Author Spotlight week -Excerpt from Final Deceit

"Payce?"

Somewhere in the blackness she recognized the voice, but couldn't identify who it belonged to. She ignored it.

"Payce, are you okay? Payce? It's me. Logan. Can you hear me?"

She responded in spite of herself.

"Logan?"

"My God, this place was ripped apart. Can you get up?"

"Um. I think so," she said, not moving.

"Can you get up here to me?"

"No. I can't leave." Payce closed her eyes again.

"What? Why the hell not?"

"Gavin. He's hanging down there--" There! She'd said it and now it was terribly irreversibly real. "Look."

Logan remained silent for a long time leaning as far as possible to see Gavin's body still dangling repulsively. He studied it as carefully and thoroughly as he could to make sure he wasn't mistaken about Gavin's condition.

"Payce, listen to me. We have to get out of here now. I don't know how long these stairs will hold."

"I don't care. I can't leave him."

"Payce, there's nothing you can do. You don't have a choice. We have to get out. Now, come on, give me your hand and I'll pull you back up." Logan crouched above her, reaching down an open palm.

"No. If you want to leave, go ahead."

Logan closed his eyes, wishing for a full intravenous canister of sedative. It would make things infinitely easier than trying to reason with her.

"Payce, I'm telling you one last time. You need to get up and help me get us both out of here. Do you hear me?" Logan heard her sob and waited a few more seconds. He could taste the anger and impatience in his throat, and let out a twisted sigh. Then he pulled a small gun out of his side pocket.

"I really didn't want to have to do this," Logan told her. "But you give me no choice. I hope you can forgive me." He pointed the gun at her forehead, cocked it and pulled the trigger.


Enjoy this excerpt from P.I. Barrington's latest work. P.I. will be in the Desert Breeze Yahoo Connections chat today from 8-11:30 am PST chatting away. Pop on in and join us!

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Steph