Secret Lies: Payback Mountain, #3

By Diane Benefiel

TRUTH WILL OUT

 

Cameron King is living under an assumed identity in the town of Sisters, California. And still, she never feels safe. As the baker for the café at the quaint Cider Mill Farm, she's grateful to the people who've taken her in and have treated her like family.

 

But she doesn't belong, and does everything she can to hold herself apart.

 

Local cop, Sawyer McGrath is always watching her, making it clear he's suspicious of her every move. And she can't blame him. He's protective of those he cares about, and Cam showed up out of the blue harboring deep, dark secrets.

 

When a threat from her past comes to Sisters, she knows her mere presence puts the people she's come to love in danger.

 

This time, running away breaks her heart. But she has to start over. Create another name, and find another town where she can hide.

 

The last thing she expects is Sawyer McGrath standing in her way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
• Release date: May 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9781957295657

Diane Benefiel

National Readers’ Choice Award winner for her novel, Solitary Man, Diane Benefiel has been an avid reader all her life. She enjoys a wide range of genres, from westerns to fantasy to mysteries, but romance has always been a favorite. She writes what she loves best to read – emotional, heart-gripping romantic suspense novels. She likes writing romantic suspense because she can put the hero and heroine in all sorts of predicaments that they have to work together to overcome. A native Southern Californian, Diane enjoys nothing better than summer. For a high school history teacher, summer means a break from teenagers, and summer allows her to spend her early mornings immersed in her current writing project. With both kids living out of the house, in addition to writing, she enjoys camping and gardening with her husband. Diane loves hearing from her readers. Website: dianebenefiel.com Facebook: facebook.com/DianeBenefielRomance Twitter: twitter.com/dianebenefiel Instagram: diane_benefiel Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/8075321.Diane_Benefiel BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/diane-benefiel Pinterest: diane_benefiel

Book preview

Diane Benefiel

TRUTH WILL OUT

Cameron King is living under an assumed identity in the town of Sisters, California. And still, she never feels safe. As the baker for the café at the quaint Cider Mill Farm, she's grateful to the people who've taken her in and have treated her like family.

But she doesn't belong, and does everything she can to hold herself apart.

Local cop, Sawyer McGrath is always watching her, making it clear he’s suspicious of her every move. And she can't blame him. He's protective of those he cares about, and Cam showed up out of the blue harboring deep, dark secrets.

When a threat from her past comes to Sisters, she knows her mere presence puts the people she's come to love in danger.

This time, running away breaks her heart.

But she has to start over. Create another name, and find another town where she can hide.

The last thing she expects is Sawyer McGrath standing in her way.

PRAISE FOR USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

DIANE BENEFIEL

Solitary Man

NATIONAL READERS’ CHOICE AWARD WINNING NOVEL

"I am in love with this story. I devoured this book and didn’t want it to end. The chemistry between the characters and the plot kept me wanting to read late into the night. This is my first read from Diane Benefiel but definitely not my last. I can’t wait to read more from this amazing author. Thank you Diane Benefiel for getting me hooked on your books!" ~ CJ’s Book Corner

"Ryder was exactly who Brenna needed in her life, and trust me when I say you will love him because yeah he really is that good of a guy. Solitary Man is my first book by this author and it will not be the last. I really think you all will enjoy this one as much as I did it is one I do recommend." ~ I’m A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore

"I really enjoyed this book and there were a few twists and turns that kept me completely involved in the story. This is the first time I have read this author and it definitely won’t be my last!" ~ Sassy Southern Book Blog

PAYBACK MOUNTAIN SERIES

Dangerous Secrets

"I couldn't resist this compelling tale of a wrongly convicted man and the woman who never stopped loving him." ~ Sue's Reviews

"This is a fast-paced story, steamy and action-packed with likable characters. The story line is engaging and pulls the reader right in with detailed world building to make it feel like you are right there with them." ~ Di Kecap

"Benefiel has written a great first book in her new series. The suspense was good with plenty of action. The romance was well done with plenty of realistic conflict between the characters. I’m looking forward to the next in the series." ~NancyJ

Honest Secrets

"Love, love, love this book! The smoking hot tension between Shane and Emery is pure FUN, and the intrigue element brings in just the right amount of suspense. I loved Walker and Delaney from the first book of the series and was happy to see them in Honest Secrets. (It's like checking in with friends.) Will Sawyer and Cam’s story be next? Sawyer’s my favorite so I hope so!" ~Amelia

"I really enjoyed this book and the chemistry between Emory and Shane is phenomenal. Would love to see more of these books, to bring the other couples in Sister's together." ~Kathy Bateman

THE JAMESONS U.S. MARSHALS SERIES

Hidden Betrayal

"As someone who never pre-orders ANYTHING, I put my order in a WEEK before it came out. Know why? Because I just didn't want to wait! Not to give away any spoilers but this is my favorite book from this author yet, in no small part because Mikayla is my favorite type of heroine. Right from the get-go, she's absolutely determined to meet everything on her terms. I loved the dialogue between her and Linc--with her saying, I didn't stay back because *I* was handling it. Yes, he's a hottie with a protective streak, but she's certainly no little woman. It really WORKS. In the end, 10/10. Can't wait to pre-order the next one too!" ~Amelia

"An exciting, romantic read with a sexy hero and a determined heroine who is hell-bent on doing things her own way. The romance heats up as the plot thickens. Linc and Mikayla need to work together to survive, but along the way, the sparks start flying. You need to read this!" ~danube eichinger

Hidden Judgment

"Don’t buy this book if you want to get anything done!! I couldn’t put it down! I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions that a brilliantly written romance novel brings. I am anxiously awaiting the third novel in the series!" ~Sandy Morris

"I couldn't put this book down. I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and the characters. Diane Benefiel does a great job bringing her characters to life, and weaves a compelling story. Looking forward to the next installment of this series!" ~Becca E H

Hidden Loyalty

"5 EXPLOSIVE STARS!! This book was explosive and had me flipping pages. I love law enforcement and this one was perfect....Seth was hot and bossy, Bella kept him on his toes. This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last." ~Rhonda

"I really loved this book, and enjoyed reading the sparks fly out of control between these two characters who have both so clearly been suppressing their true feelings for one and other.

But beyond the romance Benefiel also addresses Bella’s troubled past and creates a strong but nuanced heroine. The connection between these protagonists is instantaneous and will have readers anxiously awaiting the steam between the two when they finally get together. Loved this book!" ~ Pri R

HIGH SIERRAS SERIES

Flash Point

"Diane Benefiel takes us on a story filled with mystery, suspense, and action as we try to solve what is going on in the small town of Hangman’s Loss. Flash Point is a story that will have you flipping the pages and wondering who is the behind the attacks against Hangman’s newest resident and why." ~ Sarah Reads

"Flash Point really surprised me. It’s not what I was expecting but I really enjoyed reading it. It’s a fun easy read that captured me from the start." ~ Coffee Chat

Dead Giveaway

"Diane has written yet another winner in her High Sierra series. Murder witness and 'person of interest' Gwen flees with her godson to Cameron's uncle Eli. Gwen and Eli have no use for one another but come together for Cameron's sake and to find the true murderer...and in the process find their way to one another. My evening with Gwen and Eli couldn't have been more delightful, and I look forward to the next installment of the High Sierras." ~seniorphotog

"I loved this second book in the High Sierras series. This is a story of two people who are attracted to each other, but reconnecting under the worst of circumstances. I discovered Ms. Benefiel’s books and have loved the careful way she draws you in to the story with characters that make you feel as if you are reading about friends. I am really looking forward to the next High Sierras book, Already Gone." ~paytonpuppy

Already Gone

"This series has only gotten better and better! Seriously, there’s something that really speaks to my heart about Maddy and Logan, and Hangman’s Loss FEELS like a small California town tucked away in the Sierras. They’re such a power couple! I read this book in just a couple of days--totally sucked me in. It’s that perfect blend of fun, sizzle, and suspense! I just want to live in Maddy’s life forever but since I can’t--I can’t wait for the next book!" ~Katharine Montgomery

"A wonderful story about second chances. The minute you start reading, you will be instantly hooked. The author weaves a tale of drama and romance that keeps you enthralled and turning the pages. Maddie is feisty and Logan is her brooding and over protective suffering hero. The sparks fly every time they see each other. Eventually they give in and realize that they are perfect for each other and have always been. This is a great story right up to the last word." ~Simatsu

Burnover in Rescued Anthology

"Sweet, Sexy stories featuring furbabies and helping to save lives, it’s a win win for all." ~Kara’s Books

"8 stories by 8 outstanding authors. In these stories, there is a tattoo artist, two firefighters, two sheriff deputies, a famous furniture maker, a veterinarian, and a country music singer, and I loved them all. Then add in that each story has a dog or puppy that is rescued, along with a story of love and romance, it is a winning combination." ~Susan D

Deadly Purpose

I loved everything about this book, and it made me want to check out the other books in the series! The immediate suspense drew me in, and the High Sierras setting was perfect, as was the mysterious stranger Meg finds in her cabin. This novel had a well-written, exciting, and descriptive narrative that kept me glued from start to finish. Without giving away spoilers, the author has crafted one exciting, romantic ride, full of twists and turns. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. ~Sebastian Moran

This book took me by surprise. I didn't expect to get so caught up in this book that my whole day was spent captured in its pages. It has been a long time since I couldn't put a book down but Deadly Purpose did this to me. I loved every page. ~WildfireJane

Clear Intent

"I’d been waiting on this one awhile!! I truly loved the story! I laughed, cried and got so frustrated I couldn’t see straight! I’m now hoping there will be more from Hangman’s Loss, I don’t want to see this series end! Thank you for a very wonderful getaway!! I highly recommend this complete series!!!! Wow! Just Wow!!" ~Linda Helms

"I've looked forward to every book in this series and have enjoyed each one, loving the characters as it feels you walk with them through exciting, scary situations and sigh as relationships become beautiful. This was an exciting story with almost nonstop action and heart stopping dangers. All of my favorite people in Hangman's Loss are together to help Jack, Dory, Adrian and the town through crisis." ~JLocke

Break Away

"Oh man did I love this book. It was well written and has a great storyline. It’s emotional and has a nice amount of suspense. I really need to go back and read the first six books in the series. Now saying that, this book definitely reads as a standalone. I haven’t read the first six books, but I never felt lost or like I am missing anything with this story. You will obviously have some small spoilers since the books are all connected. ~CrazyBookLover

"Break Away is Diane Benefiel’s seventh book in the High Sierra series and is definitely a second chance at romance. Zoey had a high school crush on Levi, and when he returns home after many years, she realises her feelings have not diminished. I’m a sucker for the sexy, broody bad boy vibe, and Levi has it in spades! But the storyline also has emotion, danger and a powerful attraction that is not only undeniable, but totally unavoidable too. These characters have great chemistry and the romantic suspense plot is well written and a real page-turner." ~Arch_Angel

Contents

Praise for Diane Benefiel

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

About the Author

About the Publisher

SECRET LIES

Payback Mountain– Book Three

Diane Benefiel

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www.BOROUGHSPUBLISHINGGROUP.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, business establishments or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Boroughs Publishing Group does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites, blogs or critiques or their content.

SECRET LIES

Copyright © 2024 Diane Benefiel

All rights reserved. Unless specifically noted, no part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of Boroughs Publishing Group. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or by any other means without the permission of Boroughs Publishing Group is illegal and punishable by law. Participation in the piracy of copyrighted materials violates the author’s rights.

ISBN 978-1-957295-65-7

It seems appropriate to dedicate this book about sisters to my sisters, Ellen and Sandy.

You've known me the longest and I can't imagine my life without you.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you to Kevin for his infinite patience while I spend so many hours tapping away at my computer. Also, thank you to Michelle, the most patient editor/publisher in the known universe. My books are better because of you.

SECRET LIES

CHAPTER ONE

In the early morning darkness, Cameron locked the door of her tiny cottage, checking, then rechecking the handset to make sure it was locked. No need for the porchlight that would act like a beacon. She didn’t need light to string the thin fishing line across the top corner of the door. She’d done it so many times she knew exactly where to secure the looped end around the nail head that’d hold the line in place.

It wasn’t much of a security system, but it was good enough to alert her if the door had been opened when she was away. She set off down the pathway, the reassuring weight of the folding tactical knife in her pocket reminding her she wasn’t defenseless.

Tall pines stood silhouetted against the dazzling array of stars in the icy night sky, rising like sentries to guard the path. She shivered. In early May, the days warmed pleasantly, but the nights were cold.

A hundred yards in the open, then she was at the back door to the café bakery. Once inside, she locked the handset and the deadbolt. Flipping on lights as she went, she did her usual check. Everything was as it should be; none of the security measures she’d put in place had been tripped.

She’d been going through the same routine for months now and resisted the urge to cut corners, to become complacent. Survival demanded she not miss a single detail.

She completed her rounds of the kitchen and dining space and the adjacent retail area, checking closets and the restrooms before returning to the back kitchen.

She really wished there were blinds on the front windows, but it’d be mighty suspicious if Cam asked Delaney to put up blinds because she was afraid someone outside could be watching her. Plus, her friend had risked a lot to offer her a job, and Cameron wouldn’t ask for anything more.

Okay, we’re good. Saying the words out loud made her feel safer.

She filled the coffee maker and set it to brew. She always kept a pot full for the farm workers, though she didn’t expect anyone this early. With the aroma of dark roast in the air, she felt herself begin to relax. This was the best part of her day.

With ingredients pulled from the shelves and assembled, she began measuring and mixing, letting the routine settle her. The café and bakery were closed until Cider Mill Farm opened for the summer season in less than two months. That Delaney had kept Cam on at the end of fall, when they were closed to the public, had been unexpected and a godsend. She had no idea where she’d be if she’d been let go with the rest of the seasonal employees.

To earn her keep she made herself useful, helping with whatever needed to be done on the farm, from pruning apple trees to painting the deck. But in the mornings, before the others were up and about, she worked in the kitchen, experimenting with new recipes. While her soups, sandwiches, and salads were excellent, she did her best creations in the bakery.

Today she was experimenting with a recipe for apple pie cinnamon rolls.

As she worked, she listened to the news on the radio. It helped to keep her mind from going down rabbit holes. Worrying about her safety, worrying about her mom, worrying her presence here could endanger the people she was beginning to care too much about.

When she was younger and imagined her future, she’d always dreamed of a simple life. She’d have a husband who adored her not for her family name, or who her stepfather was, or the status marrying her could convey, but for her.

They’d live in a cute house, nothing grand, but a home where, when you walked in the door, you felt the love. Someday that dream would be a reality. She would make it happen, someplace far away from her hometown and the people there.

It’d been almost a year. Maybe she was truly safe and no one was hunting her. What then? Returning home wasn’t an option. But staying at Cider Mill Farm meant living a lie.

As much as she might wish circumstances were different, she couldn’t see herself popping the truth on Delaney, Emery, and Clara, women she’d grown to care for too much: that her name wasn’t Camilla Barton but Cameron King, and, oh yeah, there were people after her who’d rather see her dead than living free.

She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life forever looking over her shoulder, living under a false name, never truly feeling safe. At some point she’d have to deal with her past, but until she figured out how to do that safely, she’d stick with the current plan.

She followed the current story playing on the news, hoping to drown out her thoughts. She measured ingredients into the big metal bowl, then turned on the commercial mixer and let the dough hook work its magic. Once the consistency was exactly right, she set aside the dough to rise.

Next came the filling. Diced apples, a couple pats of butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and a dash of nutmeg all went into a saucepan on the range where she adjusted the flame to bring the mixture to a simmer.

As the news announcer droned on about a bill stalled in Congress, she stirred the apples. A poke with a fork found them tender, and she removed them from the heat. A quick check on the dough told her it’d need another ten or fifteen minutes, so she used the time to make notes in her recipe journal.

At some point in her life when she wasn’t so scared of leaving an electronic trail—she didn’t carry a cell phone, or, heaven forbid, have any social media accounts—when she knew she was safe and free to live her life as she wished, she’d have her own baking website. She’d feature videos and recipes geared toward the casual baker, recipes with accessible ingredients most people stocked in their own kitchens. Each recipe would have modifications and suggested substitutions. Want to make the rolls vegan? Try almond or oat milk. Don’t have fresh apples for apple pie cinnamon rolls? Go ahead and use canned filling. She tapped her chin. Chunky applesauce might also work as a substitute.

Letting the filling cool, she used the rolling pin to shape the dough into a large rectangle, then brushed it with melted butter. Next, she spread the apple mixture, followed by a generous layer of the walnuts she’d run through the nut grinder. Starting from the edge, she gently rolled the dough before using a chef’s knife to make evenly sized crosscuts. Spacing the spiraled dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, she laid a towel over them for the second rise.

With a dollop of her homemade vanilla creamer in her mug, she poured her coffee, and for the first time since she’d arrived, pulled out one of the stools tucked under the counter to sit. The news announcer described a tornado that’d caused a half-mile-wide path of destruction through a portion of central Oklahoma. Her hand stilled, her mug halfway to her mouth. The twister had cut through the southern outskirts of the town of King’s Fork.

Oh, god. She clutched her mug tighter as the announcer’s voice went tinny in her ears. Carefully, she set down the mug before she snapped the handle. A reporter on the scene, voice appropriately somber, intoned that while there were several people injured, none had been killed.

Vehicles had been tossed around, roofs had been blown off buildings, a gas station canopy had been destroyed. A grain silo had been knocked on its side. She knew exactly where that silo had stood beside the railroad tracks.

Cam fought the urge to search the internet for more information. She couldn’t take the risk of even a simple search. Nothing she’d done since arriving in Sisters, California, connected her with Oklahoma, and she couldn’t risk leaving an electronic record.

The part of King’s Fork south of the tracks was the poor side of town. It was where Cam’s grandparents had lived in a doublewide trailer. Where Cam had lived with her mom when she was a small girl, and the only place that’d ever felt like home.

But her grandparents were dead, and she’d lost touch with the aunts, uncles, and cousins who lived there. Still, she hoped they’d escaped the tornado’s wrath.

Cam’s mother lived with the almighty Bennett King, her husband and Cam’s stepfather, in a gated community in the wealthier northeastern corner of the city in a solidly built colonial revival house. Safe enough, at least from external forces. Internal forces were an entirely different matter.

Powdered sugar, milk, vanilla. Focusing on making the icing