Summary
An unlikely friendship, a stalking ex, and a serial killer on the loose.
FBI profiler Charlie Bekham prides himself on three unique talents: hacking any database, making women swoon with a cocky smirk, and letting no one see the desperate man buried deep. When a string of murders in Louisville, KY, requires extra help, he’s forced to partner with the brilliant yet shy Special Agent Rhyan Riggs to hunt the killer. Long nights of working the case fan the growing attraction between them, making Charlie question if “just friends” is enough.
Special Agent Rhyan Riggs is running from her past—a narcissistic ex, to be exact. Determined to move on from the terrible breakup, she focuses solely on her career… until him. Special Agent Charlie Bekham. Covered in tattoos, cocky as hell, and bad-boy hot, he’s exactly the type she should avoid at all costs but can’t seem to stay away from.
With more victims and at a dead end, Rhyan does the unthinkable—she puts herself in the killer’s sights. When the killer takes the bait and disappears with the woman Charlie’s fallen for, can he piece together the remaining clues before Rhyan becomes the next body found?
Excerpt
The revolving door shifted with a soft whoosh from her timid push against the tinted glass, heated air from inside the hotel lobby immediately warming her frozen cheeks. In awe of the elaborate lobby, Jessica Hale paused just inside to take in the grandeur. Fingers stiff from the cold gripped the edges of her black wool coat, fluffing the trapped winter air away from her body and dispelling the few watery flakes adhered to the shoulders and sleeves.
Long delicate fingers trembled, though not only from the icy wind blowing off the nearby river, as she removed one snug leather glove followed by the other, shoving both deep into the coat’s side pocket. Behind her, a gust of cold air sent her long dark hair whipping forward. A man in an expensive-looking suit entered the hotel and hurried past, clearly more confident in his night’s plans than her.
“The first time will be the best and scariest. It is for everyone.”
Jessica reminded herself of her new online friend’s wise words and repeated them as a mantra, as she had the last few weeks to not back out of the illicit plan. Every time she considered calling the entire night off, the idea of returning home to Jett, instead of standing there in the lobby, forced to witness his indifferent stares and be ignored for the smartphone always clutched in his grasp, reestablished her resolve.
Jessica shook her head to dislodge the insistent nagging voice, urging her to back out now before she did something she could never take back.
Too much time, effort, and money went into arranging this night and ensuring she covered her tracks online and off. After this first encounter, it would be easier, even though the idea of the butterflies that took flight in her belly the moment she drove out of the driveway diminishing with every visit didn’t sound nearly as thrilling.
Sucking in a confidence-boosting breath, Jessica forced her feet forward. The heels of her four-inch black stilettos clicked along the sparkling white marble tile. Her nervous eyes flicked from one side of the lobby to the other to make sure no one she knew lingered nearby. Though that chance was slim. No one in her normal suburban-housewife social circles knew about The Black Rose, much less could afford a single night in this luxury.
The massive crystal chandeliers that hung from the vaulted ceiling caught her wandering eye, their dangling teardrop crystals casting sprinkles of brilliant light along the black-and-gold-wallpapered walls and floors despite the dreary, dark night outside. As others who used this hotel as their rendezvous had noted, the hotel staff remained in the shadows until needed. To the right, a meek woman stood behind the reception desk, her eyes lowered to the black granite counter, never chancing a glance at the guest checking in.
Anonymity.
The Black Rose offered ultimate privacy in spades to their unique and cautious clientele. There wasn’t another hotel like it in the Louisville, Kentucky, area that catered to those who needed to remain anonymous to those around them. It made The Black Rose perfect for clandestine affairs. A place where two relative strangers could find passion and lust in the arms of another, their spouses or partners none the wiser.
This wasn’t her. Deep down, Jessica knew it was wrong, going against all her black-and-white morals. But the never-ending lifeless nights with her husband, Jett, feeling more alone with him ignoring her pleas for attention, drove her to this, turning her into the type of person she used to judge from the church pew.
Cheater.
Adulterer.
Whore.
Review
(audiobook) This was a great romantic suspense–suspenseful, romantic, and hot. What else do you need?
Both Charlie and Rhyan are victims of prejudice–being a woman, Rhyan isn’t always taken seriously as an agent, and Charlie’s appearance, sexy and tattooed, leads people to think he’s just out for a good time, and not good at his job. Maybe this common ground is the reason why they understand each other, and why they respect each other.
Rhyan is still dealing with a previous relationship that ruined her self esteem and gave her permanent anxiety. Her backstory is really important, as her working with Charlie will force her to grow and change. And her past affects her work–just not always in a bad way.
Though the book focuses more on Rhyan’s character arc, Charlie was equally interesting. Besides the objectification he deals with, he also has a tragic past, one that shaped the man he is, which in turn led to struggles against his superior. He too is going to change, thanks to Rhyan.
Their love story, from attraction and crush, to coworkers and friends, to passionate lovers, progresses fast, but without skipping a step. Through their interactions, both professional and personal, you can actually see their relationship evolving.
As for the suspense, it was well done. I love a good serial killer story, and this one was even better as there’s doubt at the beginning regarding the deaths–murders or suicides? The investigation sometimes relies on coincidences or happy mistakes, but mostly it’s thorough and gripping. I loved that there was a third person in the team, Bryson, as a buffer and a sounding board, impacting Rhyan and Charlie’s personal and professional relationship.
Narrators are two of the best out there, and once again they show their talent. The emotions are on full display, and it’s a pleasure to listen to them giving life to Charlie and Rhyan. A great romantic suspense in audio.
Quickie
- Series: Protection #4 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #romantic suspense #workplace romance #friends to lovers
- Triggers: murders, emotional abuse, cheating, objectification
- Main couple: Rhyan Riggs & Charlie Bekham
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + a gripping mystery with a nice twist
- – there are appropriate times for concupiscence, guys
Stalker mode
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