Cross My Heart by cynthia eden Series: Wilde Ways #14
Published by Hocus Pocus Publishing on February 22, 2022
Genres: Contemporary RS, Rom-Suspense
Pages: 271
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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There are some cases you never forget.
Former FBI agent Elijah Cross tried to put the past behind him. For years, he spent his days and his nights tracking some of the most brutal killers in the US. Now? He protects the rich and famous while working at Wilde. Less danger, more glamour…and a whole lot more cash. His latest gig has taken him to the sandy beaches of Florida’s Gulf Coast, and it’s on one of those gorgeous beaches where he comes face to face with the woman who haunts his dreams.
There are some people you can’t leave behind.
She was the last victim he saved at the Bureau. Penelope Kostas. The woman who survived a nightmare. He’d carried her out of hell in his arms, and Elijah had sworn to always protect her. But that promise had been given before his job at the Bureau had imploded. Before he’d broken every rule that mattered…for her. Only to have Penelope run from him.
There are some promises you must keep.
The serial killer who targeted Penelope was never apprehended, and Penelope fears that he could be hunting her once more. But this time, she will not be his victim. She wants Elijah to help her hunt him. To help her stop the killer before he can strike again. And she will pay any price for Elijah’s help. He’s the only man she trusts…and, once upon a time, Elijah had offered to do anything for her…even kill to keep her safe.
There are some desires that can’t be controlled.
Elijah still wants her just as badly. Penelope still needs him just as much. Lust, obsession—they always twisted together for them, and the longer that they are together, the more that dark and consuming need just grows and grows. Elijah will do whatever it takes to protect Penelope. She’s not the same woman he knew before. Not lost, not afraid. She’s determined to fight, and he will be at her side every step of the way. The killer won’t escape again. And Elijah will not lose the woman who owns his heart.
Author’s Note: Once upon a time, Elijah saved Penelope, and, though she didn’t realize it, she saved him, too. She stopped him from giving into the darkness that wanted to consume him, and now, he is ready for his second chance with her. Danger, desire—sure, they’re part of the deal, but Elijah can handle any threat that comes their way. He will handle the threats because there is no way that he will ever lose Penelope again. Prepare for action, twists, and a love that will not be denied. Things are going to be Wilde, and that is just Elijah’s style…
Getting involved with the victim in your case is never a good idea. Elijah Cross knows better. He also doesn’t care.
Elijah no longer works for the FBI, not after his last case. And Wilde is the perfect place for an ex-FBI agent who needs a change. But something from his past is about to pop into his life again. Or should I say, someone…
Penelope Kostas was the victim of a serial killer. He didn’t get to finish his plans with her though, and she survived. Elijah saved her., but it meant letting the killer go free. Someone has been following her, and that person wants her to know he’s able to get into her house any time he wants. She thinks it’s the same man, come to finish the job he started. After Elijah saved her, he was confident that the FBI would catch the killer. But trails went cold and the killer was still loose.
The only person she trusts is Elijah. But she burned that bridge a year ago.
I loved the second chance romance in this book, and I enjoyed watching Penelope realize that even though Elijah had saved her, she had saved him by pulling him from the edge. When dealing with the worst of humanity, the darkest of the dark, it’s really hard to keep putting yourself in the mind of the monsters without losing a bit of yourself to the darkness. When Elijah left the FBI, Penelope and her case may have been the catalyst, but he left of his own volition. That was something she really needed to hear. She had thought he’d been fired due to something she had done. Elijah was stuck with the blame. I liked watching Elijah come into his own, and really felt that he went from being controlled buttoned up FBI agent, to protective do anything for his heroine type hero, and that’s my favorite type. Not that Penelope was a damsel in distress by any means, she definitely held her own, never giving up on her case, or herself. This couple works really well together when they finally start working together as a team.
I love this series, and this book fits right in. I love the cross-over into the Ice Breakers series, and the Trouble For Hire series. It’s clever, and I love the connections. I’m jumping right into the next book.
***I bought this book
