Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 7/10/2018 + 2619 more book reviews

Do not start reading this book until you have a chunk of time to devote to it. I read it in one sitting, absolutely unable to put it down. At the end of the previous book (Armed Response) the team learned that Natalie Freihoff, the dead wife and motivation for Freihoff's vendetta against Omega, is actually alive. The head of Omega, Ren McClement, makes it his personal mission to find her and use her to draw out her husband. His only question is whether she is innocent or part of his scheme.

Six years earlier, Natalie had used the confusion surrounding a bank robbery to escape from the terror of an abusive marriage by faking her death. She has been looking over her shoulder ever since, terrified that he will find her.

I loved Natalie and Ren, though it took a while for me to warm up to him. Natalie's inner strength is amazing, as is her determination. As the details of her marriage emerged, the depth of Damien's depravity becomes even more obvious. In spite of all the trauma she has endured, Natalie is still a kind and caring person. Ren bugged me at first. Because of what he has seen and done over the years he is very cynical and is convinced that Natalie is working with Damien. He seems completely unwilling to believe that she is innocent.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. Though understandably wary at first, Natalie quickly felt that Ren was a man she could trust. I loved watching her open up and share some of her story with him. It was fun to watch Natalie's effect on Ren. Though his mind tells him she could be guilty, I loved his internal horror as he finds himself telling her things about himself that are true, rather than the carefully crafted cover story he was going to use. By the time they escaped from the train accident, Ren had begun to realize that he had been wrong about her. I loved his growing protectiveness as they got to know each other. There were some really sweet scenes at their cabin hideout as Ren's attentions helped build up Natalie's confidence. But Ren was also fighting the guilt of his deception and knows he has to come clean, though fate and a mountain lion seem to have other plans. I ached for Natalie with the way the truth came out. I loved the ending as Ren showed how well he understood her and gave her what she needed, but also didn't give up on them. The final scene was sweet and romantic and perfect for the two of them.

The suspense was fantastic. The tension has been building through the entire series as Damien tried to destroy Omega and the team worked to stop him. The tension built as Ren tried to decide if Natalie was on the side of good or evil. There are also sections told from the viewpoint of Damien, which added to the worry about Natalie's safety. The action goes from zero to sixty as the team puts their plan into action. I ached for Natalie and her realistic fears and fully believed that she had a much more realistic view of Damien's deviousness than the team did. My heart was in my throat as her fears came true. But in spite of her terror, she was able to do something to help bring him down. The final confrontation was an amazing piece of teamwork. Ren was fantastic with his outwardly calm and focused intent, and I loved his final statement to Damien. It was extremely satisfying to see the team members from the previous books in on the takedown. I ached for Ren and his fear that they wouldn't be able to save Natalie and I was on the edge of my seat until they did.

One of my favorite lines from the entire book, and maybe even the series was about Lillian and her place on the team: "Nobody ever expects the ass-kicking midget dropping out of the ceiling." I will miss the Omega team and can't wait to see what is next.

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