Free Edge of Betrayal by Shannon K. Butcher Page B

under his palm. She was too soft and smooth for his peace of mind, her bones too delicate for him to even consider letting her face off against armed goons.
    For some reason, this woman rocked him all the way down to his foundation, and he had no idea why. He’d barely had a conversation with her. He didn’t know how she thought or what she believed. He didn’t even know if she was straight. Even so, all he could think about was keeping her close, where he could make sure she was safe. She’d already been through too much.
    And Riley desperately needed a distraction from the pain and monotony of his own life.
    “I can help,” he said, doing everything he could to sound reasonable. Flexible. He wasn’t, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to make this easier on her.
    She lifted her chin. Even without makeup, she was a natural beauty. Messy hair, freckles—it didn’t matter. Sunlight loved her and clung to her like a second skin.
    “How?” she finally asked. “Exactly what do you think you can do that I can’t do for myself?”
    “I know why Soma abducted you. I know who he was trying to sell you to. And I know why.”
    Her skin paled beneath her freckles. “I don’t believe you.”
    “We’ve learned a lot since the day you took off. I work for a company that’s helping people like you—people who were used when they were children. Hurt.”
    She took a step back, but his grip on her wrist kept her from going far. “How do you know about that?”
    “It’s in your file.”
    Her green eyes flared, and there was no mistaking the fear he saw in her pinpoint pupils. “What file?”
    “You were on something called the List. That’s why Soma took you, why he was selling you, why these men who are after you now will try to do the same thing.”
    “What is this list?”
    “It contains the names of all the kids who were part of a series of experiments. The doctors and scientists who did the research have all been found or killed. Except one woman. Dr. Norma Stynger.”
    “I don’t know her.”
    “You might never have met her, but she wants to meet you. She’s searching for all of those kids, now grown, so she can continue her work. She knows you exist now, and my guess is she won’t stop sending people to find you until they succeed—or you’re dead.”
    She flinched, and he immediately wished he’d sugarcoated the truth a little.
    “I’ll change my name. Hide. She’ll never find me.”
    “That’s not good enough.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean? You have no idea how good I am at hiding.”
    “Actually, I do. I’ve looked for you almost every day since you ran off.”
    “So you know I’m good,” she said.
    “It doesn’t matter. Being found isn’t the only thing you have to worry about.”
    “If they don’t find me, what can they possibly do to me?”
    “They may have already done it.”
    “What?”
    Riley paused, searching for the gentlest way to tell her what she needed to hear. “Most of the kids grew up fine. But some of them . . . didn’t.”
    “Didn’t how?”
    “Some of them cracked. Hallucinated. Became violent.”
    She started to sag like she was going to faint. Riley grabbed her arms and eased her into the nearest chair.
    “You’re saying I’m going to go homicidal?”
    “No. I’m not saying that at all. You’re probably fine.”
    “But if I’m not . . . ?”
    “That’s why you need to let me help you. We are connected to people who can look at you. Fix you before anything happens.”
    “Doctors?” she asked, shaking her head. “Hell no. No one is touching me ever again.”
    “It’s the only way to keep you safe. We’ll set you up with a new identity, send you somewhere you’ve never been before, keep you healthy, make sure you’re cared for.”
    “Like some kind of pet? No, thanks. I’ll take my chances on my own.”
    He took her hands in his. Her skin was cold and clammy, but it still felt good against him. “Listen, Sophie.Please.