Series:
Cowboy State Lawmen (Book 4)
His only link to a killer
Is a stranger with secrets…
When self-defense trainer Charlie Sharp is nearly killed
by an explosion, Wyoming detective Brian Bradshaw finds himself with a murder
investigation on his hands. And worse, it involves one of his own. Now bodies
are turning up, and Brian suspects Charlie knows more than she's telling. Trusting
each other is hard enough. But knowing her secrets might be more danger than he
bargained for…
A fantastic, fast-paced, and action-filled book I read in
one sitting. Charlie owns USD (Underground Self Defense), a gym that teaches
self-defense to women. Charlie also has a lesser-known activity of helping women
escape their abusers. It is a cause near and dear to her heart for
heartbreaking reasons, and those reasons left her with a deep-seated distrust
of cops.
As the book opens, Charlie gets a call from one of her
clients, Haley, who says her cop husband, Seth, is going to kill her. Charlie
races to Haley's rescue, only to find the kitchen spattered with blood and no
sign of Haley. No sooner does Charlie leave the home to search for Haley than
the house explodes. She escapes before the fire department arrives and asks her
ATF agent cousin, Rocco, for help. Rocco is tied up with work and sends his friend
Detective Brian Bradshaw to her, warning him about Charlie's attitude.
Brian first met Charlie a year earlier and was
immediately taken by her beauty and feistiness. Unfortunately for him, Charlie
won't give him the time of day, no matter how hard he tries. So, when Rocco
asks Brian for help, he can't say yes fast enough. But nothing prepares him for
what she has to say.
Charlie remembers Brian very well. He's the only man who
has stirred her emotions in years, but trusting him doesn't come easily. She
isn't happy to see him show up at her house, but she realizes she needs the
help. There are some tense moments when Brian learns that a fellow officer is
the suspected murderer, but when someone shoots at her house, he is determined
to keep her safe. Brian is very protective of Charlie, but she isn't someone
who can sit back and let him do it all. Because of her trust issues, she isn't
exactly upfront about her plans and gets into some risky situations. The deeper
they get into their investigation, the more complicated it becomes. There were
unexpected twists, players who weren't what they seemed, and a final
confrontation that could have easily gone sideways.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Charlie
and Brian. Because of his feelings for her, Brian does an excellent job of not
pushing too hard and lets his actions speak for themselves. I loved seeing him
let her barbs roll off his back because he knew he had the patience to wait for
her to trust him. I knew he was getting closer when she shared her past with
him. Their chemistry was intense, and here again, Brian practiced patience,
waiting for Charlie to be ready for more than a fling. However, they have to
survive to have the relationship he wants. I loved the ending and Brian's
surprise for her.
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