Carmela Cruz has wanted the same man for over a year, and now that he’s finally free, he’s fair game. But just when it seems like everything is about to click into place for them, he puts on the brakes. For her, the decision is simple. He either wants her or he doesn’t. She’s tired of his mixed messages and done with waiting for him to make up his mind. An unexpected, all-expenses-paid luxury cruise to get over her broken heart sounds like just what she needs—until her vacation turns deadly.
But some rules were made to be broken…
HRT member Sawyer Vance wants Carmela more than anything. There’s only one problem—she’s his best friend’s sister, and that makes her officially off limits. He’s already learned the hard way the disastrous consequences that come from breaking that rule. But when she’s caught up in the biggest terrorist attack to hit the West Coast and her life is in imminent danger, the truth hits home hard. He realizes too late that nothing should have kept him away from her. When the terrorists begin killing hostages, Sawyer and his team must take the ship back at all costs. Now they’re in a fight for their lives against an enemy willing to die for its cause, and time is running out to save the surviving passengers.
Including Carmela…if she’s still alive.
Settings Miami, Florida Seattle, Washington Surabaya, Java (Indonesia) Oklahoma
Prologue 19 Chapters Epilogue
Character List (view spoiler)[ Sawyer Vance: Hostage Rescue Team member and FBI special agent. Ethan’s best friend. He has dark hair and dark brown eyes. Carmela Cruz: Ethan’s sister. She’s a senior orthopedic specialist and a surgical sales rep. She has long, dark brown hair and golden brown eyes. Ethan Cruz: Hostage Rescue Team member and FBI special agent. He’s in a relationship with Marisol. He’s 6’2” with dark hair and golden brown eyes. Veronica Cruz: Ethan and Carmela’s mother. Marisol (Soli) Lorenzo: Former U. S. Attorney in Miami now in Alexandria and a friend of Ethan’s family since he was a child. She’s in a relationship with him. She’s tall with dark brown hair and sea green eyes. Nate Schroder: Hostage Rescue Team medic and former Air Force Pararescue Jumper (PJ). He’s 28-years old and has auburn hair and hazel eyes. He’s in a relationship with Taya. Taya Kostas: Former hostage in Afghanistan who Nate helped rescue five years ago. Shes in a relationship with Nate. She’s 34-years old and has dark brown, long curly hair and gray eyes. Matt DeLuca: Hostage Rescue Team commander. Former FORECON Marine. He’s 41-years old with brown hair and green eyes. Briar Jones: aka B. CIA operative. She’s 29-years old and has bronze skin with chin length dark brown hair and black eyes. Lisa DeLuca: Matt’s wife who died four years ago. Clay Bauer: FBI special agent on the Hostage Rescue Team. He’s in a relationship with Zoe. He’s 6’5” with brown hair and blue eyes. Zoe Renard: Tuck’s cousin and Celida’s best friend. She’s in a relationship with Clay. She’s 5’10” with golden eyes. Her hair color changes often. She’s a former lawyer now a romantic horror writer. Brad (Tuck) Tucker: FBI special agent on the Hostage Rescue Team and team leader. He’s engaged to Celia’s. He has blond hair and brown eyes. Celida Morales: FBI special agent. She and Tuck used to be partners and are now engaged. She’s a former Marine and is 5’6” with brunette hair and gray eyes. Greg Travers: Senior FBI special agent within the domestic terrorist division. Jake Evers: FBI special agent assigned to the Hostage Rescue Team and who had served on Rycroft’s task force. He’s 32-years old, 6’1” with short dark hair and dark eyes. He’s engaged to Rachel. Rachel Granger: Architect working for Edge Architectural Firm. She’s engaged to Jake. She’s half Chinese, 27-years old and has dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Adam Blackwell: Hostage Rescue Team member. Summer Blackwell: Adam’s wife. Their marriage is hanging by a thread. Danny Decker: Until recently, he was Sawyer’s best friend from childhood. Trina Decker: Danny’s sister and Sawyer’s former fiancée. Van Slater: Captain of the Ocean Freedom cruise ship. Wira Tedja: Indonesian from Java who is leading the terrorist attack. He’s the head of security for the Ocean Freedom. Leo Chandra: Wira’s half brother who was captured by the US and rumored to be secretly held near Russia. Ali: Wira’s partner in the attack. He’s an American citizen originally from Egypt. Ahmed Aziz: Wealthy financier of the Indonesian terrorist cell. Mawla: Mysterious inspirational leader of the terrorists who is guiding the operation. Dwa: Carmela and Veronica’s cabin steward. (hide spoiler)]
Carmela Cruz has wanted the same man for over a year, and now that he’s finally free, he’s fair game. But just when it seems like everything is about to click into place for them, he puts on the brakes. For her, the decision is simple. He either wants her or he doesn’t. She’s tired of his mixed messages and done with waiting for him to make up his mind. An unexpected, all-expenses-paid luxury cruise to get over her broken heart sounds like just what she needs—until her vacation turns deadly.
But some rules were made to be broken…
HRT member Sawyer Vance wants Carmela more than anything. There’s only one problem—she’s his best friend’s sister, and that makes her officially off limits. He’s already learned the hard way the disastrous consequences that come from breaking that rule. But when she’s caught up in the biggest terrorist attack to hit the West Coast and her life is in imminent danger, the truth hits home hard. He realizes too late that nothing should have kept him away from her. When the terrorists begin killing hostages, Sawyer and his team must take the ship back at all costs. Now they’re in a fight for their lives against an enemy willing to die for its cause, and time is running out to save the surviving passengers.
Including Carmela…if she’s still alive.
Settings
Miami, Florida
Seattle, Washington
Surabaya, Java (Indonesia)
Oklahoma
Prologue
19 Chapters
Epilogue
Character List
(view spoiler)[
Sawyer Vance: Hostage Rescue Team member and FBI special agent. Ethan’s best friend. He has dark hair and dark brown eyes.
Carmela Cruz: Ethan’s sister. She’s a senior orthopedic specialist and a surgical sales rep. She has long, dark brown hair and golden brown eyes.
Ethan Cruz: Hostage Rescue Team member and FBI special agent. He’s in a relationship with Marisol. He’s 6’2” with dark hair and golden brown eyes.
Veronica Cruz: Ethan and Carmela’s mother.
Marisol (Soli) Lorenzo: Former U. S. Attorney in Miami now in Alexandria and a friend of Ethan’s family since he was a child. She’s in a relationship with him. She’s tall with dark brown hair and sea green eyes.
Nate Schroder: Hostage Rescue Team medic and former Air Force Pararescue Jumper (PJ). He’s 28-years old and has auburn hair and hazel eyes. He’s in a relationship with Taya.
Taya Kostas: Former hostage in Afghanistan who Nate helped rescue five years ago. Shes in a relationship with Nate. She’s 34-years old and has dark brown, long curly hair and gray eyes.
Matt DeLuca: Hostage Rescue Team commander. Former FORECON Marine. He’s 41-years old with brown hair and green eyes.
Briar Jones: aka B. CIA operative. She’s 29-years old and has bronze skin with chin length dark brown hair and black eyes.
Lisa DeLuca: Matt’s wife who died four years ago.
Clay Bauer: FBI special agent on the Hostage Rescue Team. He’s in a relationship with Zoe. He’s 6’5” with brown hair and blue eyes.
Zoe Renard: Tuck’s cousin and Celida’s best friend. She’s in a relationship with Clay. She’s 5’10” with golden eyes. Her hair color changes often. She’s a former lawyer now a romantic horror writer.
Brad (Tuck) Tucker: FBI special agent on the Hostage Rescue Team and team leader. He’s engaged to Celia’s. He has blond hair and brown eyes.
Celida Morales: FBI special agent. She and Tuck used to be partners and are now engaged. She’s a former Marine and is 5’6” with brunette hair and gray eyes.
Greg Travers: Senior FBI special agent within the domestic terrorist division.
Jake Evers: FBI special agent assigned to the Hostage Rescue Team and who had served on Rycroft’s task force. He’s 32-years old, 6’1” with short dark hair and dark eyes. He’s engaged to Rachel.
Rachel Granger: Architect working for Edge Architectural Firm. She’s engaged to Jake. She’s half Chinese, 27-years old and has dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
Adam Blackwell: Hostage Rescue Team member.
Summer Blackwell: Adam’s wife. Their marriage is hanging by a thread.
Danny Decker: Until recently, he was Sawyer’s best friend from childhood.
Trina Decker: Danny’s sister and Sawyer’s former fiancée.
Van Slater: Captain of the Ocean Freedom cruise ship.
Wira Tedja: Indonesian from Java who is leading the terrorist attack. He’s the head of security for the Ocean Freedom.
Leo Chandra: Wira’s half brother who was captured by the US and rumored to be secretly held near Russia.
Ali: Wira’s partner in the attack. He’s an American citizen originally from Egypt.
Ahmed Aziz: Wealthy financier of the Indonesian terrorist cell.
Mawla: Mysterious inspirational leader of the terrorists who is guiding the operation.
Dwa: Carmela and Veronica’s cabin steward.
(hide spoiler)]
Spoiler Info
(view spoiler)[
The Mawla was Wira’s mother. (hide spoiler)]