Edge of Betrayal by Shannon K. Butcher

Five
    R iley Conlan barely heard the knock on his door over the sound of rain pounding on his roof.
    It was nearly midnight, and he’d been lying awake in bed, hoping for sleep to find him. His body was exhausted from the job he’d finished earlier tonight, but his mind was slow to process and had not yet let go of the details.
    The sheer magnitude of devastation the Threshold Project had caused was utterly staggering. So many lives ruined, all in the pursuit of power.
    He rolled out of bed and slid on the pair of sweats he’d shed earlier. His Glock was holstered on his nightstand, and he grabbed it more out of habit than worry.
    A glance through the peephole in his front door showed only the top of a drenched hoodie and a slender body hunched against the wind.
    With one hand on the weapon he’d tucked at the small of his back, he unlocked his door and pulled it open.
    The woman standing there looked up. He knew her instantly. Would have known her anywhere. She’d spent the worst night of her life with him and then disappeared, leaving him reeling.
    Riley’s heart stopped beating for a long moment as he struggled with his disbelief. “Sophie?”
    Sophie Devane stood there, shivering and drenched. She glanced behind her as if expecting Satan himself to be on her heels. Fear quavered in her voice. “Can I come in?”
    He nearly smacked himself for making her stand out there this long. Poor thing was freezing to death, and here he was, gawking like an idiot.
    He stepped back, giving her room to pass, then closed and locked the door behind him.
    There was no car in his driveway or parked on the street. No cab pulling away.
    Had she walked in this weather? And what the hell was she doing here?
    Riley turned to see her standing at the edge of his tile entryway. She was clearly trying not to drip on the carpet, even though every inch of her was soaked to the skin.
    She pulled the hood from her head, revealing a thick, strawberry blond braid. It was dark from the rain, dripping down one shoulder. Her skin was visibly pale, making every one of her freckles stand out in contrast. There was a faint bluish tint to her lips, and her fingers were an angry red color.
    She wasn’t wearing rain gear or a winter coat—just a lightweight hoodie that was clearly not meant for this time of year. Even in Texas.
    “Are you okay?” he asked, trying to wrap his head around her unexpected presence.
    She gave a shaky nod. “I didn’t know where else to go.”
    “How did you get here?”
    “I walked.” The way she said it, he was certain there was more to it than that, but he didn’t press for details. Yet.
    “You’re freezing.”
    “Yeah. I kinda am. I’m glad you were here, or I’d have been screwed.”
    She carried no bag. Not even a purse.
    A million questions bulged in his mind, but he kept them in check. First things first. “Come with me.” He led her to the bathroom and started a warm shower. “Take your time. I’ll set clothes outside the door. Then we’ll talk.”
    She nodded again. “Thanks, Riley. For letting me in. I don’t exactly deserve a warm welcome after the way I left things.”
    “We’ll talk about it later. Just get warm.”
    He found some sweats with a drawstring, the smallest, warmest shirt he could find, and some wool socks he never wore because they were too hot. He piled everything outside the door while he went into the kitchen and heated up some canned soup. By the time she was out of the shower, he had a stack of blankets on the couch waiting for her, and a steaming bowl of chicken noodle.
    His clothes swallowed her up, hiding all but her hands, feet, and head. Her hair was wrapped up in a towel, and a bit of color had returned to her cheeks.
    He waited until she was comfortably settled and had a few bites of soup before he let his curiosity free. “What the hell are you doing here? In the middle of the night? In the rain? With no coat or purse?”
    The spoon stalled out halfway to her