Casee‘s review of Make Her Pay (Bullet Catchers, Book 9) by Roxanne St. Claire.

Bullet Catcher and former Navy SEAL Constantine Xenakis has infiltrated a dive ship to discover who’s plundering priceless gems from a legendary sunken Spanish galleon. When he catches Lizzie Dare red-handed in the locked treasure room, her story of a stolen ancestral legacy convinces him to work with the sexy thief instead of turning her in — and not just because he wants to find the real culprit. Lizzie is willing to risk everything to save the Bombay Blue Diamonds from her sworn enemy, even if that means giving in to an irresistible desire to get closer to her accomplice. But when passion hits them like a rogue wave and danger surrounds them like a school of hungry sharks, their adventure on the high seas turns treacherous…and deadly.

Con Xenakis has one change to prove to Lucy Sharpe that he has what it takes to be a Bullet Catcher. After years of skirting the line between right and wrong, Con now has to make a choice. Does he stay in the shadows or come out in the sun? (I came up with that analogy all by myself.) Deciding that he’s going to show Lucy that she’s wrong about him, he takes a job where he has to uncover a thief.

From the moment that Con and Lizzie come together, there are fireworks. The first time they meet, they end up naked in the shower together after ten minutes. It had nothing to do with sex or sexual attraction, but it was still pretty hot. The number of times these two ended up naked together before they actually got to the good part was pretty amazing. I thought they both showed considerable self-restraint.

Lizzie is part of the team salvaging El Falcone for one reason: to clear her father’s name. For years, her father said their family was wronged and their name besmirched. He died before he could complete what he started. Lizzie decided to take up where he left off. That included finding artifacts that rightfully belong to her family.

When Lizzie decides to trust him, it can’t get any better for Con. While he thought she was a thief at the beginning, he realizes that she isn’t the thief. The thief that he’s looking for that is. As Con is more attracted to Lizzie by the day, he knows that it will all be over when she finds out who he works for.

This book was classic Bullet Catcher fare. Con has popped up here and there throughout the years, so it was nice to finally get his story. Lizzie is the perfect woman for him. She believes in Con when he doesn’t believe in himself. She knows that he’s not the villain that he portrays himself to be. Even after he shatters her trust in him, she still doesn’t think he’s a bad person. A jerk, yes.

At the end, Con has to decide between Lizzie and being a Bullet Catcher. It may seem like an easy decision to some, but it’s not so cut-and-dried for Con.

The ending is melt-your-heart sweet. Loved it.

4.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Pocket. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Other books in the series:

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Former Bullet Catcher and lone wolf investigator Jack Culver is on a mission. Thirty years ago, an innocent woman was convicted of murder. Jack believes he’s found the real killer — but to take down one of the highest legal authorities in the land, he needs access. Serious access. Unfortunately, the one person he knows with that kind of power is his ex-boss and ex-lover, the woman who still haunts his dreams.

Bullet Catchers owner Lucy Sharpe realizes she’s being used for her connections, and she intends to use Jack Culver right back. She’s determined to see justice served, even if that means partnering with the man who once found his way past her iron shields. This time, she’ll be strong enough to avoid Jack’s persuasive touch.

But when passion flares, and they become the killer’s target, Lucy and Jack don’t just break some rules — they shatter them. And that means risking everything: their jobs, their hearts…and their lives.

This book was effing awesome. As w/ any popular series character, you always wonder if there’s going to be a let down. This just must be my summer b/c I loved this book and I loved Lucy. Heh.

Now You Die wraps up what really happened on that night 30 years before. Jack Culver has been Eileen Strafford’s biggest supporter, doing whatever he can to make sure she is not only reunited with the girls she gave up, but that she finally is exonerated for murder. There’s just one small problem with Jack’s plan…the man he thinks is responsible for everything is a Supreme Court Justice. The only person Jack thinks can help him is Lucy Sharpe. Not only does she have the in he needs, but she is always open minded.

Lucy (and her white streak of hair) has always been an intriguing character. What Rocki did reveal about the BulletCatcher boss was painfully small. All we know is that Lucy had a child that was murdered by someone we assume is her lover, who she then killed. Hence the white streak of hair. Lucy is a very self-contained person who never, ever lets anyone see any weakness. That is why she can barely stand the sight of Jack Culver. Jack is one of the few who has seen her at her weakest and she has never forgiven him for that.

Though she is at first incredulous at Jack’s belief that Higgie is the father of Eileen’s triplets as well as a murderer, the evidence he presents to her is compelling. While she won’t blindly follow Jack’s belief that he’s guilty, she is willing to launch an investigation into the possibility that he’s involved. Unfortunately for Lucy, that means that she’ll be in close contact with Jack.

Jack was a fantastic hero. He is one of the few people that understands what makes Lucy tick. Though he’s been in love with her for years, he’s wisely kept his feelings to himself. Biding his time. Waiting until he thinks she’s ready to face the feelings that they have for each other.

Jack and Lucy are both loners who have to work together to solve a 30 year old mystery. There is a lot of give and take involved in their relationship. I think what I liked best was that Jack’s ego was able to withstand a person like Lucy, someone who almost always needs control. At the same time, Lucy was able to give up some of that control to Jack. It was a win-win.

One other thing Jack made sure to let us know is that nothing Lucy did was arbitrary. Too true, Jack.

4.5 out of 5.

This book is available from Pocket Books. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Read my review of First You Run here and Then You Hide here.