We met Samantha Kennedy back in [b:Deadly Fear|7662223|Deadly Fear (Deadly, #1)|Cynthia Eden|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1302052850s/7662223.jpg|10253426]. We witnessed her sadistic torture, and have since watched bits and pieces of her try to come back to life. Real life, not just the version she puts on for show. And yet Samantha is still haunted...every day is a struggle to deal with the crippling fear of having her GREATEST fear realized. She lived through it, now she has to move past it.Samantha begins this story by acting somewhat out of character. She goes on a hunt for someone to take her mind off of her fears. She finds Max Ridgeway and has a night of no strings attached sex, and then disappears. Max is NOT pleased. (understatement) When Samantha finds Max again, she expects the same scenario to play out. Much to her shock, Max isn't that type of guy. Max sees in Samantha a vulnerability that he can't ignore, and a woman that he wants more than his next breath. His protective instincts kick in, and we get a small taste of a tender Max......until the case that Samantha is working comes to Max's life, exposing her as more than what she claims to be. And yet Sam still keeps her secrets, because she's trying to prove to her FBI team...and to herself...that she has what it takes to do her job.While Samantha tries to keep her feelings for Max from affecting her ability to perform effectively, Max's life now begins to spiral out of control. His step brother is the newest victim in a string of kidnappings for ransom. The kidnapper(s) take a young rich man and hold him, extracting ransom money from his family. And if the family doesn't cooperate, it's instant death for the victim.Only the killer seems to be getting more and more greedy, their M/O changing quickly, and the FBI team is beginning to lose their grip on the case. All the while, Max and Samantha are both coming to terms with heavy feelings that they have for one another, and Samantha is trying to deal with her PTSD while learning to let Max into her heart and her life. This is my absolute favorite of the series, even better than book one. Cynthia Eden is, in a word: INTENSE!!! It's nonstop action, from page one...the scene constantly changes, the villain is truly an evil piece of work...and to top it off, the mystery is done VERY well...I was guessing at the whodunnit until he/she was revealed...and I kept changing my mind!!! I simply LOVED Max, and I equally loved Samantha. I wish I could give girl a hug, because boy did she ever need one! But it's okay, because Max was there for her and he did a fine job of taking care of his woman.The ending was fantastic...bloody and scary and intense right up to the very end. I'm really really hoping that the last few pages means that we will get some more of Hyde's story. I am hoping against all hope that Eden will continue this series.
