Free Edge of Sanity: An Edge Novel by Shannon K. Butcher Page A

sitting here with two men who might want to kill her and a third dead and growing cold on the floor. To not know if some other armed killers might be closing in on her right now. To not know if she’d be smart enough to find a way to save her brother.
    She wanted to reach out for a bit of comfort from a woman she’d come to think of as a friend, but she didn’t dare. If Mira knew how bad things were, not only would she worry, she might try to do something stupid like track Clay down.
    If Clay could hurt Leigh, he could also hurt Mira.
    “We’re just trying to solve a puzzle. Really. Nothing to worry about.”
    “Which is why you’re calling me this early in the morning. I’m not an idiot, you know.”
    “Of course not. You’re brilliant and will save us with that wonderful mind of yours.”
    “That’s me. The chick with the brain cape.” Mira let out a frustrated sigh. “Call if you need anything else, okay?”
    “That reminds me. If I were to erase all the messages on my phone, could you get them back?”
    “Probably, unless it’s really fried and nothing was backed up. Did your phone break?”
    “Maybe. I’ll let you know.”
    A skeptical tone entered Mira’s voice. “I really wish you’d let me talk to Clay.”
    “You said he hasn’t been sleeping well. We need to let him rest.”
    “Yeah. You’re right. Have him call me as soon as he wakes up, okay?”
    “I will,” said Leigh, hoping her friend would forgive her for the lie. “Talk to you later.”
    Leigh collected both of the intruders’ phones, removed the batteries, and stored them with her things so she could take them to Mira later. She’d packed everything and set it by the door in case she needed to leave fast. The keys to both cars were in her pocket, along with another king-sized dose of tranquilizer.
    Now that her escape route was clear, she grabbed a chair from the kitchen and positioned it so she could see both the sleeping men and the exits. All that was left to do now was wait—for one of them to wake, for Payton to arrive, or for someone else to show up and try to kill them.
    Whatever happened, she was as ready for it as she would ever be. Which wasn’t saying much.
    Chapter Seven
     
    C lay fought to wake up. There was something important he needed to do—some threat he had to face. Someone needed him.
    His mind was sluggish, moving too slowly for the frantic urgings pounding at the back of his brain. His head throbbed as if someone had taken a hammer to it. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep where the pain couldn’t reach him, but there was a reason he couldn’t do that—he just couldn’t remember what it was.
    As he surfaced on another wave of consciousness, he realized his hands were bound behind his back.
    Rage sent a surge of adrenaline racing through him, giving him that last big push into wakefulness.
    He tried to stand before his eyes were fully open, but something caught and held him back. He heard the jingle of metal and a scraping sound.
    Handcuffs. He’d been cuffed to something.
    “Easy,” said a woman, her voice low and soothing but with more than a hint of fear. “You’re safe.”
    Clay knew that voice but couldn’t place it.
    He pried his dry eyes open, fighting whatever was weighing his lids down. As the initial burst of adrenaline wore off, sleep kept trying to suck him back in.
    A cool hand touched his neck. He jerked away from it, unsure of its intent.
    “Calm down, Clay,” said the woman again. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
    His mouth was parched, making speech too much of a chore to bother with it. He needed to save his energy for combat, though he couldn’t remember who he was supposed to fight.
    Maybe the woman?
    Finally, his heavy eyelids obeyed and he managed to peer through his lashes at her. Dark red hair, dark, concerned eyes.
    Leigh. He recognized her. She was the one he needed to protect.
    Details began trickling back. Men had come into the house. He’d fought one of