Razor's Edge by Shannon K. Butcher Page A

facility where she kept the journal. The man was well trained. He was also out of his mind and covered in needle tracks.”
    Payton paled and his voice shook as he asked, “Where is that man now?”
    â€œThe police took him in. I imagine he’s in a padded room by now, undergoing a psych evaluation. But he said ‘they’ wanted the secrets back. He may not have been alone.”
    â€œWhich is why I want Jake’s journal and letters locked up,” said Roxanne. “It may be the only proof we have that something bad is happening to him.”
    Payton folded his hands, and an eerie kind of calm settled over him. “You both look tired. Why don’t you get some sleep in one of the on-call rooms, and I’ll lock up the journal and make a few calls.”
    â€œTo whom?” she asked.
    â€œSloane’s father is a general in the army. I’ll speak to him and see if he can track down your friend. We’ll locate him and make sure there’s nothing to worry about.”
    Sloane was one of the best employees the Edge had. If her father was half as capable as she was, he was going to be a valuable asset. “And if there is?” Roxanne asked.
    â€œNo sense in borrowing trouble. Get some rest. I’m sure you’re exhausted after what you’ve been through.”
    â€œHow can I rest when Jake might be in trouble?”
    Payton stood, holding out his hand for the sack. “How can you help him if you can’t even stand up straight? Besides, do you have any idea where to even look for him?”
    â€œNo. Not yet.”
    â€œThen sleep. I’ll do some legwork, and we’ll figure out where to go from here.” He gave an expectant nod toward the bag she held. “May I?”
    What choice did she have? She didn’t have the same connections Payton did. And if he could use them to find Jake, she had to trust him enough to let him try.
    Roxanne handed him the sack, praying she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
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    Tanner followed Roxanne to the on-call rooms and saw her safely inside one before heading to the vacant one across the hall. He turned and nearly ran smack into the uncomfortable meeting he’d been avoiding since interviewing for a position at the Edge.
    Reid O’Connell, Tanner’s brother, stood with his hands fisted on his hips, his feet braced apart as if expecting a fight.
    Tanner wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
    He nodded in greeting. “Morning.”
    Reid shared the same blue eyes as all the O’Connell men. His head had been shaved a few days ago, showing the shadow of new growth. Only the long, thin scar bisecting his scalp over his left ear was left pale and glowing under the fluorescent lights—the scar Reid had earned protecting Tanner when they were kids.
    The two years that separated their ages had given Tanner a serious case of hero worship for his older brother when he was a kid, but now the gap was much wider. Dad and Brody were dead, and a river of grief stood between Tanner and Reid. They were the only two men left in the family, and it had been a long time since they’d seen eye to eye.
    â€œWhat are you doing here so early?” asked Reid.
    â€œDoing my job, like Bella asked. Why are you here?”
    â€œI have a ton of paperwork to do, but I’m leaving early for the picnic, so I’m making up the time now.”
    â€œPicnic?”
    Reid simply stared at him for a moment, as if he were slow. “Millie’s first birthday. Don’t tell me you—”
    â€œI didn’t forget,” lied Tanner.
    â€œYou’re going to be there.”
    While his older brother’s order didn’t sit well, Tanner ignored his irritation. Their youngest brother was dead. Their sister-in-law had her hands full with two small children—one with serious health problems. Millie was turning one year old today, and Tanner was going to be