This is the author’s third book in the Hard Ink series. In Hard to Come By, computer savvy Derek DiMarzio, a member of the disgraced Special Forces team, takes the lead. Derek
(called Marz) is also an amputee, and more details are given about the team’s
time in Afghanistan and the incident that caused the injury, not only to him but
to the rest of the team. The team members are all dealing with different
feelings of guilt regarding his injury. Derek is portrayed in such a way that
one can’t help but admire him:
Numbness radiated from his right hip and crawled down his thigh, and Marz shifted again. Having lost a leg wasn’t all bad. His leg might be weaker, but at least it no longer mattered when one half of a pair of socks went AWOL in the dryer.
The female
lead is Emilie Garza, the sister of the man the team is investigating. Her brother came back from Afghanistan a changed man and
she now fears him. The meeting between Derek and Emilie is a setup, but they seem to connect right away. Derek is immediately drawn to her and doesn’t believe she knows of her brother’s actions with a drug cartel. The chemistry is quick and builds throughout the book. The first sex scene is a doozy,
and the dialogue is perfect and full of heat.
This book moves the story along, and I immediately went out and bought the last installment of this book so I can see how it all ends!