Broken Trust – The Phone Wouldn’t Stop Ringing

She thought it was over… She was wrong…

George Assenby is dead.

That’s what Samantha Overton was told.

That’s what she believes… until the phone rings.

Now George is back… watching, waiting, and pulling strings from the shadows. He knows too much. About her life. Her family. Her past. And he’s not just playing games, he’s rebuilding.

Forced into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, Sam is sent chasing answers that only lead her deeper into George’s world. Each step pulls her further from the truth… and closer to becoming part of his plan.

As Sam and Keegan race to uncover what George is really after, one thing becomes clear:

This time, the danger isn’t just coming for her.

She may have been helping him all along.

And by the time she realizes it… it might be too late.

Broken Trust, Book 2 in The Overton Files, is a gripping suspense thriller where trust is weaponized, secrets run deep, and the past refuses to stay buried.

Excerpt

The phone rang again. The annoyance of it brought her attention back to it—unknown caller. She had applied for a lot of positions. She tried to come up with a list of what… a server? A clerk at some store? Or maybe it was the position with the city? She’d applied there a few times but hadn’t been accepted. Yet. Everything she’d applied for were things she had either done before or thought maybe she could do. None even remotely appealed, but she had to do something.

The phone stopped ringing. No message was left.

She shrugged and stepped away. It started to ring again.

Someone was persistent.

She reached for the handset but quickly snatched her hand back. If it was a job she didn’t want, why ruin a great mood.

If it was her mom or something serious, she’d have left a message. Or tried Sam on her cell. Sam went back to humming and dusting and figuring out where to put pictures. They’d just recently taken down all of Keegan’s grandfather’s stuff and boxed it up. There was lots to go through, it filled the pantry and an outside shed, but Keegan wasn’t motivated, and she didn’t want to push. But it was time to make the place theirs.

The phone stopped ringing. Her shoulders shook with a violent chill. She frowned wondering what had brought that on. It was enough to have her glance over her shoulder before slowly turning. The house was empty. There was just her. There was no one there, and it didn’t feel like there were any ghosts. Her sister, Meredith, would have known if there were or not. She seemed in touch with those other worldly things.

She was alone. Throwing off her sudden angst, she flicked the duster over some objects on the windowsill.

The phone rang.

Five rings.

Then stop.

Five rings.

Then stop.

It was incessant and grating but she couldn’t make herself pick it up. If it was important, the person would leave a message.

Unlike her cell phone, she couldn’t change the tone of the landline phone ring, it was sharp and grating. Brrrrringggg. Brrrrrringgggg. Brrrrinngggg. Brrrrrriinnnggggg. Brrrrriiinnngggg.

Five rings.

Then stop.

Brrrrrinnnnnngggg.

“Fine!” She slapped down the duster and snapped up the receiver. “I’m not buying anything. I don’t want any of your gimmicks, your stuff, nothing. Just leave me alone.”

Loud hoarse breathing slithered across the line. A real sicko. It was enough to bring back flashes of everything that had happened a year ago—being shot at, almost drowning in the lake with DD, Keegan being beaten almost to death… George being shot and killed…

He WAS gone.

The heavy, uneven breathing continued.

A chill shook her to her core but wouldn’t let her hang up. “Who is this?”

“Sam.” It was said softly and quietly but hit her with the impact of a raging tiger. Her body spasmed as though she was having a seizure.

There was only one person who had that affect on her.

And he was DEAD!

Whether her thrillers are set in a real town, city, countryside, or one pulled straight from her imagination, Best-Selling and Award-Winning Author Maggie Thom writes engaging suspense that dives deep into a family’s lies, ties, and deceit. Her stories are rollercoasters, featuring strong women who know what’s right but must navigate a maze of twists, turns, and dangerous secrets to get there.

Maggie believes in happily-ever-after, but she’ll take you on one unforgettable adventure before you reach it.
Buckle up, you’re in for quite a ride.

Growing up in a house full of books, Maggie made weekly trips to the library and often disappeared into stories when the weather was too cold to play outside. She started experimenting with writing at a young age, letting her imagination carry her away on countless adventures. As an adult, she’s had just as many real ones: white-water rafting, sky diving, traveling, mountain hiking, kayaking (lakes, rivers, and ocean) and more.

Now, she writes so you can go on thrilling adventures too.

Become a member of Maggie’s Readers’ Group and get a free suspense thriller. Click here.

Take the adventure and enjoy the rollercoaster ride.

 Maggie

 Her motto:
Read to escape… Escape to read.