Maverick-Lora Leigh

Maverick
Lora Leigh
St. Martin’s, Mar 2009, %
ISBN: 9780312945800

CIA and secret for hire assassin Orion captures Ariela Abijah and tries to break her as he has others. She calmly tells him that her CIA husband and Mossad son will come for him. Orion slices her wrists and masturbates as she dies without crying for mercy.

Six years later in Atlanta, Risa Clay reflects back to eight years ago when her father kidnapped her, allowed someone to rape her and directed a doctor to give her Whore’s Dust. Her friends introduce Risa to Micah Sloane (of the Elite Ops). She is unaware that he has had the hots for her admiring her courage from a distance for several years. However though he wants her she is his mark to get at Orion so he can kill him. Risa believes she is ugly having heard from her dad he could not even sell her as a pity f**k. Micah seems to understand her fear and her need. Meanwhile Orion has been assigned to kill her before her full memory returns as it recently begun before she can identify her rapist.

The next day Federal Attorney Carl Stephens explains to Risa she still has whore dust in her body and a $2 million dollar hit contract for Orion to kill her. When she agrees to be a target, Micah realizes he needs to keep his beloved Risa safe more than he needs vengeance against Orion. He tells her he will sleep with her because Orion will be watching. Micah hides the fact that he loves her and she has returned his soul to him. As they stay together she falls in love.

The relationship between the lead couple will fascinate the audience as this highlights the return of the Elite Ops crew (see WILD CARD). The villain is an interesting killer although he seems like a magician with how easily he slips past the Elite Ops security. Fans will enjoy this character driven thriller as the link between the ugly duckling and the emotionally damaged hero is an assassin.

Harriet Klausner