Investigative reporter Natalie Benoit still has not recovered from the deaths of her parents and fiancé during Hurricane Katrina despite her move to Denver for a new beginning. Now she's in Mexico to attend a convention for Mexican and American journalists. During a bus trip, Natalie contemplates her life but, before she can come to any conclusions, the bus is taken over by the Cartel. They kill all of the Mexican journalists and take Natalie captive.

Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has been beaten and tortured by the Cartel. They believe he stole their cocaine. He was setup by someone he trusted. In side-by-side cells, Natalie and Zach help each other try to find a way to escape before the head of the Cartel arrives. When the opportunity arrives, they manage to get away and make their way back to the city. Zach is undercover and trusts no one which is why he won't allow Natalie to let anyone know that she is alive until he can get her back home. Once they make it back to the states, Zach is glad for his caution. He believes that Natalie was targeted specifically and the Cartel has followed them too. For the first time in a long time Natalie feels alive and ready to commit to another man if only she can stay alive long enough to convince Zach that they belong together.

Make sure you have a hanky available along with a significant other as you turn the pages of this outstanding romantic suspense filled with intense emotions and spicy love scenes. Ms. Clare does not skimp on the details of the horror her protagonists endure during captivity. The suspense is incredible and the author pulls the threads together to create an unforgettable read.

Book Summary

While investigating border violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Denver journalist Natalie Benoit is caught in a bloody ambush and taken captive. Alone in the hands of ruthless killers, she will need every ounce of courage she possesses to survive.

Betrayed by another operative, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride has endured a week of torture and interrogation at the hands of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Ready to give his life if he must, he remains unbroken—until he hears the cries of an American woman.

Although Natalie is only a voice in the darkness of their shared prison, her plight brings renewed strength to Zach’s battered body. With her help, he overpowers their captors, and they flee through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun.

But past loss and tragedy leave both of them reluctant to follow their hearts, even when the passion between them reaches its breaking point. Faced with feelings neither expected, they fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both…

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