Razor's Edge

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

“Exerts much the same appeal as Christine Feehan's Carpathian series, what with tortured heroes, the necessity of finding love or facing a fate worse than death, hot lovemaking, and danger-filled adventure.”

—
Booklist

 

“A terrific grim thriller with the romantic subplot playing a strong supporting role. The cast is powerful as the audience will feel every emotion that Andra feels, from fear for her sister to fear for her falling in love.
Finding the Lost
is a dark tale as Shannon K. Butcher paints a forbidding, gloomy landscape in which an ancient war between humanity's guardians and their nasty adversaries heats up in Nebraska.”

—Alternative Worlds

 

“A very entertaining read . . . the ending was a great cliffhanger, and I can't wait to read the next book in this series . . . a fast-paced story with great action scenes and lots of hot romance.”

—The Book Lush

 

“Butcher's paranormal reality is dark and gritty in this second Sentinel Wars installment. What makes this story so gripping is the seamlessly delivered hard-hitting action and wrenching emotions. Butcher is a major talent in the making.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“Starts off with nonstop action. Readers will race through the pages, only to reread the entire novel to capture every little detail . . . a promising start for a new voice in urban fantasy/ paranormal romance. I look forward to the next installment.”

—A Romance Review (5 roses)

 

“This first book of the Sentinel Wars whets your appetite for the rest of the books in the series. Ms. Butcher is carving her way onto the bestseller lists with this phenomenal nonstop ride that will have you preordering the second book the minute you put this one down.”

—
Affaire de Coeur
(5 stars)

 

“Absorbing . . . Butcher skillfully balances erotic, tender interactions with Helen's worries, and intriguing secondary characters further enhance the unusual premise. Fans of Butcher's romantic suspense novels will enjoy her turn toward the paranormal.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“Ms. Butcher offers fresh and delightfully creative elements in this paranormal romance, keeping readers engaged as the story unfolds.
Burning Alive
is a well-crafted beginning to this exciting new series, and will have fans of the genre coming back for the next adventure in the Sentinel Wars.”

—Darque Reviews

 

“An exciting romantic urban fantasy.... Shannon K. Butcher adds her trademark suspense with plenty of tension and danger to the mix of a terrific paranormal thriller.”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“
Burning Alive
is Shannon Butcher's first foray into paranormal romance and what a doozy it is! Filled with sizzling love scenes, great storytelling, and action galore, fans of paranormal romance will rejoice to have Ms. Butcher finally join the genre!”

—ParaNormal Romance

 

“A different twist on the paranormal genre. . . . Overall, Shannon K. Butcher has done a good job with
Burning Alive
, and I will definitely be reading the next in the series.”

—Fallen Angel Reviews

NOVELS OF THE SENTINEL WARS

 

 

 

THE EDGE NOVELS

 

SIGNET ECLIPSE

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First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

First Printing, November 2011

ISBN : 978-1-101-55878-2

Copyright © Shannon K. Butcher, 2011 All rights reserved

SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

 

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

 

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated..

I am blessed to have many people in my life to thank. I have a family, who is supportive of my work, even when it means they have to fend for their own food and clean underwear. I have good friends who help me keep my sanity and forget work by playing with little bits of colored glass, thread, and paper. I have beta readers who lovingly point out my endless mistakes and listen to me ramble about stories for hours on end. And I have readers who cheer me on and make me feel like a rock star. All of you touch my life and make it a sweeter place. I couldn't do this job without you. Thank you.

C
atching a thief was easy. Catching a thief in the act was more of a challenge—one that made Roxanne Haught's skin sizzle with eager anticipation.

The lavish retirement party was her idea, despite the fact she'd never met the guest of honor. It was the perfect trap, complete with juicy bait her target would be unable to resist.

She mingled among the well-dressed partygoers, smiling and making small talk as she passed from one cluster of people to the next, waiting for the right time to strike.

Her client, Mr. Chord, had graciously opened his home for his friend's party—something the middle-aged reclusive genius had never done before. Because of that, dozens of people had come here tonight, curious to get a peek into the executive's estate.

Roxanne cared little about the details of the hand-carved woodwork or the intricacies of the mosaic tile floor inlaid with semiprecious stone, which seemed to delight many of the people here. She'd seen it all before. She was more interested in the number of exits on each floor and the location of the information she'd been hired to guard.

The stage was set. The party was in full swing. Mr. Chord had made sure his newest employee, the unlikely named Mary Smith, knew that the plans for Chord Industries' latest invention were being kept safe on his hard drive at home, away from any possible thieves at the office. That machine had no Internet or network connection, making hacking it from a remote location impossible. No copies were being stored elsewhere, not since the last fiasco. If someone wanted that information, the only way to get it was by breaking into his home office.

He was being extra careful this time. Too bad for Mary Smith her boss suspected her of the theft and had hired Roxanne to catch her in the act.

The Kevlar designed into the bodice of Roxanne's beaded evening gown gave her little comfort. Mary looked more like the kind of woman who would prefer knives—up close, personal, and silent.

She was a small, innocent-looking woman. She had delicate, softly rounded features, like a porcelain doll. Her bright, cherry red hair was styled in an old-fashioned manner that reminded Roxanne of glamorous actresses from the 1940s. Her dress matched her flamboyant hair color and skimmed the kind of curves that made men forget their own names. If it weren't for the fact that her boss was a freaking genius, Mary probably would have continued to get away with stealing his intellectual property.

But Mr. Chord
was
a genius, and, after a bit of surveillance, Roxanne was sure he was right. Mary Smith was a thief.

Roxanne stood on the grand staircase leading to the second floor where several people mingled, both here and on the balcony above. She watched Mary laugh at something Mr. Chord said, placing her delicate hand on his chest while she batted her fake eyelashes. The redhead stared up at him in rapt attention, hanging on his every word. Her hands were quick, but Roxanne was watching carefully, expecting the woman to make a move.

Mary didn't disappoint. With a quick, graceful motion, she swiped Mr. Chord's key card from his breast pocket, palming it until it was safely in her red beaded evening bag.