to fight, as long as she never fought him . Now she continued to train hard so she could fight anyone and survive.
    “No,” she said finally.
    Time to shut this conversation down. She dragged out the retinal scanner and positioned it on the desk, but she didn’t miss the eye contact between Rhys and Jake, or Jake’s frown.
    “Place your chin here,” she said, pointing at the small strap. “Focus on the red light and don’t blink.”
    Within seconds it was done.
    “Thank you, ma’am,” Rhys said. “I’ve got to get to work now.” He went back to the conference room and left her alone with Jake.
    She turned to Jake, keeping what she hoped was a professional smile on her face. “Your turn.”
    His narrowed gaze studied her and her smile faltered. He took Rhys’s place at the desk and still didn’t say anything.
    Fine. She could do cold and calculated with the best of them. He might be a high-and-mighty Navy SEAL, but she was battle-hardened in her own way. Maybe she didn’t have formal training, but his tough-guy glare wasn’t going to scare her.  
    Okay, maybe it freaked her out a little, but she’d be damned if she let it show.
    She kept her face and tone professional as she asked him to type in a password and his information.
    “Hand,” she said, holding hers out. As he placed his large calloused one in hers, a little zing of heat ripped from her palm to her chest. She swallowed and placed his index finger on the imprint pad.
    “Where’d you get the knife scars?” Jake asked.
    She jerked. The imprint didn’t take and she tapped a code into the machine to reset it. She used the time to steady her voice. “What do you mean?” She repositioned his finger and steeled herself against his next question.
    “You lied to Rhys when you said you’d never fought.” He paused. “I need to be able to trust everyone on this team.”
    She didn’t look at him as she set up to take his thumbprint. “I’m just an IT tech. It doesn’t matter if you trust me or not.”
    “You want to be a field operator.”
    She shot him a sharp glance. “How do you know that?”
    “I looked up your file.” He wasn’t the slightest bit apologetic. “And it left me with a lot of questions. They want me to be a team leader here. If I take the job, then I want to be able to trust every member of my team…even the IT tech.”
    His eyes softened and suddenly Dani couldn’t speak, couldn’t avoid his compassionate gaze. His next words twisted something inside her.
    “You don’t have to lie to me.”
    Dani stared at him, her teeth clenched tight. She couldn’t tell him the truth. The more people who knew her history, the more chances that someone would slip up and she’d have to run again.
    She put on her best professional smile. “Please put your chin in the strap and look at the red light.”
    His lips pressed tight before he blanked his face and set his chin in the strap.

    After work that day, Dani went into Tassia’s apartment. It looked the same as it had in the morning, except for the note on the kitchen table.

    Danielle,
    I’ve gone to Europe. I’ll be in touch in a few weeks. Don’t worry about me.
    Tassia

    What the hell ? Dani dropped the note and raced to her friend’s bedroom. Clothes spilled from her closet and drawers. A quick check revealed the suitcase under her bed was gone.
    Dani slumped onto Tass’s bed. This didn’t make any sense. Tassia wouldn’t just up and leave her job. Her desk appeared cleared, as if