Edge of Control: An Edge Security Novel (Edge Security Series Book 1) Page 2

  Her brain switched on and she began noticing details about him. Not tall enough. And, as she jogged closer, not muscled enough, or good looking enough. Not him.

  She was safe.

  “Dani, you witch,” her friend, Tassia, called out from behind her before huffing a laugh. “I give up. I’m walking the rest of the way.”

  Dani didn’t reply, the adrenaline leaving her shaky. She poured on the speed, sprinting on her toes and pushing hard with her quads. Her breath came in short bursts. She passed the man and his dog, determinedly not looking at him as she followed the path in Parc du Mont-Royal. Tass wouldn’t be able to see her through the trees, but Dani didn’t stop or slow even a bit.

  Tassia wouldn’t get lost. Besides, even though it was early morning, lots of people were out enjoying the warm spring weather. Dani gained more speed, her long, dark ponytail swinging, tension thudding out of her with each footfall as the path lowered, coming down off the Mountain, the name Montreal natives gave the park because of its height and views of the city.

  Dani couldn’t slow down. She compulsively pushed herself. She always wanted to see if she could do just a little bit more, a little bit faster, a little bit better. Besides, she needed to stay in top shape, in case her past ever caught up with her.

  The path opened up onto Avenue des Pins and she dodged pedestrians as she ran toward her apartment on Rue Sainte Famille. It still amazed her she’d lucked out with such a great neighbor, one who’d turned into not just a running partner, but someone Dani could trust. Not with all her secrets, of course, but enough to call her a friend—and, at twenty-six years old, Dani had precious few friends.

  She slowed as she came up to the four-story building, automatically scanning the street. A woman in a suit strode toward her and a tall guy in shorts and a hoodie jogged across the street. She ignored the woman, but kept track of the man until he turned the corner.

  She’d finished stretching by the time Tassia showed up, panting and grimacing. “Seriously, woman, you are the devil.” She flopped onto the steps leading up to the glass doors of the building. “I’m taller than you, I should be able to at least keep up with you. Did you even break a sweat?”

  “Come to my MMA gym,” Dani said. “Those guys’ll whip you into the best shape ever.”

  “I’ll leave beating people up to you,” she said. “Though I do love dropping by and admiring the view.”

  Dani chuckled as she gave her friend a hand up. “Come over for breakfast. I’ll make eggs.”

  Tass frowned. “I’m not sure I have time. The Public Prosecutor’s building a big case against a company in town and I’m behind on my end.”

  “There’s always time for food,” she said. There had been too many times in Dani’s life when food had been scarce. She tried to never miss a meal now.

  Tassia worked long hours as a lawyer for the Office of Public Prosecution, the Quebec version of the Crown Attorney Office, and her boss was a bear of a woman. Dani, on the other hand, worked in the research department at E.D.G.E. International Security, a corporate security firm. She dug up info about potential clients or sites for the field operators, and she was always careful to do it legally.

  E.D.G.E. had only hired her because of Charles Lachine, a retired cop who worked as a consultant of some kind for them. Out of respect for Chuck, she’d never been late or sick in the six months she’d worked at E.D.G.E.

  She showered and dressed in one of her three secondhand suits. The cut of the suit was loose, but not too loose. Her dark hair went into a bun and she skipped makeup, since her green eyes already attracted too much attention. The whole effect made her look mousy and worn, someone most people didn’t notice.

  Just the way she wanted it.

  She stood at the counter making breakfast and going over what she would say today to the CEO of E.D.G.E., Adam Knight.

  He had agreed to give her an interview for a field operator position. It meant travel, but she knew she could handle network security better than anyone. She was perfect for the job.

  She scooped eggs onto plates. Well, she was perfect as long as they ignored her past.

  “Seriously?” Tassia said when she entered the apartment and came into the kitchen, her hair still damp from her shower. “When are you gonna let me take you shopping for clothing that actually fits you?”

  Dani shrugged. She knew how dowdy she looked. “I’m more comfortable this way.”

  Tassia’s eyes narrowed in speculation. She opened her mouth, but Dani beat her to it.

  “We’ll be late if we don’t eat now.”

  They sat down to eggs scrambled with mushrooms and cheese. Fried mushrooms made everything taste better.

  “So, tell me about this mysterious guy you’re going out with tonight,” Dani said, wanting to derail Tassia’s argument about her appearance.

  Tassia looked away. “You can’t freak out.”

  Dani’s radar went off. “Why would I freak?”

  “His name is Vadim,” she said.

  Dani’s gut clenched. “Like short for Vladimir?”

  “No, just Vadim.” She sighed. “Look, I didn’t want to tell you anything because I know how you hate anything Russian.”

  “I don’t hate anything Russian,” she said. “I’m—” Dani took a breath. She couldn’t believe she’d almost told her. “I’m not prejudiced.”

  “You never want to go to that cool Russian restaurant in the Village. And you avoid anyone with an Eastern European accent or name.”

  All true, but she wasn’t prejudiced. She’d need to work harder at this. Dani sighed out her tension. “What’s this guy’s last name?”

  Tass waved her fork at her, and her face got a stubborn look. “Seriously, you don’t have to worry. I may not know how to fight, but I can take care of myself.”

  Dani doubted that, but she only smiled and lightened her voice. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just curious. Is he cute?”

  She grinned. “Gorgeous.”

  Dani forced an answering smile. “So…his last name?”

  Tassia pushed the eggs around on her plate with her fork. “I’m not sure I should tell you.” Her lips pressed together. “Not after what you did last time. I like this guy, Dani. Just trust me.”

  “Please tell me he’s not married,” Dani said.

  She frowned. “He’s not married.”

  “Then what’s his last name?”

  “Fine. It’s Levkov. Vadim Levkov.” She stood up. “But you are not running a background check on him. You ran off the last guy I dated with your questions and ‘concern.’” She finger quoted the last word.

  “He was dating other women.”

  “I don’t care. I’m a grown woman and I don’t need you playing big brother.”

  “You mean big sister,” Dani said lightly, but it was too late. She’d lost her. Tassia strode away and the front door clicked shut. Firmly.

  “Case closed,” she muttered.

  E.D.G.E. International Security: We Go To The Edge So You Don’t Have To.

  Jake scowled at the sign on the wall before entering the large plush office in downtown Montreal, trying not to limp. His leg ached from sitting on a six-hour flight.

  What the hell was he doing here? How had he gotten to this point? He cursed the mission that had gone so disastrously wrong a year ago. So wrong that even now, after a year of recovery and intensive rehab on his leg, the doctors wondered whether he could keep up with his SEAL team. He knew his men trusted him, but the higher-ups all shook their heads. His teeth ground as he remembered his CO asking—no, telling him—to take this interview and work with this company for the next two weeks as a trial.

  The same company who’d rescued them from the Taliban twelve months ago. E.D.G.E. International Security. A cover for what they really were.

  A damn merc company.

  He hated mercenaries. They worked for the highest bidder, got in the way of real operations, and most of the ones he’d met had questionable mora
ls.

  How could his CO do this to him? To them?

  He glanced sideways at Rhys. At least his buddy was with him, though he hated dragging him down the same freaking rabbit hole he’d been sent down. He’d never heard of a SEAL or any spec ops guy being sent to interview with a civilian company, let alone a company in another country.

  They stood at ease in the empty office, waiting on some ex-SEAL who ran the show. It was only because the head honcho used to be a SEAL that he’d agreed to this. Once it was over, he and Rhys were hopping on the first flight to Coronado and back into training, bad leg or not. Their team was being deployed in a month. He’d prove to the brass that he could do the job.

  “Do you think they’re going to offer us a gazillion dollars? Maybe we’ll get to protect supermodels,” Rhys said. He stood to the side of the window looking out over the busy street below. Neither of them would ever stand in front of an open window again, no matter what country they were in.

  “Won’t matter,” Jake said. “We do our two weeks, turn down the permanent position, and then we’re out of here.”

  A door whisked open and a dark-skinned, fit man in his early forties walked in. His shaved head gleamed in the overhead light.

  “Gentlemen,” he said. “I’m Adam Knight. Your CO told me that you two might be interested in working with us.”

  Jake squared his shoulders. Better to cut this off now. “Actually, sir,” he said with respect, “we’re not interested in working for a mercenary company.” Rhys gave a sharp nod of agreement.

  Knight studied Jake. “I read the medical report on your leg. If you stay with the teams, chances are you’ll end up behind a desk.”

  “Even so, sir.” Jake shrugged. “It just doesn’t sit right with me. Merc companies are either babysitters for people with too much money, or tend to do jobs that could interfere with real missions.”

  Knight walked over to his desk and flipped open a file. “One of the jobs we did last year saved a SEAL’s life.”

  Jake shifted his feet. “It’s the mercenary part I’m having a hard time with, sir. No offense.”

  Knight sat down. “No offense taken,” he said, leaning back in his chair while a smile crept onto his face. “You’ve just confirmed that E.D.G.E.’s cover is fully in place, and I’m happy to let you know what we really do.”

  Jake frowned and shared a glance with Rhys. Was this guy for real? He decided to spell it out for him anyway. “Sir, we know E.D.G.E. isn’t just a security company. That’s why we’re here, right? It’s also a mercenary company and you want to hire us.”

  Knight’s smile widened. “We’re not a merc company, Lieutenant Harrison. That’s our cover. E.D.G.E. is Elite Digital and Global Enforcement.

  “This is a highly classified government-run unit. We have operators from all arms of both the United States and Canada’s military, as well as the CIA and CSIS.” He stopped smiling and placed both palms on his desk. “We are a unit that transcends boundaries. We’re the one governments call when they can’t get past the red tape or legal bullshit that interdepartmental desk jockeys insist on. We go in and get the job done.”

  Knight tapped the papers on his desk. “I’ve studied your files and would like to offer you both positions as operators at E.D.G.E. I have a small assignment being run here in Montreal that I’d like you both to sit in on. At the end of two weeks you can tell me how you feel about working with us.”

  Jake studied the man sitting behind the desk. His CO had told him to listen to Knight and to consider his offer carefully, because it would only come once.

  He glanced at Rhys, who arched a brow and lifted one shoulder a fraction in a discreet shrug, clearly as surprised as he was.

  “We’ve been ordered to work with you for the next two weeks, sir. We’ll let you know our answer when our tour is done.”

  “Good enough,” he said. “And gentlemen? Lose the uniforms while you’re here.”

  Dani sat at her computer in the research department as she pulled up anything she could find on Vadim Levkov. Her desk and one other empty one faced a wall, her monitor visible to anyone who walked by. Four other work stations were arranged in a semicircle behind her, so only the research assistants working there could see their screens.

  Dani disliked that she was left out of the inner sanctum of the research department, but she had bigger ambitions than sitting with them, so she tried not to let it bother her. She just made sure to tilt her monitor, so that anyone walking behind her would have to bend their head to see what she worked on.

  As a major international security firm, E.D.G.E. had a huge database of public profiles, but she itched to dig deeper. She had the skills, she’d just promised not to use them.

  The database turned up four Levkovs in the Montreal area, none of them lawyers, and none of them cute enough to make Tass do a happy dance. She bit her lip and her fingers hovered over the keys. She could dig deeper. Maybe hack into the DMV server.

  She clenched her hands into fists and pushed back from her desk. No. She wouldn’t break Chuck’s trust. She’d just have to do this the old-fashioned way.

  She’d follow Tass on her date.

  Tass would kill her if she found out, but Dani knew how to blend. She was better at it than anyone could guess.

  “If you don’t have any work to do, I’m sure I can find you some.”

  Dani sighed as Ashley Thompson, otherwise known as the Bane of Dani’s Existence, stopped in front of her desk.

  Ashley dressed like a cross between a runway model and a librarian, her dark hair pinned up, her makeup flawless and her clothing tight, but not too revealing.

  “I have work,” Dani said, clicking onto a benign website about a potential future client. “And I sent you the information you requested already. Check your inbox.”

  “The report wasn’t detailed enough,” Ashley sniped. “As the official head of marketing, do I need to remind you to take this job seriously? That is, if you want to continue to work here.”

  Dani grit her teeth. “I take this job very seriously. And you’re the only marketing employee, so I hardly think that qualifies you to be the head of a department.”

  Ashley huffed. “Just because you’re Chuck’s little pet doesn’t mean you’ll ever make it out of research. Unlike you, I’m going places with E.D.G.E. Soon, you’ll be working for me.” Her heels clicked as she strode back to her office.

  Dani was still glaring after her when Chuck showed up. “Hey, kid.” Even though he’d retired from the force five years ago, he still stood like a cop, feet planted and weight balanced, relaxed and yet attack-ready. His gray hair was military short and he hooked his hands in his belt. “You ready for this?”

  Dani stood up. At five-foot-eight, she was almost eye to eye with Chuck. She lifted her chin. “Always.”

  They walked over to the elevators. E.D.G.E took up floors five, six, and seven of the building. Dani had only ever been on the fifth floor and had never even seen the company president. It had been the research department head that she’d interviewed with. She didn’t think even he had access to floors six and seven.

  “Now remember,” Chuck said as they rode the elevator to the seventh floor. “This—”

  “—is a long shot,” she finished. “I know, Chuck, but I appreciate the chance. Hell, I appreciate having a real job.”

  His lips compressed. “I hope they can see your talents. It’s a damn shame they’re going to waste.”

  She waggled her eyebrows. “Maybe I’ll win over the big guy with my sparkling personality.” She laughed at his grim expression. “Seriously, Chuck, don’t worry. I got this.”

  “That’s what I’m worried about.”

  On that odd note, they left the elevator and strode toward the outer receptionist, who sat typing, a small earpiece half hidden by the chestnut hair falling to her shoulders. Her clothes were trim, but not tight or showy like Ashley’s.

  She looked up and smiled. “Hello, Chuck.”

 
She gave the slightest pause as she saw Dani. “And you must be Danielle. Mr. Knight is in a meeting at the moment, please take a seat. Can I get you a coffee or tea?”

  They shook their heads. Chuck eased into a chair while Dani moved about the room, trying to hide her restless energy. She pretended to inspect each piece of art, but couldn’t have told anyone what she looked at.

  She wanted this job. As much as she appreciated having a job with health benefits, research was not what she wanted to do. She needed more of a challenge.

  A field operator in a network security company sounded like geek heaven to her.

  The double doors leading to the inner sanctum opened. Mr. Knight, the founder and head of E.D.G.E., walked out with two other men, both dressed in dark blue Navy uniforms, rows of ribbons adorning the left breast of their jackets.

  All three had muscled bodies and moved with the same grace as the top fighters in her gym. It was rumored Mr. Knight had once been a Navy SEAL, and seeing him now, she could believe it. With his fit physique and commanding presence, he radiated power, as did the two men beside him.

  Tassia would be drooling over the guys in uniform, both taller than Dani, and both gorgeous. The blond one was a few inches taller than his friend and lean, like a swimmer. He pushed back shaggy blond hair from a movie-star-gorgeous face and grinned at her.

  Dani nodded back cautiously. With those looks, he had player written all over him. She dismissed him and turned to the other man.

  His hair was dark and crew-cut. It highlighted his hard jaw and almost sharp cheekbones. His heavily muscled body seemed to strain the seams of his jacket. This man wasn’t classically good looking like his friend, but he was definitely all male. She drew in a breath.

  The dark-haired man turned and his sharp gaze seared her. Her mind froze for an instant, as if she’d been pinned unexpectedly by a stronger opponent. Her heart beat faster and she could feel her cheeks redden. His gaze flicked to Chuck before returning to her, studying her. His eyebrows drew together slightly.

  “And this, gentlemen,” Mr. Knight said, waving Chuck forward, “is someone I couldn’t run my operation without: Charles Lachine, my police liaison. Chuck’s a retired detective with the Montreal Police.” He turned to the two men. “Chuck, this is Lieutenant Jake Harrison and Petty Officer Rhys Lafayette. I’m trying to lure them into taking positions as field operators with us.”