Free Razor Edge: Razor Trilogy Three (Razor Thriller Romance Novella Book 3) by Nadine Doolittle Page A

wasn’t looking at them or me. He was watching the space where his
brother had been alive and talking only seconds before.
    “Did someone fall?”
    “Was it an accident?”
    “Sir, did somebody jump?”
    Oh my
god, oh my god, Joel jumped. He’s dead. He’s dead.
    The air was a flurry of phone calls. Cell
phones, smart phones pulled out of pockets to call 911. The paramedics would be
here soon but it was too late.
    “Why did he do it?” Somebody was asking me.
“Why did he do it?”
    I lifted my face to the night sky. It was
ironic that Joel who was so terrified of open space, of life beyond his
apartment, had chosen to end it all in the vast open space of San Francisco Bay.
    Daniel’s face closed. He turned away from
me and the crowd who had gathered at the edge of the railing. A bystander
helped me to my feet as I watched him walk back along the bridge, retreating
into the fog.
    Daniel Razor was going to look for his
brother’s body and he didn’t need me for that. He didn’t need me at all
anymore.

 
 

chapter nine
    ♫

 
    ANASTASIA IS late for our meeting in
Chinatown. She answered my text, saying she would be here on time but I should’ve
known she’d find some way of screwing with me. She still believes she’s driving
this train.
    Contacting her was Phil’s idea. As Carsten Pullman once told me, when you have something on a
person, you keep that person safe so you can use her or him over and over again.
I knew the truth about Anastasia and Daniel didn’t. Play one against the other.
    It turns out the Redman Foundation is a big
supporter of Torsten Hedstrom’s symphony orchestra which is based in Geneva. Torsten is a famous conductor who also happens to act as an advisor on the board of the
Geneva Conservatory. Anastasia agreed to place a call to the board director on
my behalf. Consequently, they invited me to join the summer session beginning
in two weeks—the master class. Naturally, all fees would be paid in advance.
Anastasia is meeting me to hand over a first class plane ticket to Switzerland,
a clean platinum credit card and an envelope of cash. In return, she gets to
keep Daniel Razor.
    She can have him. They deserve each other.
    I tell myself I have no choice—I had to
resort to extortion to get what I wanted. It’s for the violin, the music, my
future and I have a baby to think about. I tell myself they turned me into this
person. It helps to have someone to blame. I numb myself with a lot of
half-truths about what I’m doing so I can get on that plane without feeling
anything for him.
    I’m not sure if it’s working. My heart
still cracks in my chest when I think of the look in his eyes on the bridge
even though it’s been over a month. And then I remember that Daniel Razor, this
man that I can’t stop thinking about— chose
her over me. She tried to kill me and he knew all about it. I can never
trust him and I can never forgive him.
    And then I’m glad again that I called
Anastasia and brokered a deal.
    Just before all this came about, at our
last recital, the quartet voted to give me a solo. A pity solo, I’d said and
Myles agreed. At first I chose Joel’s adagio but at the last minute I picked a
piece that was all mine—that said everything I wanted to say to Daniel but
couldn’t.
    I played Tomaso Antonio Vitali’s Chaconne
for Violin . Nine minutes. A tour de force performance. After I’d finished, I raced offstage and broke down crying in the green room.
Myles came in with Susan and Phil. He stood in the doorway and applauded.
    I had finally accepted the cross.
    So here I am and here she comes, walking
toward me. Daniel’s fiancée has a sweet smile on her pretty face and a fat
envelope in her hand.
    I did it for the music. Just remember that,
Daniel. You knew what I was like from the beginning. I am just like you.

 
    *

 
    CHARLOTTE HAS her violin case in her left hand.
I can see her up ahead, standing in line at the main gate, waiting to board