He's the target
She's in the crosshairs
When organized crime threatens journalist Luca Rossi's
life, he assumes a fake identity. Now he's “Luke Bishop,” keeping to himself at
a dude ranch. With a snowstorm and threats to his life closing in, proprietor
Aubrey Colton needs his help. Suddenly he's playing cowboy amid deadly
conditions and fighting his feelings for her. But can Aubrey and Luca both
survive their killer attraction…and the bull's-eye on their backs?
An action-packed book that kept me hooked from start to
finish. Aubrey and her twin brother Jasper own Gemini Ranch, a guest ranch in
Colorado. As the story opens, Aubrey is dealing with an ex-boyfriend, Warren,
who won't accept that she's done with him. There is also a blizzard headed
their way, and they have cattle to move in closer. Aubrey plans to call on some
of her siblings to help when ranch guest Luke Bishop offers to help, claiming
to have ranch hand experience. Aubrey, whose trust in men has been damaged by
Warren, is wary of accepting his offer. Something about him rings warning bells
in her head.
Luca Rossi, or Luke Bishop as he is known here, is an
investigative journalist on the run from an Italian mob called the Camorra.
After writing an exposé that sent most of the organization to jail, he's spent
the last months running from the assassins sent after him. He just gets settled
in a new place when they find him again. He hopes that by leaving Italy, they
will have lost the trail. Even here, he keeps to himself and avoids the main
lodge and groups of people. His only relief from growing boredom and
restlessness is solitary rides around the countryside. When he hears Aubrey
talk about moving the cattle, he immediately offers to help.
Aubrey's trust issues lead her to do something stupid,
letting herself into his cabin when she thinks he's away. Instead, she sees
something that rouses her suspicions more, just before Luke shows up from the
shower. The sparks that fly between them are intense, Luke lays on the flirtatious
Italian charm, and Aubrey finds herself agreeing to let him help. I loved
watching them work together. The sparks are still there but take a backseat to
their teamwork. The storm isn't their only danger; shots fired nearby make Luke
think he's been found again, while Aubrey believes it's another rancher. When
she expresses her concern to her FBI agent brother, Dominic, the results of his
research ramp up his worry for her safety.
The intensity continues to build as further attacks on
Luke occur over the next few days. The question is, who is behind them? Aubrey's
ex wants her back and is none-too-happy at Luke's presence in her life. We also
see that a hitman is on-site and has the determination and opportunity to carry
out his mission. Meanwhile, Luke does his best to keep Aubrey safe while
feeling guilty for putting her in danger. The final confrontation with the hitman was a
nail-biter but left Luke hoping that maybe it was all over. However, he's unaware
of the arrival of a new player in the game, one he's just started to suspect. There's
an interesting twist to that confrontation, though its result wasn't much of a
surprise.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Luke
and Aubrey. The chemistry was intense right from the start, but both tried to
resist it. Luke didn't want to expose Aubrey to the danger that followed him
but staying away from her seemed impossible. Aubrey's trust issues kept her
wary of getting too close, but the attraction was hard to resist. I loved
Luke's protectiveness. Not only did he want to keep her safe from the trouble
that followed him, but he also stepped in when Warren was being a jerk. When
they gave in to the heat that burned between them, they realized that they were
in deeper than they expected. I ached for Aubrey's heartbreak after that last
confrontation. I loved the ending and the surprise waiting for Aubrey.
She's in the crosshairs
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