Blog Tour: I Do Not Trust You by Laura J Burns & Melinda Metz (Excerpt!)

Title: I Do Not Trust You
Authors: Laura J Burns & Melinda Metz
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 11th 2018
Hardcover, 320 pages

Summary:

Memphis "M" Engle is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she's awesome. Ashwin Sood is a little too posh for her tastes, a member of an ancient cult (which she’s pretty sure counts for more than one strike against him), and has just informed Memphis that her father who she thought was dead isn’t and needs her help.  From the catacombs of Paris to lost temples in the sacred forests, together they crisscross the globe, searching for the pieces of the one thing that might save her father. But the closer they come to saving him—and the more they fall for one another—the closer they get to destroying the world.

Happy Book Birthday to I Do Not Trust You! To celebrate you have an exclusive excerpt!  

 If they saw a local god as a threat to their power, theystamped out that god just the way the Church did. But theydid it for financial reasons, for security reasons, not fortheological reasons. But that doesn’t fit your narrative, Iguess.”
Nick’s eyebrows drew together, and for a moment heseemed at a loss. Ms. O’Malley pounced.
“Okay, enough debate. We were talking about the expansionof the Roman Empire, not the implications of their religion.”She shot Nick a frown, while Brianna smiled at M.Nick gave an unconcerned shrug, but M knew he hatedwhen he didn’t get the last word. Almost as much as shehated when clueless people tried to show off.
“You should’ve seen Miss Memphis here get into it withNick last period,” Brianna said, squeezing in between Mand Inez at their usual spot in the cafeteria. “She shut himdown with her crazy ancient cultures voodoo.”
“He’s an ass. He’s lucky he’s hot,” their friend Ayanacommented, waving her spork in Nick’s direction.
M shrugged. “I wouldn’t try to debate him in Physics. Ijust know more about Rome than he does.”
“What about AP Chem? Would you debate him in that?”
Inez asked in a fake-serious voice. “Would you debate him inGerman class?”
“She’d debate him in German, in German,” Briannajoked. “And if he tried to fight back, she’d switch to Greek.”
M threw a French fry at her. “I can’t help it. I grew upspeaking different languages.”
“And learning about pharaohs. And becoming wellversed in the history of the Etruscan people,” Ayana said,putting on a fake accent that was probably supposed to beBritish. “Oh, and setting broken bones in the bush.”
“That only happened once,” M muttered. Her friendslaughed.
“Anyway, it was epic. Thanks,” Brianna said. “I can’tstand fighting with people, and Nick always goes after me.”
“He knows you hate it,” M pointed out. “That’s why hedoes it.”“An ass, like I said.” Ayana shrugged.
“You think he’s coming to the party tonight?” Briannaasked.
“Probably. Everyone else is,” Inez replied. “Even Memphis.”
M made a face. “Anything to get out of the house. Bob andLiza would expect me to play board games with themotherwise.” Her friends exchanged a glance. M winced. “Nooffense.”
“Oh, were you offending someone?” Nick piped up frombehind her. “Good girl.”
Immediately Bri looked down, while Ayana rolled hereyes. Inez just smirked, glancing back and forth between Mand Nick.
“I was not offending anyone. I only meant I don’t likeparties,” M said. She didn’t bother to turn toward him. Itdidn’t matter; he inserted himself onto the bench next to heranyway. A little tingle ran up her spine as the scent of his colognehit her nostrils, spicy and warm.
“Mmm, they’re boring. Everyone talking about the promor the senior trip or whatever. I’m over it,” Nick said.
Me too, thought M, wishing she didn’t agree with him.She loved her friends, but even they were all about highschool. M just didn’t care. High school was nothing morethan what she had to get through before she could leave.After the crash, after the shock of Bob and Liza becomingher guardians, she’d asked if she could go off to college early,either Boston University or the University of Sheffield inEngland. Both had the kind of archeology program she wanted and would’ve let her in with no questions. Theyknew her father. They knew high school was a waste of timefor someone like her.But her guardians said no. They said she needed stabilityand normalcy after losing her dad. Never mind thattraveling the world and taking care of herself was normalfor her. While she and Dad technically lived in Boston,she’d never spent more than a few months there during theschool year. They traveled. Half the year spent on digs. Shemissed it.
“What’s with this thing, anyway? Is it to fight off badguys?” Nick teased, finding an excuse to touch her. Hereached for M’s collapsible bo staff, tucked in the insidepocket of her jacket like always. But before he touched it, beforehis flirty smile registered in her mind, M had alreadygrabbed his hand, twisted it back to the breaking point, andused the pain to push him off the cafeteria bench and ontothe floor. With her other hand, she whipped out the stick andshoved it up against his throat.
M froze. He’s just hitting on you. Her friends were aghast,and everyone nearby watched, openmouthed. Nick’s eyes werewide with panic.
“Sorry.” M stood up, leaving Nick on the floor. “I’mreally sorry.”
“Freak,” he muttered, climbing to his feet. He glancedaround, noticing the barely concealed laughter from onlookers.
“Jeez, I just wanted a fry,” he joked, as if he hadn’t beenhumiliated, then hurried out of the cafeteria.
“What. The. Hell?” Inez asked. “He was flirting with youand you beat him up!”
“I know.” M groaned, shoving her staff back into herpocket. “I didn’t mean to. It was just reflex.”
Her friends were silent. She’d freaked them out. Shouldshe explain the years of self-defense and martial arts training? That she and Dad ended up in some rough places? Herfriends lived in a city, they understood danger. Sort of. In anice, upscale Boston kind of way.
M sighed. There was no point in trying to explain. Nobodyunderstood her life.
“You kinda push all the guys away,” Brianna pointed outquietly. “Maybe not like that, but still . . .”
“I don’t do romance,” M replied. She was done with love,period. She’d loved her parents, and they were both gone.Love hurt too much. It was better to steer clear of it.
They all ate in silence for a minute.
“I mean, he is an ass,” Ayana said finally. And everybodylaughed.
M: You up?MIKE: It’s a 12 hr time difference. Ofcourse I’m up.M: Like you never sleep in on weekends.MIKE: Fine, your text woke me.M: I don’t think that glyph is a lotus. It’sbending the wrong way.MIKE: It has to be a lotus. If it’s not, thewhole phrase is wrong.M: The rest of the phrase never sat well withNefertum anyway.MIKE: Your dad said it was a lotus.

Whoa! This sounds awesome and we can't wait to read it!