Lethal Lies
Chelsea Logan never gets the chance to file the story that would have shocked the blue-collar town of Serenity, Maine, to its core. Her death is ruled a suicide, but her cousin Faith Pelletier knows Chelsea better than that.Faith returns to their hometown and begins to ask questions–questions that no one wants to answer. And it's not long before she uncovers some nasty little truths about life in this fading mill town.As Faith closes in on a web of drugs and violence, she is forced to turn to police chief Ty Savage for information. After all these years he still gets under her skin, but should she trust him? As the circle of deceit draws ever tighter, Faith must outwit a faceless enemy who will stop at nothing to have her silenced.
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Trusting the man she loves could cost her her life
Putting her faith in someone who lies for a living isnât the safest thing Dr. Jillian Mahoney has ever done. But to stay alive, she has to believe the undercover agentâwhoâs kidnapped her to prove his innocenceâisnât a traitor to the FBI. And to help him, she must deny their intense attraction as they run from two vengeful killers.
Her captor, Alex Malcom, has lived a life of liesâsome worse than others. Still, thereâs one truth heâs reluctant to disclose to Jillian, the woman of his dreams. One that could stop their relationship cold.
Her fingers were gentle when she pressed around his stitches. Then she placed her other hand flush against the center of his chest, and he stopped worrying about his shoulder.
He closed his eyes, enjoying the comforting weight of her palm above his heart. Could she feel it beating, the way it sped up when she was near? Did hers do the same?
Her hand slipped away as she leaned back. Alex opened his eyes to find her watching him, and the naked yearning on her face nearly stole his breath.
âWell?â he croaked.
âI do believe youâll live to fight another day,â she said, her own voice deep and sensuous.
âGlad to hear it.â
âMe, too,â she whispered.
âYou know, Doc, I just noticed something.â
âWhatâs that?â
âYouâre a bit overdressed for this party.â
She cocked her head, considering him for a long moment. âYou know what? I do believe youâre right.â She stood and peeled off her shirt, dropping it to the floor to join his own.
As a native Texan, I have an ingrained fear of snow. Growing up, it was never a part of our regular winter weather, so when I moved to the DC area for graduate school, I packed a ridiculous number of coats and jackets in preparation for the coming cold.
My first real winter was an eye-opener. True to my roots, I abandoned the lab as soon as I saw flakes falling from the sky. There were many days I walked into work (yes, in the snow, uphill both ways!) because I was too scared to drive. And letâs not forget my lack of a windshield ice scraper, which meant I had to use a credit card (something I do not recommend). Nevertheless, I survived, mainly because of the kindness of my friends. They had all grown up in states that celebrated winter, so they taught me a lot of the tricks of the trade. Iâve since made my peace with snow, although weâll never really be friends.
When I started this book, I knew Alex and Jillian were going to face a lot of difficulties. His cover has been blown, sheâs been kidnapped, and a murderous gang is after them both. How could things get any worse? You guessed itâsnow.
So grab a warm beverage and make yourself comfortable. I hope you enjoy reading their adventures as much as I enjoyed writing them!
Lara
Lara Lacombe
I earned my PhD in microbiology and immunology and worked in several labs across the country before moving into the classroom. My day job as a college science professor gives me time to pursue my other loveâwriting fast-paced romantic suspense, with smart, nerdy heroines and dangerously attractive heroes. I love to hear from readers! Find me on the web, or contact me at [email protected].
This one is for Adam, with love.
Thanks as always to Jessica Alvarez
and Rachel Burkot.
Contents
âThe National Weather Service has issued a severe winter storm warning for the DC metro and surrounding areas...â
âYou should get going.â
Dr. Jillian Mahoney glanced up from the computer screen and blinked. Her friend Carla stood in front of her, wearing neon-green scrubs that were bright enough to land planes at Dulles airport. It was a color Jillian could never wear, thanks to her Casper-the-Ghost-like coloring, but it looked good against Carlaâs café-au-lait complexion.
âYouâre very green today,â she observed, turning back to the computer screen.
âI was feeling festive this morning,â Carla replied dryly.
âChristmas is still over a week away. Besides, Iâm pretty sure neon is not a holiday color.â
âIt is in my book.â Carla leaned across the desk, casting a shadow over the keyboard. âIâm serious, Jilly. You need to get out of here before the storm hits. Weâre supposed to get twelve inches of snow. Thatâs a foot.â She held her hands out in an exaggerated approximation of distance, her expression earnest.
âI know,â Jillian said, typing faster. âI just need to finish up these charts.â
âGot enough food to last you a couple of days?â
Jillian huffed out a breath. âFor Godâs sake, Carla, itâs just a bit of snow. Itâs not the end of the world or anything.â
Her friend cocked an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes in a gimlet stare. It was an expression Jillian had seen before, one used to great effect with uncooperative patients or egotistical doctors. Sheâd never had it directed at her, though, and she ducked her head, feeling chastened.
