Like most men of action, Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter never learned how to take a vacation. So when he finds himself facing a monthβs leave, he offers his services to Troubleshooters Incorporated. Founded by a former SEAL, the private-sector security firm is a major player in the ongoing war against terrorism, known for carrying out covert missions too volatile for official U.S. military action. But the first case Richter takes on is anything but under the radar.
High-profile maverick movie producer Jane Mercedes Chadwick hasnβt quite completed her newest film, but sheβs already courting controversy. The World War II epic frankly portrays the homosexuality of a real-life heroβand the storm of advance media buzz surrounding it has drawn the fury of extremist groups. But despite a relentless campaign of angry E-mails, phone calls, and smear tactics, Chadwick wonβt be pressured into abandoning the project. Then the harassment turns to death threats.
While the FBI appears on the scene, nervous Hollywood associates call in Troubleshooters, and now Chadwick has an army of round-the-clock bodyguards, whether she likes it or not. And she definitely doesnβt. But her stubbornness doesnβt make FBI agent Jules Cassidyβs job any easier. The fiercely independent filmmaker presents yet another emotional obstacle that Cassidy doesnβt needβheβs already in the midst of a personal tug-of-war with his ex-lover, while fighting a growing attraction to Chadwickβs brother.
Determined to succeedβand surviveβon her own terms, Chadwick will face off with enemies and allies alike. But she doesnβt count on the bond she forms with the quiet, capable Cosmo Richter. Yet even as their feelings bring them closer, the noose of deadly terror all around them draws tighter. And when all hell erupts, desire and desperate choices will collide on a killing ground that may trap them both in the crossfire.
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