The news they're after isn't fake -- it's deadly
For top security expert Parker Lawton, the anonymous threat is explosive. Return the gold stolen during his intelligence unit's last Iraq mission -- or they'll each be hunted down. And when one of his men is killed just before meeting investigative reporter Rebecca Wallace, he must take her under his "protection." But her persistence in getting the real story is even more dangerous -- and irresistible.
For a dashing war hero, Parker is the most guilty-acting innocent man Becca has ever seen. Still, working with him is the only way to stay ahead of a ruthless enemy. And as her instincts and Parker's skills hone in on the truth, trusting the desire simmering between them could be their only chance -- or the last move they'll ever make.
Good book with exciting suspense. Rebecca received an email with an anonymous tip about stolen Iraqi gold. As the producer of an investigative news show, she is intrigued, but she is also cautious. She won't broadcast a report until she is certain she has all the facts, so she and one of her reporters begin investigating the people listed in the email. One of those people is Parker, who raises a couple of red flags in Rebecca's mind.
Parker recently received a blackmail letter, threatening to kill him and his former teammates if the blackmailer isn't paid one million dollars. As Parker begins his investigation into who could be behind the letter, he discovers that he and his teammates are being contacted by reporters. He's certain that there is some connection, but he can't get Rebecca to return his calls.
The first meeting between Becca and Parker was intense. She's getting ready for a date, but her mind is busy going over what she has learned so far. She knows she has been getting calls from Parker, but she won't talk to him until she has more information about him. What she didn't expect was to have him show up at her door. Parker is quite aggressive in his attempt to get Becca to give up her source in the investigation, but she won't cooperate. Underneath the antagonism between them is also a thread of attraction.
When Parker gets a call from the police that his friend and former teammate, Theo, has been murdered on his way to talk to a reporter, he realizes that there is a link between Becca's investigation and the blackmail letter. He follows Becca to the gala, intending to confront her again. Instead, he arrives just in time to see her get drugged and prevent her from being kidnapped. Determined to both protect her and get answers, he takes her to his safe room.
This is where things got a little iffy for me. I liked Parker's protectiveness and his determination to get to the bottom of what was happening. What I didn't care for was the way he kept Becca a prisoner. She was understandably scared by his actions, especially when he restrained her. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he kept doing it anyway. I felt that if he had simply told her what had happened at the gala and about the blackmail letter, from the beginning much of the conflict between them could have been avoided. I liked Becca's ability to remain calm and focused while she was trapped in the safe room. She uses the time to think about what has happened and begins to sort through her memories of that night. It doesn't take her long to figure out that Parker is her captor. I enjoyed her ingenuity as she made her escape plans. That confrontation was fun to see, especially Parker's admiration of her cleverness. It also finally brought them face to face and forced Parker to tell her what was going on.
Parker is a man who is accustomed to working alone. He doesn't like to ask for help, especially when he believes it will put someone else in danger. He's dealing with a lot of guilt over Theo's death and the attack on another teammate. Becca's refusal to stay out of it frustrates him to no end because he wants her to be safe. The action continues to intensify as Parker and Becca are faced with exploding cars, people following them and shooting at them. I loved how it was Becca that came up with the idea to draw the blackmailer out. The final confrontation was intense with the blackmailer determined to bring Parker down. I loved Becca's determination to protect Parker and her part in stopping the blackmailer. I also enjoyed seeing how Parker's friends Rush and Sam provided the help that Parker needed, even when he was too stubborn to ask for it.
The attraction between Becca and Parker was undeniable. Becca was not happy about it when that attraction would flare up during the time Parker had her confined in the safe room, but she couldn't stop thinking about him. The attraction between them continued to build as they worked together. Once they got past the whole safe room issue, the relationship between them developed quickly. I did like seeing how they were able to talk about their pasts with each other and open up about the feelings from those events. Their realizations of the depth of their feelings happened quickly. I liked the hint of vulnerability that Parker showed at the end.
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