Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Another fantastic entry into this series. The stories keep getting better. As discovered in previous books, Omega has a traitor in its midst, someone who is helping psychopath Damien Freihof threaten and kill agents and their loved ones. Cain Bennett has been called in from another branch to track down and stop the mole. It doesn't take long for Cain to realize that the mole's hacking skills are extensive and he needs help. But with their history, he doesn't know if Hayley will be willing. Hayley and Cain had been high school sweethearts who drifted apart after graduation. After college, Cain joined Omega. Four years ago he requested her help with another hacking case, not knowing she was involved. By the time he found out, they had rekindled their relationship. Though it gutted him to do so, he was the one who arrested her.
After four years, Hayley is out of prison and on parole, trying to put her life back together. She still harbors great resentment toward Cain, not for arresting her, because she knew she was guilty, but for sleeping with her to get close. She isn't happy to see Cain, but she has her reasons for taking him up on his offer. She just needs to stick to the job and keep him from discovering things she doesn't want him to know.
I liked both Cain and Hayley. Cain is an honorable, by-the-book guy, but he also has a heart. He knows he has made mistakes, but his feelings for her haven't changed. The problem he has is that his heart and his head are in direct conflict. His head tells him that trusting Hayley around a computer is a bad idea, but his heart believes in her. Hayley is a survivor. She made it through her time in prison and now deals with the consequences. I ached for what she was putting up with from her employer just because she had no other options. She also has some secrets that she's keeping from Cain because she isn't sure that she can trust him.
I loved the development of their relationship. Hayley doesn't hold back when she tells Cain exactly what she thinks of him. Neither does Cain when he explains what happened. Underneath it all is the attraction that still burns between them, and a connection that neither can deny. Working together to track down the mole at Omega, some of the walls between them begin to crumble, but others still stand strong. I wanted to shake Cain for his persistent suspicions, and Hayley for keeping him in the dark about some things. I liked the way that Cain's protectiveness came out when trouble hit, and that he was able to believe her when she explained why. I was worried about that trust at the end, but Cain came through in a huge way, proving by his actions that the past was in the past. I also loved the ending scene with the judge.
The suspense of the story was fantastic and kept me hooked until the end. The leaders at Omega are racing to find out who the traitor is before he strikes again. The suspects that Cain's investigation comes up with are disturbing, to say the least. Two are believable to me, and a third is a "no way." Even more disturbing is the information that Hayley found about the mole's intentions. I can't wait to see what comes next.
Then there is the trouble that Hayley is in that really keeps them hopping. It quickly becomes clear that whatever Hayley had stumbled upon before her arrest is bigger and further-reaching than she had realized at the time. The attacks on her escalate as she gets closer to finding out who and what. Someone with a lot of power is pulling strings. There were many twists and turns as Hayley and Cain followed their leads and heart-pounding action as they escaped life-threatening situations. The final confrontation was intense with a fantastic resolution. The identity of the culprits was pretty ironic, all things considered.
After four years, Hayley is out of prison and on parole, trying to put her life back together. She still harbors great resentment toward Cain, not for arresting her, because she knew she was guilty, but for sleeping with her to get close. She isn't happy to see Cain, but she has her reasons for taking him up on his offer. She just needs to stick to the job and keep him from discovering things she doesn't want him to know.
I liked both Cain and Hayley. Cain is an honorable, by-the-book guy, but he also has a heart. He knows he has made mistakes, but his feelings for her haven't changed. The problem he has is that his heart and his head are in direct conflict. His head tells him that trusting Hayley around a computer is a bad idea, but his heart believes in her. Hayley is a survivor. She made it through her time in prison and now deals with the consequences. I ached for what she was putting up with from her employer just because she had no other options. She also has some secrets that she's keeping from Cain because she isn't sure that she can trust him.
I loved the development of their relationship. Hayley doesn't hold back when she tells Cain exactly what she thinks of him. Neither does Cain when he explains what happened. Underneath it all is the attraction that still burns between them, and a connection that neither can deny. Working together to track down the mole at Omega, some of the walls between them begin to crumble, but others still stand strong. I wanted to shake Cain for his persistent suspicions, and Hayley for keeping him in the dark about some things. I liked the way that Cain's protectiveness came out when trouble hit, and that he was able to believe her when she explained why. I was worried about that trust at the end, but Cain came through in a huge way, proving by his actions that the past was in the past. I also loved the ending scene with the judge.
The suspense of the story was fantastic and kept me hooked until the end. The leaders at Omega are racing to find out who the traitor is before he strikes again. The suspects that Cain's investigation comes up with are disturbing, to say the least. Two are believable to me, and a third is a "no way." Even more disturbing is the information that Hayley found about the mole's intentions. I can't wait to see what comes next.
Then there is the trouble that Hayley is in that really keeps them hopping. It quickly becomes clear that whatever Hayley had stumbled upon before her arrest is bigger and further-reaching than she had realized at the time. The attacks on her escalate as she gets closer to finding out who and what. Someone with a lot of power is pulling strings. There were many twists and turns as Hayley and Cain followed their leads and heart-pounding action as they escaped life-threatening situations. The final confrontation was intense with a fantastic resolution. The identity of the culprits was pretty ironic, all things considered.
