Trust Me Series by Amy Romine Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Serenity
Lost
Trust
Me Book 1
by
Amy Romine
Genre:
Romantic Suspense
Their
brief heated meeting one fateful night had singed itself into their
minds. Not knowing of the other's identity, but unable to forget, had
sealed their fate. The fire smoldered quietly in each of them as they
tried to move on with their lives.
Eric
Stiles was in the middle of chaos, searching for a killer.
Hunted
by an obsessed psychopath, Rebecca Gailen was trying to be
strong.
The
world stopped for a moment as they looked up and saw the other
standing just feet away.
His
heart lurched, her armor shattered and the world started again as
Eric's brother, Charlie, appeared to take her hand.
Family
loyalty isn't a choice. When Rebecca's stalker rages out of control,
Eric's decision haunts him and he struggles to stay away. Can he
remain loyal to his brother, even if it means abandoning Rebecca when
she may need him the most?
**On
Sale for only $1.99 at eXtasy Books HERE!!**
Eric
managed to get a few hours sleep in the cage before he was needed
back in the bullpen. He was finding it more and more difficult to
push her out of his mind. He went to get some coffee. “Stiles,” Lug said, breaking through
his churning thoughts. “Hey, what’s up?” he replied as he
grabbed is full cup of coffee. “Trace on the box of blood came back,”
Lug said. Eric walked to his desk. “And?” “They found a piece of hair in the box
sealant.” “Were they able to get a name?” “Yeah,” Lugow started. Eric looked
down at his desk in hesitation. “It came as a match to a Veronica
Naltin.” Eric froze, the name hitting him in the
chest. “What?” “Yeah.” Eric took a deep breath. “We
double checked. There’s no mistake.” “Jesus,” He leaned on the desk, his
mind spinning uncontrolled. Adam appeared and looked at him. “You
told him?” “Yeah.” “So now what?” Eric asked. He tried
to reign in the fear that began to bubble in his stomach. They were
not only dealing with a stalker, but now a ruthless killer. “We start from the beginning,” Adam
said as Lug nodded. “We look at everything from both cases.” “We should look at anything that’s
happened since this guy made first contact with Rebecca,” Lug
suggested. “Do we have a date?” “The only specific date I have is two
weeks before the teddy bear,” Lug replied as he looked at his
notes. “I will try and get something more specific.” “Where is she now?” “Donna’s,” he said with a deep
breath. “Is she going to be safe there?” “She’ll be fine for now,” Lugow
added. “Okay, let’s get to work,” Adam
said. Eric’s phone rang. “Detective
Stiles.” “Eric, we have a problem,” Charlie
said, sounding panicked and out of breath. “What’s going on?”
he said, looking to Lug and Adam. “Rebecca got a message from the
stalker.” “When?” “I little while ago,” he replied. Eric’s heart began to race. “We think he’s going after Donna.” “Why?” “I don’t now. Something about the
message.” “Did you hear it?” “No.” “Let me talk to Rebecca.” Charlie
passed the phone to Rebecca. “Eric,” her voice sounded terrified
and shaken. Eric got to his feet as Adam followed
him. “What did he say?” “Uh, it was a joke.” “A what?” “A knock, knock, joke.”
“Tell me exactly what he said, Beccs.” “Knock, knock, who’s there, Donna,
Donna who, Donna turn around ka-boom,” she said into the phone. He could hear the agony in her voice.
“Where are you?” “On our way to Donna’s office.” “Okay, let me talk to Charlie.” He
heard her pass the phone back to Charlie. “Hey,” Charlie said. Eric and Adam reached Adam’s car. “Have
either of you tried to call her yet?” “Yeah, she’s not answering, but Beccs
said she had an early meeting.” “We’re on our way to Donna’s office
as well, but you need to stall and keep Rebecca away until I tell you
it’s okay.” “That’s going to be pretty hard to
do.” “Listen to me, this could all be a way
to lure Rebecca out into the open,” Eric explained as Adam pulled
onto the street. “Just stall long enough for us to make sure it’s
safe.” “Okay,” Charlie agreed before Eric
hung up. “What’s going on?” Adam asked. “Rebecca got a message from the
stalker.” “What kind of message?” “One with a ka-boom.” Eric, Adam, Lug and the bomb squad
arrived in front of Donna’s office twenty minutes later. Adam
coordinated the sweep and evacuation of the building while Eric went
looking for Donna. He stepped off the elevator and flashed his badge
to the receptionist. “Detective Stiles, I need to speak with Donna
Smith, it’s an emergency,” Eric said as the woman looked at him
in confusion. “I thought you were meeting her in the
parking garage,” the woman replied. Eric spun, dashing to the elevator as he
called Adam. “She was called down to the parking garage, I’m on
my way now,” Eric said into the phone hitting the P on the
elevator. The doors opened moments later, and he stepped off. He
found Donna leaning against her car with a look of irritation.
“Donna!” She shifted, looking. He ran toward her. “Eric, what’s going on?” She moved
to meet him. Eric heard a door slam just to the left. “Is Beccs alright?” “She got a call from the stalker. He…” “Donna!” Rebecca called, Charlie in
tow. Eric realized she was going to pass right
in front of Donna’s car “Beccs, no!” he screamed, pushing
Donna behind him just before the car exploded. The blast pushed both he and Donna off
their feet as it shattered and sprayed glass across the parking lot.
Eric recovered and bolted upright to see Rebecca and Charlie flat on
the ground...
Veiled
Deception
Trust
Me Book 2
She
had become his prey. His plaything. The one he desired the most, but
someone wanted her more.
Her
resilience fading, Rebecca fights to remain strong against the man
trying to destroy her mind and her life. Without the solace of Eric's
arms, Rebecca's will to recover from the relentless blows wanes as
she begins to break.
Eric,
forced to face his own choices, races to end the nightmare before the
woman he loves is completely torn apart.
Just
when they think the worst is over, the game and the stakes change.
**On
Sale for only $1.99 at eXtasy Books HERE!!**
Her
mind was heavy and her body began to awaken. Piece by piece, the pain
started to pulse through her muscles. It started with the burning
ache of her leg, and moved up to a spiraling throb in the small of
her back, a hardness in her chest, and then blinding pain behind her
eyes. She
tried to move, hearing the scraping of metal. Her body trembled in
resistance. Her eyes opened to faint whispering light and a pipe
covered ceiling. Another
basement Her
mind spun, she allowed herself to just breathe and not move. She
waited for her thoughts to settle. She
got away She
opened her eyes again and took a deep breath of relief. Lucy managed
to get away and Rebecca prayed that her sister was somewhere safe.
Now she just needed to keep her head straight until Eric found her,
or another opportunity for escape presented itself. She
lifted herself off the hard ground, her body screaming in protest.
Cold metal beneath her hand, she grabbed one of the surrounding
pipes, using it to sit upright. The area was much smaller than the
previous room, but again there was no break of light only a single
door. Rebecca
pulled her throbbing right leg beneath her and noticed an unfamiliar
weight around her ankle. The scraping of metal broke through the
darkness, and she reached down feeling thick rusted metal. Her eyes
began to adjust to the lack of light. She focused on the area to see
an ancient lead manacle beneath her hand. Attached to a bulky chain
hanging heavy on the floor. She followed it along the wall before
ending at a set of large solid pipes. Beautiful
She
reached out to examine her injury, stretching out her opposite leg.
She pulled at the fabric covering her leg, until she saw blood. It
didn't look bad, a simple flesh wound. She debated whether to expend
the energy to stand. Before she could decide, the door opened. Two
of Marco's thugs enter the room and she remained on the floor. They
wordlessly unlocked the binding around her leg and hauled her to her
feet. Once her leg was free, they yanked her forward and dragged her
out of the room and through the house. The sunshine blinded her, and
it took a moment for her eyes to adjust before she could discern
where she was. An
open luxury house, they led her down a hallway and shoved her into a
room, and she heard the door lock. The room was beautiful. Hardwood
floors, cream painted walls, and an antique bed covered in copper
hued pillows and blankets. She
moved to the windows, and discerned the seal fusing the frames and
thick plexiglas. A second door led to a lush but windowless bathroom.
Her hand pushed through her hair in frustration. She moved back into
the main room. She faced the bed with a deep breath. Its softness
called to her weary body. She struggled not to lay down and let
herself sink into mindless bliss. It
was then she noticed the black dress laid out on top. A pair of black
stilettos on the floor. "Get
cleaned up and put on the dress. You have an hour," she heard
echo through the small room. "Why
should I?" she called back, receiving no response until the door
opened. A thug entered, his gun poised against his chest. "You
have an hour," the faceless voice repeated, and she begrudgingly
grabbed the dress off the bed. The thug’s eyes boring into her
back, she moved to the bathroom and closed the door. Shit Reluctantly
stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the shower. Unable to
take any enjoyment out of the heated streams of water. They slid
against her body, effectively washing away the dirt. She could still
feel the filth covering her body. Without warning, the world around
her went fuzzy. She planted her hands against the tile of the wall
waiting for the spell to pass. Come
on Beccs, you need to pull it together. You can’t lose it yet. You
have to keep going You
have to keep going You
can do this… just breathe…
The
shower allowed her to breathe, and her sight cleared. She shivered,
despite the warmth of the room. The dress slid over her body, but
it’s flawlessness made her feel disjointed and foreign. She tugged
at the zipper and took in her reflection. Her bruised face stared at
her. She gulped back the tears that threatened to fall. Her hands
shaking, she acknowledged all the damage he had done. She
ached for Eric. He
will come. He
will find me. She
heard the door of the bedroom opening and she spun toward it. Marco
entered and motioned her into enter the room. She lingered, looked at
the armed guard behind him and then moved. "Rebecca,
you have to admit. I have extremely good taste," Marco moved
around her, licking his lips, scrutinizing her body. She restrained
her disgust with a short breath. He moved closer. "Your body
really does fill that dress in all the right places." She
felt him just behind her shoulder. His hand rested on the small of
her back. It proceeded to shift down her hip, and then across her
lower abdomen like a tentacle. He moved to face her, his eye's cold
and darting. He decided to brush the inside of her leg, and she
suppressed a tremble of loathing. "That
dress pales in comparison to the body that it encompasses. It’s too
bad Detective Stiles isn't here to enjoy it with me," she heard
him breathe into her neck. A chill ran up her spine, the blood to
drained from her cheeks. "You look so pale, sweetheart, did I
hit a nerve?" Mid-breath,
she straightened her back and lowered her shoulders. His face stopped
within inches of hers. "What
you did, with Lucy was…brave.” His breath on her face, he stared
down at her lips. "It makes me wonder if Detective Stiles was as
brave in his time of trial." "What
are you boasting about now?" She lifted her chin in defiance of
him, her voice lined with thick sarcasm.
"Tit
for Tat, Beccs.” His hand rested on her hip, and he smiled. "You
take something from me, and I take something from you. You didn't
really think I was going to let it go…did you?" Her
heart panicked uncontrolled, but she refused to take what he was
saying at face value. He was taunting her, trying to get her to fight
him, so he had an excuse. He was pissed at what she’d done, so he
was trying to torture her. His
eyes remained focused on her lips. She turned her face away from him
in disgust. Within a breath, she felt his lips and tongue against her
now exposed neck. "You
don't believe me?" he said into her neck and she fought the
rising fury sweeping through her. Marco
held a cell phone up for her to see. A picture of Eric on the ground
covered in blood. His face dark, his eyes closed. She
turned away from the photograph, in an attempt to deny the panic
rising in her chest. He grabbed her neck and forced her to look at
the image. Despite her efforts to push it out of her mind, the
reality hit, and her body trembled. "He's
not coming for you Rebecca. You're all alone. No one is coming for
you, and soon, you won't want them to."
Jaded
Promises
Trust
Me Book 3
Eric
Stiles has everything to lose and no matter how hard he fights he can
feel his life slipping away.
Rebecca
Gailen thinks that the love of her life is dead and only the vigor of
revenge keeps her fighting to survive.
When
a secret reveals more than anyone expected, it changes Eric and
Rebecca's lives forever. The devastating truth puts the couple at
odds. Can they overcome their clashing conclusions and learn to trust
each other again? Or will they let it rip them apart?
**On
Sale for only $1.99 at eXtasy Books HERE!!**
His
conscious lifted out of the cocoon of sleep. Eric opened his eyes to
find her still within his arms. The light in the room had changed,
shining an orange glow against the walls. He guessed it was early
morning. He glanced at the clock, and saw it was a little after six
a.m. He watched her sleep. His thumb stroked her temple. He was
worried about her.
Beccs
is used to taking care of herself and everyone else. She’s not used
to anyone taking care of her. She thinks it makes her weak… He
remembered the night Donna had told him that. Little did he know how
accurate the statement would be. He didn’t know how to show her
that her leaning on him was not a sign of weakness. It was a sign of
being human. He wanted her to lean on him. He wanted her to need him,
even if it was just a little. It
terrified him that in an effort to be strong, she was going to do
more damage than good. He’d seen her try to suppress her anxiety,
and pain before, not liking the results. She sighed, and he focused
on her eyes. They fluttered open before looking up at him with a
smile. “Good
morning,” she reached up, caressing his cheek. “Morning,”
Her face became contemplative as she studied him. “I missed you
last night.” “I’m
sorry.” He brushed a lingering kiss over her soft lips. “That’s
okay, you can make it up to me today,” she said, curling her
fingers into his hair. “No,
I can’t.” “Why?”
She looked back to him in confusion. “I
need to go to the station and take care of a few loose ends.” “You
didn’t take care of them last night?” “Yes
and no.” His arm wrapped around her in an unconscious need to keep
her close. “What’s
going on?” “Nothing
for you to worry about.” She shifted from beneath him in obvious
irritation. “Beccs.” “What?” “You
have enough—” She lifted the blankets off her legs and got out of
bed. “Just
don’t.” “Don’t
what? Don’t dump a lot of unneeded crap in your lap?” “That’s
not what I meant.” “Then
what?” His frustration with the conversation was confusing. He
didn’t understand what they were arguing about but, he was glad
they were arguing. “When
did you start censoring what we can and cannot talk about?” “I
don’t—” “Yes
you do.” The lack of emotion in her voice evident and frustrating
him even more. “I’m
not censoring anything.” “Fine.”
She disappeared into the bathroom and he followed. “Beccs,”
seeing her putting toothpaste on her toothbrush. “I didn’t think
it was anything you needed to be worried about.” “You
know part of being honest is not holding back, Eric!” “Forgive
me for trying to protect you!” “I
don’t need your protection!” “I
know that. I never said…” The fire in her eyes grew as she
defended herself to him. She
was fighting him. His
Beccs was coming back.
“I’m
not some fragile flower you have to treat with kid gloves! I can
handle your life, my life, and everything that comes with it or I
wouldn’t be here!” “Okay,
I’m sorry. I know you can handle whatever it is that comes into our
lives,” he admitted with a deep breath, understanding why she was
upset. “I didn’t mean to become a hovering, overprotective guy, I
swear.” “Well
you did.” Her expression change as if surprised by her own sudden
passion. “I’m
sorry. I just don’t want you to get overwhelmed. You’re still
recovering, sweetheart.” “Eric…” “Okay,
fine…fine I’ll stop. I know that you can handle it. I forgot that
you are my tough as nails, fiery redhead.” “Don’t
do it again.” He lessened the gap between them, and her eyes
softened. “It’s annoying, and I don’t like being mad at you.”
“I
don’t like it when you’re mad at me.” His hands enveloped her
waist, he pulled her close, and her arms looping around his chest. “How
are you feeling?” “Fine,
a little sore.” he replied before planting a tender kiss on her
lips. “You
know you’re supposed to be resting,” she whispered into his lips
before pressing her lips back to his. He walked her back and she sat
against the bathroom counter. “Intriguing,
and what would resting include exactly?” Eric leaned, breathing
against her neck before trailing a line up to just behind her ear.
Kissing the tender area, he savored her, his hands caressing the
lines of her back. “Well
there would be steamy showers, hours of languidly laying in bed, hot
oil massages…” “Massages?” “Of
course, didn’t you know I took a masseur class in college?” He
grazed at her ribs with his fingertips. His lips pressed against her
collar bone. “I’ve been told my hands are ethereal and demonic at
the same time.” “Sounds
exotic,” Her nails skimmed the back of his neck, sending chills up
his spine, her legs trapping his waist.
“Exotic
enough for you to stay home?” “Maybe.”
He met her eyes, before devouring her lips. He
pulled her off the counter and walked her back into the bedroom. She
tugged at his shirt, and pushed it over his head. Her nails sent
tingles through his body as they slid down his chest. His mouth
continued its heady consumption of her lips. They reached the bed and
supporting her back, he lowered her beneath him. Her
arms danced around his waist as his fingers pushed into her hair. He
could feel his body heating against her softness. His mouth nipped at
her ear before trailing down her neck. His hands began to push her
shirt up, when he heard his cell phone ring. He
began to kiss every bump and bruise covering her beautiful body. Each
discolored mark reminding him of what it felt like to almost lose
her. The emotion attached to the memory was overwhelming. He rose
back up, taking her face in his hands. “I
love you, Beccs.” Eric wrapped his arms around her before covering
her mouth with deep enduring kisses. The splendor of her arms around
him, wanting nothing more than to hold her beneath him forever. His
phone rang again. He ignored it, letting it go to voicemail. His
focus remained on her soft body beneath his hands. The
phone rang a third time, and it got his attention. He lifted his
mouth as she lined his lower lip with the tip of her finger. Still
debating he leaned down to kiss her when the phone rang again. He
groaned in protest as he rolled off the bed, and grabbed it off the
dresser. Eric
dialed his voicemail and sat on the bed, as she came up behind him.
Her arms draped over his shoulders as she kissed his neck. The
voicemail was from Adam. Some additional information came in about
the locket and a message came in from Reynolds. His free hand stroked
her arms as he listened through the voice mail then deleted it. He
tossed the phone on the bed, his mind flipping in disappointment. He
reached back, pulling her around his body, cradling her in his lap.
He kissed her before pulling back, his hands brushing through her
hair. “You’re
leaving aren’t you?” “I’m
sorry, baby, I have to go.” “What’s
going on?” “Loose
ends.” “What
loose ends?” He took a breath of hesitation about telling her the
truth. “Don’t do it.” “We
might have a lead on the locket,” he said, pulling at her lips. “And?” “And,”
He was unable to hide the smile that came with her stubborn nature.
“Jorge Reynolds is asking to see me.” “Reynolds,
as in Reynolds my stalker, psycho murderer, Reynolds?” He kept her
eyes and he nodded. “Why does he want to see you?” “I
don’t know, he won’t say.” “What
do you think he wants?” “He
could want to talk about you.” “Me,
why, me?” “Well
he did help me find you and he told us about the locket.” “He
did?” She sat up in his arms. Her attention focused on the
conversation. “Yep.” “So
you think he wants to talk to you, to find out what happened?” “Maybe,
or he may just want to talk about you.” “What
are you going to do?”
“I
haven’t decided yet.” Eric lifted her with his arms and twisted,
laying her back on the bed. “What
would make you want to go see him?” “There
are several things,” He lay beside her and she rolled onto her side
to face him. “I think he might be able to tell me who has the
locket.” “So
you’re going to go see him.” “I
didn’t say that.” He played with her hair, loving her sudden
interrogation of him. “You
didn’t not say it either, Stiles.” She lined his chin before
kissing him. “When you go see him, just promise me you’ll be
careful.” “If
I—” “Promise.” “It’s
a jail—” “Promise,
Stiles.” “I
promise.” He smirked pulling her beneath him again before
smothering her mouth. “You
see, that wasn’t so difficult was it?” “Not
nearly as difficult as it’s going to be to leave you today.”
Amy Romine has always wanted to be one of the good guys. From playing Charlie's Angels in the backyard of her Macungie, PA home as a child to the pages of her unending projects, Amy has always dreamed of adventure and romance. Her need to make the characters truly deserve their happiness takes us on many a twisted journey. From serial killers to demons, Amy holds nothing back in the name of true enduring love.
A mother of three, Amy has spent the past
sixteen years working in Operations for Ricoh America's Corporation.
She is an avid movie fan and enjoys books, television, theater, her
dog Pip and all things romance.
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