Excerpt: Lie with Me by Stephanie Tyler

Posted October 18, 2010 by Casee in Promotions | 1 Comment

Suddenly Cam was opening the driver’s-side door, telling her, “Move over. I’ll take it from here.”

Sky was all too grateful and ready to give up the driver’s seat. As she scrambled over the console in between the seats, Cam shoved his way in, shut the door and began to maneuver the vehicle onto the right side of the road.

He was going back the way they came.

She was going to hyperventilate.

They didn’t stop, drove until dawn along back roads, where a car riddled with bullet holes wouldn’t call attention to itself.

Finally, she spoke, staring straight ahead, her words coming out softly. “We could’ve avoided him. Just kept driving. He wouldn’t have caught up to us.”

“Maybe not him, but someone else would’ve.”

She was shaking–fear and anger and cold all balled up inside until an unwelcome sob racked her body, escaped despite her clenched teeth. “You made me kill him.”

Cam eased the car onto a service road, slowed down enough to turn his head and tell her, “I killed him. Me. I held the wheel, put my foot on the gas. You had no choice in the matter. Remember that.”

“Let me out of the damned car.”

His refusal was silent, save for the grinding of the gears as he pushed the truck faster.

Soon the car was moving along the snowy road at a sickeningly fast pace, given the snow. The truck simmied, and that, combined with everything else, made her want to throw up. And then run. Maybe not in that order.

She leaned forward, dizzy.

“Put your head between your knees,” he ordered, reached his hand around and pushed on the back of her neck until she did so, “Now, breathe.”

She did, until she got her equilibruim back. For a few seconds, Cam’s strong fingers were gently rubbing the tender skin–he’d suckled back there the other night and she’d been amazed at how sensitive the flesh was.

Suddenly, as if he’d realized what he was doing, he stopped. Slowly, she sat up and then took the water bottle he offered.

And then he was talking, more to himself than to her, she thought. “How the hell did they find us? I checked this car for tracking devices.”

She fumbled for her phone. “I’m calling the CIA, telling them what’s happening, who I am.”

He put a hand over hers, “No, you’re not.”

“Then you’ll call. My father has to be in big trouble–hurt, unable to get to me. He’d never let things go this far otherwise. We need help, Cam.

Cam didn’t answer her, continued to drive along the service road, and for the next half an hour there was total silence between them.

She continued to check the side mirrors to make sure no one was following them, fully aware that she knew Cam was doing the same.

And then suddenly, he began to speak, and her world turned upside down.

“I don’t know who those men are, or why they want you. I only know that three nights ago, your father sent men to try to kill me, and I came looking for you in order to ensure that never happened again.”