Razor's Edge by Shannon K. Butcher Read Free Book Online Page A

Kurt had me followed by two of his friends a few weeks ago.”
    â€œSo you’re saying Kurt is connected? You need to give his name to the cops.”
    â€œNo, that’s not what I’m saying. I knew the two guys Kurt had tailing me right after we broke up were his friends. I recognized them. When I saw the skinny guy, I made an assumption that he was doing it again. I was wrong.”
    â€œWhat if you’re wrong about the coincidence part? What if the skinny guy is the one who did this?”
    â€œThen it’s no different than a stranger doing it, because I don’t know who the skinny guy is. Neither does Kurt. I always knew when he was lying, and he wasn’t this time.”
    â€œSo, the fact that your house was broken into—twice—and you have a guy following you—again—doesn’t bother you at all?”
    â€œOf course it does. I’m just not sure that one thing has anything to do with the other. Neither am I convinced that the skinny guy had some nefarious purpose. He might have just thought I was hot. It does happen.”
    Tanner’s eyes darkened as they slid down her body and back up. “I definitely believe that.”
    Something inside Roxanne relaxed and heated under his gaze. She didn’t normally think about the men she worked with as anything more than friends, but if Tanner kept looking at her like that, she was going to start. And that was a supremely bad idea.
    She took a long step back and headed to her car. “I need to change.”
    â€œChange the subject, you mean.”
    â€œThat, too. Stay if you want to stay. Go if you want to go. Either way, any discussion about my private life is now officially over.”
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    Jordyn Stynger could barely stand. Her head pounded with the remnants of her punishment, but she had to block it out. There was no time to waste giving in to the pain.
    At least it was mostly over now. The throbbing ache was nothing compared to what she’d suffered for the last three days.
    She shoved the memory from her mind and forced her shaking hands to work long enough to get the car started.
    Deactivating three layers of security had taken time, and she didn’t have much before her mother would realize she was gone. If she couldn’t get to town and back before that happened, she was going to spend a lot more than three days in the white room next time.
    The idea of it made the bile rise in her throat and her hands shake even harder. A wave of dizziness swept through her, and she gripped the steering wheel tight, praying she could keep the car on the private road. If it came back all dented up, her mother would figure out what Jordyn had done.
    A woman’s life was at stake. Jordyn couldn’t afford even a small mistake right now.
    Heedless of the breakneck speed, she raced to the nearest town and parked in front of the tiny library. It had once been a house, but had been converted in the sixties. Several bikes were propped against the wall, reminding her that school was out for the summer.
    Jordyn had heard that most children were allowed summer break, but having been educated by her mother, she had had no such thing as a vacation. Norma Stynger was all about discipline—a fact Jordyn would have a hard time forgetting for many weeks to come.
    She wrenched the door open, feeling her muscles twinge with the motion. She hadn’t moved much in three days, and it was going to be a while before her body forgave her for it.
    Cool air poured over her face, and, until now, she hadn’t realized she’d forgotten to turn on the air-conditioning in the car. She’d been so focused on getting here, she hadn’t noticed the growing heat inside the vehicle.
    The smell of old books and coffee hit her, making her stomach heave dangerously. She came to a rocking stop, swallowing hard to keep herself from vomiting.
    â€œCan I help you, ma’am?” came a concerned voice from