Page 23 of Over the Edge

She closed her eyes, still clutching the coin. “I’d wake up late. No alarm. I’d wear clothes that feel good, not ones picked to create an impression. I’d eat whatever I wanted without worrying about maintaining a cover identity’s diet preferences.” She opened her eyes, looking almost embarrassed. “It sounds pathetic when I say it out loud.”

“Doesn’t sound pathetic to me.” I moved beside her, close enough to feel her warmth but not touching. “Sounds human.”

She flipped the coin again, letting it dance across her knuckles. A small, impressive trick that revealed more training than she probably intended to show.

“I’m not supposed to be human in this job, Shepherd. I’m supposed to be whatever they need me to be.”

I watched her face as she said it—the way her guard dropped for a second, revealing something honest and hungry underneath. It wasn’t Elisa talking now. This was all Lyric.

“So take it,” I said.

Her eyes snapped to mine. “What?”

“Take your day. Right here, right now.” I gestured to the ancient stone around us, the sprawling blue horizon. “Nobody’s watching. No targets, no mission parameters. Just you and me and whatever the hell you want to do with the next few hours.”

She studied me as if I were a puzzle with missing pieces. “We have three days to find the drones before the auction, and Moreau could move them at any time. I don’t have the luxury?—”

“There’s always a reason not to,” I cut in. “Always another mission, another target. Another excuse to keep the armor on.” I touched her hand where she still held that coin. “But you know what happens if you never take it off? It starts to rust shut.”

She didn’t pull away. “Speaking from experience?”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “Or maybe I just want you to drop the armor so I can get you naked.”

A laugh escaped her—startled, genuine. The sound caught her by surprise, her eyes widening slightly like she’d discovered something long-lost.

“There it is,” I said softly. “Your real laugh.”

She stared at me for a long moment, then flipped the coin into the fountain without looking. The splash was barely audible. “You’re dangerous, Flynn Shepherd.”

“So I’ve been told.”

She turned back to the view, but something had shifted. The rigid line of her shoulders softened, and when she exhaled, it felt like she was releasing more than air.

“Four hours,” she said finally. “That’s all I can spare.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

Her gaze met mine, still guarded. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“We’re in Monaco, princess. What do you want to do?”

She seemed startled by the question, as if no one had asked her that in years. Maybe they hadn’t.

“I want to see the aquarium,” she said finally.

I grinned and gallantly held out an arm. “Your wish is my command.”

CHAPTER7

FLYNN

The Musée Océanographique de Monacoperched on the very edge of a cliff face, rising from the rock like a palace built for Neptune himself. Inside, the air was cool and blue-tinted, the murmur of tourists fading behind us as we wandered deeper into the labyrinth of tanks.

“You know, of all the things I expected you to choose, this wasn’t on the list,” I said, watching her profile as she stared, transfixed, at a tank of jellyfish pulsing pink and blue against the dark water.

“What did you expect? Shopping? Gambling?” She didn’t look at me, but her lips curved slightly. “That’s what Elisa would choose.”

I moved closer, drawn to the way the aquarium light played across her face. “And what makes Lyric choose jellyfish?”

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