Unmistakable: Razor's Edge - Book Two Read online

  Praise for Andrea Hurtt

  “COLORFUL, DESCRIPTIVE, FASCINATINGLY PROVOCATIVE… Andrea Hurtt’s Masquerade, is a WONDERFUL story about relationships and consequences. Just when you think you know what happens next, you realize THAT YOU DON’T! Not by a long shot, because that’s what deception is… a mind trick that lets you think you’ve got it all figured out. At least until everything unravels. This is a FANTASTIC first novel and I can’t wait to see what stories Andrea Hurtt weaves next.”

  Deb White- Staff Writer for Nerds and Beyond

  “Maquerade keeps you intrigued from the very first sentence. The writing is so descriptive I felt like I was right there, and when it ended I felt like I lived it! I eagerly await Andrea’s next book!”

  Dorothy Chamberlain

  “A thrilling tale that pulls you into Grace’s world. The passion, fear and blame that Andrea takes you through on this journey are so real that I found myself biting my nails through the last chapters. I can’t wait to read more of her books.”

  Linda Stecker

  “For the bibliophile who is looking for their next addiction, you have uncovered the secret of Andrea Hurtt’s ‘Maquerade’! This stand-out novel weaves a suspenseful tale of love, deceit, and the necessity of discovering ones own strength and self worth. Her mastery of the pen and attention to detail is a fresh infusion of talent to the literary world and I cannot wait for the next edition!”

  Rianna Melton

  Unmistakable

  Razor’s Edge Book Two

  Andrea Hurtt

  Piece Of Pie Publishing

  Copyright © 2020 by Andrea Hurtt

  Excerpt from Undone copyright © 2019 by Andrea Hurtt

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Piece Of Pie Publishing

  11923 NE Sumner ST Ste 826515

  Portland, OR 97220-9601

  Cover by: MGDesigns

  Editor: C.A. Szarek

  To my family -

  Thank you for standing by me as I leapt into this crazy adventure.

  To my friends -

  Your support means so much more to me than you will ever know.

  To Linda -

  Thank you for giving me the “Hope” I needed to move forward with my dreams.

  To BSB -

  I couldn’t ask for a bette group of guys for my inspiration!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Also by Andrea Hurtt

  Sneak Peek

  Undone

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  It had been months since she’d heard from her best friend, Grace. Unfortunately, this was nothing new. Hope’s dearest friend didn’t reach out to her for months at a time.

  Oh, the life of being an actor.

  Not Hope.

  She had a plain, boring, average office job.

  Then the phone rang. She missed the call, but her phone dinged, alerting her to a voicemail.

  Her heart skipped when she heard Grace’s voice. “Hope! My theater troupe’s doing a show in Spokane. I’ll leave comp tickets at the Will-Call for you, if you can come.”

  A week later, she stood outside the back entrance of the theater, since they had a tradition after every show.

  Some of the main cast would walk out to sign programs, and her friend would be out there.

  Grace was so busy talking to an older gentleman that she jumped when Hope shoved a bouquet of daisies under her nose.

  “I know you don’t like flowers,” she said. “But daisies have always been some you could enjoy.” Her bestie lifted her gaze from the flowers and locked eyes with Hope.

  They crushed the poor flowers when they embraced.

  There were a few cast members that hadn't left yet, so Grace introduced her. She met Charles, who played Louis, the lead opposite Grace’s role.

  Despite that, he was shorter than her friend, the guy had a presence about him. His charisma was overwhelming.

  Charles had dirty blonde hair that liked to stick out in every direction and intense brown eyes.

  “Since Spokane is two-and-a-half hours away, I’ve got a room at a hotel close by. It has a nice bar in the lobby. Would you like to walk over to have a drink?” Hope asked. She didn’t want to waste precious time with Grace standing outside the theater chatting.

  “We’ve got one more show to do in town tomorrow night, so I’ve got to keep things short, but I would love to.”

  They ordered drinks, Hope a cocktail, and Grace ordered a soda.

  “Since when do you miss out on a chance to have a libation?” she teased.

  “During showtimes, I don’t partake at all. Not until the show ends.”

  Hope forced a smile, sipping her rum and coke. It was obvious Grace was doing nothing but the theater with her life lately. She missed her so much.

  “What’s been happening in the good old South-West Wash? Anything changed in your life?” her friend asked.

  Although the two of them had been apart for a few years, Hope would always consider Grace her best friend.

  “I started a new job a few weeks ago. It’s going well…”

  After two drinks, Grace said she needed to head back to her own hotel.

  The company had to be up early; they had a TV interview for the local news station.

  Sadness swirled around in Hope’s tummy. She didn’t want to say goodbye already. They hadn't seen each other for so long and she feared it would be another long stretch. They hugged again and said their goodbyes.

  It was another four weeks before there was any correspondence with her dear friend. She’d hoped that the little time they’d spent in Spokane would help keep them in touch.

  When she heard nothing from Grace, she started getting worried. Hope reached out first with a quick email. Using her friend's childhood nickname, it encouraged her she’d hear back.

  Hey Elvis,

  I know you've been busy lately; I read online about you and the success of the show. But would it hurt to send a quick text message every once in a while, just to say hello?

  The last time I saw you just wasn’t long enough for us to rekindle our friendship. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m planning on coming to your final two shows in L.A. I got things at work all figured out, so I could take the time off. I’ve already got my airline ticket, but I don’t have a hotel booked. I’d like to stay somewhere close to you. Do you know what hotel the troupe is staying at? The sooner
I find out the better, so I can get a room reserved before they’re all gone. It is in two weeks, after all.

  I ‘hope’ to hear from you soon!

  Hope

  She finally got a response about a week later. Sort of.

  Hope stepped into the kitchen to grab a soda, and her phone rang. She couldn’t get to it fast enough. The missed call told her it’d been Grace. She set her soda on the table and promptly called her friend back.

  “Hewwo,” the voice on the other line said.

  “Gracie? Are you okay?”

  “I’b gob a moub foo o reefe’f.”

  Her friend had candy in her mouth. Reese’s to be exact.

  When they’d done their first and only play together, they’d developed a need to have Reese’s Pieces at every rehearsal and performance.

  They should’ve gained three hundred pounds from all the candy they’d eaten.

  “Ahh. That makes sense. Well, I won't keep you long. I just wanted to make sure you got my email; I haven’t heard from you in a while.” Hope heard her friend swallow.

  “I called you to let you know I hadn’t checked emails lately, and just found yours. But then it went to voicemail.”

  Hope giggled, and she couldn’t stop. “We did it again,” she said. “Calling each other at the same time, like we used to.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing I took a moment to shove some candy in my mouth. And you don’t have to keep it short. I’m sitting in the room all alone. Everyone else took off to go hit the slots.”

  They spent the next two hours talking. Hope’s sides hurt from laughing so hard. They reminisced about the fun times they had, and the actors they’d had crushes on when they were teens, and a few they still did as adults.

  They talked as if they’d never been apart.

  Hope hated to let her friend go, but they both needed to get sleep. After she hung up, she felt so much better. She needed to book a room at Grace’s hotel for her upcoming trip.

  A week later, her bestie called again.

  “I totally forgot to tell you about the benefit ball! It’s raising money for the theater. It’s a masquerade, can you believe it? So you’ll need to bring a ball gown and find a mask.”

  Hope had never had a reason to wear something so fancy and spent the remaining time before her trip to L.A. frantically looking for the right one.

  When she finally stood outside the door to her friend’s hotel room and saw what Grace was wearing, she felt like her dress choice had been spot on.

  Grace’s midnight blue dress fell to the floor, hiding her beautiful silver strappy heels.

  Hope pulled her gown from the huge garment bag and her bestie gasped at the burgundy piece of art.

  “Wow! That’s stunning! And your ringlets are fitting! Chocolate brown, compliments the color of the gown! Dear Hope, you remind me of a character from my all-time favorite movie.”

  They grabbed their masks from the desk in the bedroom and assisted the other to get the elastic over their heads without damaging their hair.

  Hope had a burgundy mask with gold trim around the edging and glitter sprinkled across it.

  Her friend mask was silver with matching trim around the edges and glitter filigree around the eyes. In the center was a diamond-shaped midnight-blue stone that held two matching blue ostrich feathers in place.

  “Are you ready for this?” Grace asked. She grabbed Hope’s hand and gave a gentle squeeze of reassurance, although she was terrified. She didn’t do crowds or fancy events.

  The elevator seemed to take forever to get them down just a few floors.

  Hope smiled. “I think I should ask you that. You look a little nervous. It’s just like walking out on stage. If you need to be someone else tonight, that’s okay, too.”

  “I’m good. Let’s do this!”

  The ballroom of the grand hotel was filled with women elegantly dressed in floor-length gowns, and men in stunning black tuxedos.

  The décor was fascinating. It was as if they’d drenched the room in glitter.

  A masked man came toward Grace and Hope.

  “That’s John, he plays my father in the musical.” Grace pointed out.

  Behind his mask, Hope saw a headful of shocking white hair, sticking in every direction. He reached for her friend’s hand and Grace accepted it. “Ah, my beautiful daughter,” John said. “And who is this divine creature you have here?”

  “I’d like you to meet my childhood friend, Hope. Actually, we met doing a small community play together.”

  “Oh? Another actress in my presence?”

  “No, not me,” Hope said. “I’m content to be behind the scenes or in a seat.”

  John took her hand to graze her knuckles with a kiss. “Pity. You’re as breathtaking as any diva I’ve ever seen on stage.”

  Hope felt the deep blush, sure it was visible through her mask. She’d never been good at taking a compliment.

  “If you’ll please excuse me,” John said. “It’s time for a drink.”

  “Should we go get something as well?” Hope asked after the older actor had left them.

  Grace smiled at her. “If you’d like a drink, I’ll go over there with you, but I can’t have one for another forty-eight hours. I’ve been alcohol-free for almost five months. No drinking while doing shows. But Sunday, after the last show, hell yeah.”

  “Oh, right. I forgot.”

  “Please, have one! I insist. At least one of us should enjoy all the free liquor.”

  Hope sipped at her glass of champagne, glancing over at her friend. She watched Grace’s face visibly pale, and she looked around for the cause.

  Charles, her bestie’s co-star, was headed their way.

  He wasn’t alone.

  Two other masked men trailed behind him.

  “Gracie, I want you to meet my brother, Nick, and his friend, Blaze,” the man barked, not bothering to look her way.

  Hope glanced at the brother.

  Wow, he’s tall. At least six feet.

  At barely five feet and four inches, everyone was tall to her, though.

  “You must be Grace. Charles has spoken of you often, and with such affection.” The man’s voice was soft, kind.

  Hope’s tummy flip-flopped. She could listen to him talk all night. So sexy.

  He extended his hand to her best friend, and she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

  “May I have this dance?” Nick asked.

  Charles stepped in between them. “No.” His voice was sharp. “You’re up for auction. You can’t dance with anyone until then.”

  Grace’s features twinged, her brows furrowed slightly, and her cheeks heating red at the tone in her co-star’s voice. No one else would’ve seen, it was so slight.

  She knew her best friend well enough to know that hit a nerve.

  Grace’s response was sweet, like butter. “My apologies, but I must decline. I am up for auction, if you still want that dance. All the proceeds will help the children’s theater.”

  Nick smiled again at Grace, sending jealous butterflies through Hope’s abdomen.

  “Well, then. See you at the auction,” he said.

  “If you’ll please excuse me.”

  Before they moved, Hope didn’t miss her best friend glancing at the other man.

  He had black hair, and the mask he wore was black with blood-red trim.

  Her eyes kept returning to the tall blond man.

  Grace touched her arm, and she almost jumped.

  “Let’s move over that way. I should learn more about the auction, and I need to find out where you can be so you aren’t standing alone while I go up there.”

  Hope laughed. “I’m a big girl; I can take care of myself.”

  Her best friend nodded and headed off with the other women.

  Chapter 2

  Hope was left standing with Charles’ brother and his friend, and despite what she’d told Grace, nerves made her fidget next to the two men.

  Grace’s costar had sa
id their names were Nick and Blaze.

  Her bestie was the outgoing one, not her. She wanted to say something but, what?

  She couldn’t take her eyes off Charles’ brother during their introduction.

  His blond hair was a mess. It was smooth on the sides and back, but the front and top looked sculpted, yet disheveled.

  Hope couldn’t see his eyes, but he carried himself with dignity and power.

  He wasn’t strutting like a peacock but definitely had confidence. She’d hoped to run into him again, and now she stood so close, yet so far.

  Why can’t I speak to him?

  What would I say?

  She watched in silence when all the girls went up to be auctioned off. Hope was relieved she’d never have to do that.

  When they called Grace on stage, the tattooed guy beside her gestured.

  “That’s your friend, right?” he asked.

  Hope nodded.

  “Things are gonna get ugly now. Hold on tight.”

  Hope cocked her head to one side, then really looked at him. Behind his mask, his eyes were so brown they looked black. The depth of his eyes was what she noticed most.

  A girl could get lost in his eyes. With the mask on, she couldn’t see his face, but she was curious. Hope understood why her bestie couldn’t stop looking at him. He wasn’t her type, though.

  What is my type?

  The auction had started, and her attention was drawn away from Blaze and her internal thoughts.