Page 12 of Edge (Killers Inc. #2)

Mickey felt like death, but he couldn’t miss a second day of work.

The life had gone from him, and he couldn’t fake it.

This wasn’t a job he could quit, but he desperately wanted to walk away from everything.

Henry never looked at him. Every breath hurt.

The emptiness was back, and he drowned in it.

“You look so sad and you’re not eating your cookies.”

Mickey glanced down at his tiny saucer and teacup. He had always secretly loved these tea parties with Kylo. Mickey hadn’t gotten a childhood. Being with Kylo was as close as he would ever get to those stolen days. “Sorry. I’m still not one hundred percent.”

Kylo’s eyes flashed with kindness. “Daddy should’ve let you have the day off so you can fully recover. I don’t want a repeat of what you went through last time.”

The last time Mickey had gotten sick, the flu had completely taken him down.

It had turned to pneumonia and continued to morph until he damn near ended up hospitalized.

He’d lost forty pounds he had only recently started to regain.

Now, the thought of putting food in his mouth made him want to heave.

“I’ve missed spending time with you. There’s no reason for me to go back to bed. Plus, Beau isn’t here. Do you really want to spend the day with someone else?” Mickey tried hard to give him a playful yet pitiful face, as if begging Kylo not to hurt his feelings.

Kylo set his hand on Mickey’s arm. His light blue eyes saw too much. Kylo probably knew more than anyone else did simply because he was observant in ways no one else was.

“Did you know I lived with Rain for a while?”

Mickey rolled with the subject change. “I did not.”

Kylo nodded. “We were in a year-long production together, doing eight shows a week. I lived alone, but we were always together. It seems that made me a target, completely unbeknownst to me, of course. One night, I was attacked in the parking lot after a show and Rain took everyone out before I could even blink, much less be scared. Afterward, he was obviously forced to explain a lot of things to me, and I moved in with him to stay safe. They have a very odd household.” Kylo stared into space for a moment.

“I miss them. Field always threw the best birthday Christmases. He gave me my first tea set.” He blinked and looked down. “As a matter of fact, it was this one.”

Mickey dropped his gaze to the table. He had always assumed Beau had bought the set. One thing Mickey had become an expert at since moving in with Beau was luxury. The tea set was worth a fortune.

They both looked up at the same time and their stares met. Mickey couldn’t look away. Kylo lowered his voice as if anyone would overhear in the privacy of Kylo’s playroom.

“He’s terrifying, you know. Everyone sees the jokester, but it’s not real. I think he scares himself.”

That didn’t surprise Mickey.

Kylo sat back, obviously moving on. “Anyhow, one thing I noticed there was Edge. He always fascinated me. No one treats him like a friend. It always made me a little sad. They follow him like he’s proven he’s stronger than them, but no one ever sat with him or seemed to fully include him.

He lived on the outskirts of the group. Everyone else seemed to have someone who they were always paired with.

Not Edge. He was always rigid and cold. But sometimes, I would catch the longing way he watched everyone else.

I saw the way he fully recognized he was the outsider, but he didn’t know how to break past that.

Something stood in the way. I don’t know what, though. ”

Mickey knew. Edge stood in his own way. He had been tortured for loving Rain.

Edge kind of hated him for it and everyone knew it, but no one said it.

Mickey had seen it but hadn’t understood it until Field’s confessions.

The entire crew would never split, but Edge feared connections in a way the rest didn’t.

That didn’t mean he didn’t crave what he had lost. Edge just didn’t know how to love anymore.

Mickey couldn’t be his punching bag while he figured it out.

Fabrice appeared in the doorway. “These came for you, Mickey.” He held a huge bouquet of red roses.

Mickey’s eyebrows shot to his hairline.

He accepted the flowers while Kylo squealed on his behalf. “Thank you.” With his heart in his throat, Mickey opened the tiny card attached.

I wanted to claim these were from Field, so maybe you’d accept them, but I can’t be that much of a coward. So, maybe still don’t throw them in the trash. You deserve them.

—Edge

Mickey put the card back and kept his mind on lockdown.

“They’re so pretty. Daddy got me flowers after the whole milk thing. They’ve been dead for a good while now, though. I just don’t have the heart to throw them away.”

“You can have these, if you want.” Mickey wasn’t sure if he meant it, but he still remembered exactly how Edge had looked at him as he kicked him from his life.

He still felt every eye on him as he left that house.

Every time he had put his pride on the line and let Edge use him in every way sat on his chest and kept him awake at night.

He was more confused than he had ever been.

Edge had made him feel things he never had.

He couldn’t risk himself again like that.

“No. Thank you, though. I can’t take them. Red roses are very personal. They represent love. You can’t pass that to someone else.”

Mickey’s gaze locked on Kylo at the claim. Affection rose in his chest, choking him. He had been in his feelings for so long without anyone noticing. He couldn’t take it anymore. “I love you.”

Kylo melted in a way only he could. He was so innocent in a way that couldn’t be described. Kylo deserved the world and all the kindness.

“When you had that attack, I’ve never been that scared. I know I never say it, but you’re really all I have. It would’ve killed me if anything had happened to you.”

Kylo stood and circled the table. He wrapped his arms around Mickey and held on.

“You saved my life that day. Only the fact that you knew exactly what was wrong and had the tools to fix it is what kept me alive. You have no idea how much I love you. You’re like the closest person to me next to Beau. Don’t tell Rain, okay?”

Mickey laughed. He hated how watery it sounded. He was dangerously close to tears.

Kylo moved back to his chair and wiped his eyes. “Eat your cookie.”

Mickey laughed again and picked up the cookie. He felt a little better. His gaze moved to the flowers. Red meant love. It seemed he had maybe heard that somewhere.

Fabrice reappeared. “Sorry to continue to interrupt your teatime. This just arrived as well.” He crossed the room and handed Mickey a wrapped box.

Mickey eyed the bright paper. “Thank you. You deserve a raise for the continuous stair climbing.”

“Buns of steel,” Fabrice said as he walked away.

Kylo and Mickey exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter. Fabrice always knew how to deliver a deadpan line. The chef was low-key hilarious.

“Open it.” Kylo bounced in his seat. He looked more than a little excited to see the gift.

Mickey tugged the ribbon loose before tearing into the paper.

He opened the flaps on the box and blinked at the contents.

His throat swelled. The emotional roller coaster continued.

He lifted out the LED mask. Each one was unique to each member of the crew.

He inspected it, turning on the lights. His had blue lights.

“Oh, wow. Those things are crazy advanced and stupidly expensive and time consuming to make. It’s like they made you part of the family. That’s… wow.”

Mickey pulled out the card inside and opened it.

You will always be one of us.

It was signed by all the guys.

Mickey’s eyes filled with tears. He had to look away. Mickey didn’t have a family. That was why it had cut him so deeply to leave behind Edge and his brothers. He had gotten so close to everyone, only to be shoved out the door.

Fabrice reappeared in the doorway.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. What now?” Mickey would cry if anything else happened.

Fabrice stepped aside. “You have a visitor.”

Edge stood in the doorway, looking unsure of his welcome. He wore the t-shirt with Mickey’s face on it. Gah. Mickey couldn’t take it.

Kylo waved. “Hi, Edge. Love the t-shirt.”

A sweet but unsure smile touched Edge’s lips. “Thanks. Mickey has one similar to it. If he hasn’t taken scissors to it yet, which would be totally fair.”

“Why is everyone in here?”

Fabrice looked slightly horrified at getting caught by Beau outside the kitchen. It was worse since he stood inside Beau’s bedroom, staring into Kylo’s playroom. “ Excusez .” He scrambled from the room.

Beau’s gaze followed him. “He’s the only one supposed to be in here, feeding Kylo.”

Mickey hid a smile. His emotions were all over the place.

Kylo popped to his feet. “You’re home.”

Beau strolled into the room, leaving Edge behind in the doorway. His hand appeared from behind his back. He held roses. “I brought you flowers to replace the ones you refuse to let the staff throw away, but I see someone beat me to it.”

“Don’t be silly. Those are Mickey’s.” He skipped across the room and met Beau halfway. The happiness of just seeing each other was beautiful to watch, especially since they had only been apart for a few hours.

Before Beau could ask anything about Mickey, thankfully, Kylo was in his arms, distracting him.

Mickey’s gaze slid Edge’s way.

Edge waited patiently, obviously determined to stay.

Beau’s gaze never wavered from Kylo. “You two should get lost. I won’t need you again today, Mickey.” He turned, holding Kylo’s hand as if to head to their bedroom. His gaze locked on Edge’s shirt. “Take tomorrow off, Mickey. You look like hell.”

Edge stepped out of the way, letting the pair pass.

Mickey stood and gathered his things. “Come on. We’ll head out through this other door and give them their privacy.”