Can they outsmart a killer
...who's already escaped justice?
The Kentucky Ripper is in prison...or is he? When no one will help Teagan Ray find the man who really abducted her, former profiler Bryson Anton agrees to investigate. But soon their search takes two jolting turns--brutal attacks from a cunning suspect...and a powerful mutual attraction.
This was a complex suspense story with a bit of romance to brighten things up. Teagan was kidnapped and tortured two years earlier before managing to escape. Even though she is in Florida, she's convinced that the man who abducted her is the Kentucky Ripper. Everyone insists that the Kentucky Ripper is in prison, but Teagan thinks they locked up the wrong man. She put her studies in Criminal Justice on hold while she works to prove it. Now she wants to discuss her research and theories with Bryson, the former FBI profiler who worked the case.
After leaving the FBI, Bryson went to work for Justice Seekers. A few months earlier, he was injured while working a case and is on an extended leave of absence while he recovers. Bryson blames himself for his coworker nearly being killed on that case. He also blames himself for how his Kentucky Ripper profile was handled, allowing another woman to die before he was captured and jailed. Bryson's boss, Mason, wants him to meet with Teagan, and Bryson flat-out refuses, throwing her information in the trash.
I loved the first meeting between Teagan and Bryson. Bryson is none too happy when she shows up on his doorstep the next day. He is rude and obnoxious to her, but she refuses to back down. I loved how she kept after him until he agreed to listen to her. I ached for her as she recounted what happened to the "victim" without revealing that it was her. With his skill at reading people, Bryson soon figured out the truth. He continued to rub me the wrong way with his abrasive attitude toward Teagan, but he did make some valid points. I hurt for her when he refused to help and sent her away. An added complication was the sparks that flared between them. Those sparks made it hard for Bryson to put her out of his mind.
This is where the story intensifies. Without telling her, Bryson heads to Florida to check out Teagan's account and do some investigating on his own. He has no intention of contacting her at all. Just his luck, Bryson encounters her as he checks out the site of the abduction. They end up working together, setting in motion a chain of events that puts them in extreme danger. I was on the edge of my seat when the first stop in their investigation went terribly wrong. Teagan's terror leaped off the page as she and Bryson found themselves at the mercy of a madman. I loved seeing the two of them work together to save themselves. Bryson's kindness and understanding of Teagan's trauma went a long way toward redeeming him in my eyes, and I liked how he kept her focused. Several twists made me wonder how they would make it out alive.
Determined to keep her safe, Bryson takes Teagan back to Kentucky. They team up with the rest of the Justice Seekers and go all out to find the attacker and the truth about the Kentucky Ripper. I was fascinated by their actions and discoveries and stunned by the revelations. The final confrontation was a terrifying nail-biter, and I loved seeing Teagan take control at the end.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Teagan and Bryson develop. There were sparks between them from the minute they met. Bryson is very conscious of the age difference between them. There was also his belief that he's a screwup who would get her killed because of his failures. Teagan refuses to accept his self-condemnation. I liked her teasing and flirting as a way to get him back to living again. Bryson kept trying to push her away, but she refused to go. With the intensity of their situations, it's no wonder that the feelings between them developed and grew quickly. The ending was terrific, and I loved Bryson's big moment.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book, and I know it will sound weird was that people got injured. They didn't just brush it off and go on. Bryson's original injuries were severe enough that he was still in pain during this book. His confrontations with the bad guy were realistically portrayed, as were the injuries received. I can't wait to read the other books.
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