How did I ever think something like this could work? - Gravel Ghost (Book #1) by Charyse Allan

His eyes pierce mine, but I force myself to look away. I have to lie to him. There’s no way I can tell him this. I’ve been trained my whole life that our name is what we protect with the greatest ferocity. If someone has our name, they can use it against us. He grabs my chin again, forcing me to look at him.

Description:

Seventeen-year-old Payton Morros is a killer. Adopted as a child, and groomed into the profession by her new parents, she longs for a normal life. But lethal assassins at the top of their game can’t exactly quit their day job. Her only escape from her predetermined destiny is spending time with her best friend Conner, if only for a little while.

When Payton is sent to Chile for an assignment, she discovers a devastating truth that challenges everything she knows about herself and her family. Abandoning the mission, and on the run, she must unravel the secrets of her past before she loses all sense of herself. Or worse, before she jeopardizes everyone she cares about.

Author's Top Ten Favorite Authors: 

I read a wide range of subgenres, including thrillers, fantasy, and contemporary, through both adult and young adult. All of these authors are extremely talented, but some of them are also close friends, so I love them as the amazing people they are, as well as the awesome authors within. In no specific order: 

Karen Marie Moning

Gypsy Rae Choszer

Rose Garcia 

Robin York

Aprilynne Pike

Justina Chen

Kylie Scott

Lauren Kate

Molly McAdams 

Cambria Hebert

EXCERPT 

TOUR SCHEDULE

“Is Christen your real name?”

His eyes pierce mine, but I force myself to look away. I have to lie to him. There’s no way I can tell him this. I’ve been trained my whole life that our name is what we protect with the greatest ferocity. If someone has our name, they can use it against us. He grabs my chin again, forcing me to look at him.

“It’s not your real name?” His voice cracks on the last word.

I shake my head and a tear runs down my cheek. What the hell is wrong with me? I never cry, ever. Yet, he keeps bringing these stupid emotions out of me. His eyes shift back and forth as if he’s trying to do a really long math problem in his head.

“And Jen, that’s not her real name, either. Is it?” he asks in a whisper.

I yank back, launching to my feet. This is too far, too dangerous. I can’t believe what I’ve done. This isn’t my secret to tell. I’ve compromised both of us in only a few seconds. I rub the tear away with my palm, spin on my heel and start running, trying my hardest not to lose my shoes in the process.

“Wait!” he yells behind me.

I don’t look back and don’t stop, even when everyone on the sidewalk stares at me. I’m a great runner; I have to be. But I hear his footfalls behind me; he’s getting close. I turn left down an alley, hoping it might bring me to another outlet, but it doesn’t. It’s a dead end, a brick wall at least twelve-feet high stretching up in front of me. There’s no way I can climb it; the surface is too smooth. I instantly regret never getting into Parkour.

I’ve messed everything up, and now, I’m trapped. I understand now why Scarlet and Cadmar have always taught us never to allow ourselves feel emotion. Emotions suck. They make us act against all our instincts and ruin ourselves. How did I ever think something like this could work?

*****

“That last night in Old Town,” his voice rumbles against me and I go back to that night which changed everything for us. “When you said that was your first kiss…” He trails off and I’m mortified to feel blood rushing up my neck and over my cheeks. Did he really piece that together through everything I told him? I chew on my bottom lip, waiting for him to say something else, because I’m not going to say anything. “You didn’t just mean your first kiss with me?”

I try to move out from between his legs, but he grips my arms tighter. The only response I can give is shaking my head. I’m horrified and I can’t believe he actually remembers me saying that. I feel like I willingly had the word ‘virgin’ tattooed on my forehead. In the whole spectrum of everything, this shouldn’t be a big deal, but I am still a girl and I do still have hormones and such.

“Payton.” He sounds frustrated. He pulls me around in his arms so we’re facing each other again. His green eyes are wide with surprise and something else I can’t read. It’s probably him wondering why he’s spent so much time with a crazy, loner girl. “That was your first kiss…ever?”

I gnaw on my lip, look down at my nails and nod slightly. Again, all of the blood in my freaking body rushes to my cheeks. I don’t know how I can be so unsure here. I kill people for a living, but talking about kissing makes me want to hide in a hole. I’m sure he’s as mortified as I am. With the way he kisses, I’m certain I wasn’t his first and he’s probably done a lot more than that, if not everything. I mean, he is nineteen and a guy. My stomach lurches, sending bile up my throat. I really don’t want to think about him being with other girls. So, obviously, that’s all I can think about now. Dear God, brain, shut up!

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About the author:

Charyse Allan grew up in Arizona dancing and riding horses. She is an avid reader, but didn’t become one until high school. This is also when she realized her passion for writing, however it wasn’t until a couple years into her marriage that she tried her hand at writing a novel.

When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found in Northern Arizona, tending her garden with her husband and best friend, while their two kids and two crazy dogs run around the yard. Charyse is also a big fan of Holy yoga, juicing and being a vegetarian—she misses bacon like nobody’s business. 

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