Cold as Ice
(Ice Series #2)
by Anne Stuart
“She controlled her instinctive irritation; the man got on her nerves for no discernible reason.”
Well, I’m baaaack…I’ve returned to the world of gamma assassins, to the Committee, to sadistic madmen, and yes, to the irresistibly mysterious, unpredictable Bastien Toussaint! The seductive, flirty and lethal Bastien was my first gamma assassin, a master player of cat-and-mouse. The quintessential enigma! Hero or anti-hero?
“Genevieve couldn’t decide whether she liked Bastien Toussaint or not. He reminded her of Peter in all the worst ways, combined with a certain French “fuck you” attitude that was particularly annoying”
Cold as Ice is Peter and Genevieve’s story. Peter Madsen (or Jensen)*sigh* is just delicious! A chameleon, both dangerous and elusive, “The Iceman” assassin is another operative for the Committee. Known for his “ice-cold control, and his particular expertise” Peter’s assignment is to execute Harry Van Dorn. an abhorrent sadist, a depraved billionaire and architect of the Rule of Seven. 7 disasters on 7 continents! And…He must be stopped!
Oh Wait! Peter’s well-planned op goes sideways. An additional player unexpectedly appears; the attractive, feisty lawyer, Genevieve Spenser just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! A lawyer performing her task and totally clueless that her client is a psychotic madman!
“The assignment was relatively simple—nothing he hadn’t done before, and he was very good at what he did, but timing, as always, was everything.”
Well, The Committee considers her collateral damage. Innocents die… unfortunately. Peter faces a dilemma. Although he’s the Iceman; deadly, merciless, and thorough, he does not harm innocents!
“But Ms. Spenser wasn’t evil…he’d never been forced to kill someone who’d simply gotten in the way. And he didn’t want to start now, no matter how goddamn important it was.”
And yet…
Despite the dire circumstances, Peter and Genevieve are quite entertaining. Their situation borders the macabre with Peter as predator and Genevieve, his prey. Their attraction, the banter, teasing and push/pull flirting strengthens Genevieve’s resolve to survive. As a lawyer, she’s confronted adversaries and competent opponents before. And now, her legal skillset and bag of persuasive tricks comes in handy; she employs the appropriate arguments; she bargains, negotiates, challenges, and seduces… It’s just a matter of time (as Peter frequently reminds her) that she’s destined to die. Ironically, the unassuming chameleon will perform the dastardly deed! Peter Jensen, or whoever he is, has a mission to kill Harry. Genevieve concludes that she, unfortunately stumbled on a kidnapping with Peter and his team demanding a king’s ransom for Harry!
“You’ve kidnapped one of the world’s richest men. Clearly you did it for the money—you don’t have the look of a wild-eyed terrorist…”
“And why don’t you think I’m a wild-eyed terrorist bent on some bloody political crusade?”
“You dress too well”
Yep, Genevieve fascinates and amuses Peter.
“And I warned you to stop aiming for my testicles. It annoys me.”
Despite his denials and cool reasoning, Peter knows, deep down that he will not harm Genevieve…but he needs a solution and fast. “Unless he could figure out a way to get her out of there, she’d be gone as well.”
And Genevieve…
Is fascinated and intrigued by his arrogance and extreme self-confidence. He’s always one step ahead of her, successfully reading her mind and intent.
“I’m not kissing you. That’s the last thing I want.”
“Now that’s not true” he whispered, much too close.
They dance around each other; Peter working his op, and Genevieve strategizing to survive…
“Are you going to just let me wander around this place, unwatched? Aren’t you going to tie me up?”
“Only if you really want me to. You didn’t strike me as kinky, but I’m game if you are.”
The narrative continues with more escapes, betrayals, kidnappings…
We meet Takashi, Peter’s support, another chameleon; a plant in Van Dorn’s service as one of his personal guards. Takashi organizes the rescue, leads Genevieve to Peter. And as “No good deed goes unpunished” Takashi becomes Harry’s captive and victim. “Unfortunately is was too late for Takashi” Stay Tuned. His story in next!
Do I like Peter?
Well, he grew on me… the chameleon with an attitude! I wanted to see more of his sniper skillset; the stealth, accuracy and his expert mastery with a rifle; however, I enjoyed Peter’s wit, seductive banter, insight, and…humor! “If you managed to hurt me with that little thing [Swiss army knife] I’d deserve it”
Overall, Cold as Ice entertains with its fast-paced action and surprising twists. Great to revisit with Bastien, and Takashi piques my interest. Nonetheless, it is Peter who captivates and intrigues…another assassin definitely worth meeting!
No comments:
Post a Comment